Fairmount Park in Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Arch & Standpipe
As the Water Works expanded, new structures were needed to help manage the increasing flow of water pumped from the river.
The Italianate-style Standpipe (1852), helped boost water uphill to a new reservoir. The Romanesque-style Distribution Arch (1860), disguised three thirty-inch-diameter pipes which linked to the Standpipe.
Both structures were demolished during construction of the Philadelphia Museum of Art in the early 1920s.
When the Standpipe and Distribution Arch were demolished in the early 1920s one observer remarked, "What the city built beautifully is destroyed ruthlessly."
Erected by Fairmount Park Conservancy.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Arts, Letters, Music • Parks & Recreational Areas.
Location. 39° 58.005′ N, 75° 10.995′ W. Marker is in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia County. It is in Fairmount Park. Marker can be reached from Waterworks Drive, 0.2 miles south of Kelly Drive, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 927 Martin Luther King Jr Dr, Philadelphia PA 19130, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. William Rush (here, next to this marker); Engine & Mill Houses
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Credits. This page was last revised on February 2, 2024. It was originally submitted on February 8, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 104 times since then and 7 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 8, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
