Name/Title
Girard Avenue BridgeEntry/Object ID
2010.477.6Description
Black and white stereoview of the Girard Avenue Bridge over the Schuylkill.
Back is inscribed "Renie" and contains the following printed text:
"Fairmount Park and Water Works, Philadelphia. // Fairmount Water Works situated on the Schuykill River in the North Western Section of the City, were commenced in 1812, and run by steam power until 1822, when the dam, which has been erected to give motive power at a less cost, was first used. The wheels now in use are the Turbine, with pumping capacity of 34,191,619 gallons per day; the four reservoirs contain 27,000,000 gallons. The total capacity of all the reservoirs for supplying the city with water is 145,672,078 gallons, but the supply is inadequate to the demand, and the city is now erecting an additional reservoir which will contain 750,000,000 gallons.
To preserve the purity of the water, the city has purchased the ground on either side of the Schuylkill River, for eight miles, and the Wissahickon Creek for six miles, and have dedicated it to a Public Park and Pleasure Ground, in that way controling the banks of the streams. As a Park, it is the largest in the world, containing nearly 3,000 acres. For natural beauty, it is unsurpassed, and has every variety of scenery - cascades, green and wooded islands, meadows, uplands, lawns, rocky ravines, high hill-summits and open fields. Within its limits are the homes and sites of homes of the Revolutionary Fathers, and men connected with our early history, such as John Penn, Robert Morris, Judge Peters, Hancock, and others.
With works of Art the Park does not yet abound, as the improvement of such a vast tract of land is a colossal work, requiring a great amount of time and money. The land alone has cost three and a-half millions of dollars. There are several statues and monuments of merit, chief among which is the Lincoln Monument, placed there by the citizens of Philadelphia at a cost of $36,000. To give access to the many and varied beauties of the Park will be required at least fifty miles of carriage drives, with one hundred of walks and foot-paths.
N.B. - To the Park Commission, led by their most able President, Hon. Morton McMichael, and Chief Engineer, John C. Cresson, with assistants, the citizens of Philadelphia should be ever grateful for their superior judgement, untiring efforts and steadfastness of purpose in conducting this work, which will be the Pride of the City."Photograph Details
Subject Place
* Untyped Subject Place
18 S. 8th St., PhildelphiaMade/Created
Studio
James Cremer, Photographer and PublisherNotes
Author: UnknownDimensions
Dimension Notes
Print Size: 4x7"