Photographic Prints Collection FP.2010.002 Finding aid prepared by Andrew Beck and Eric Rosenzweig This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit October 01, 2012 Describing Archives: A Content Standard Fairmount Archives 10/1/2012 Photographic Prints Collection FP.2010.002 Table of Contents Summary Information ................................................................................................................................. 3 Historical note................................................................................................................................................4 Scope and Contents note............................................................................................................................... 5 Administrative Information .........................................................................................................................5 Controlled Access Headings..........................................................................................................................5 Collection Inventory...................................................................................................................................... 8 Cobb's Creek Park................................................................................................................................... 8 Fairmount Park...................................................................................................................................... 10 Pennypack Park......................................................................................................................................45 Tacony Creek Park................................................................................................................................ 49 Wissahickon Valley Park.......................................................................................................................49 Neighborhood parks and recreation facilities........................................................................................64 General park features and activities...................................................................................................... 91 Edward and William Wharton Smith Collection.................................................................................. 94 Transparencies........................................................................................................................................94 Digital files.......................................................................................................................................... 108 - Page 2 - Photographic Prints Collection FP.2010.002 Summary Information Repository Fairmount Archives Title Photographic Prints Date circa 1855-circa 2012 Extent 52.0 Linear feet Language English Abstract One of the United States' largest and oldest municipally-operated park systems, Fairmount Park encompasses 9,200 acres and includes sixty three neighborhood and regional parks. The formation, growth, maintenance and enjoyment of Fairmount Park has produced one of the longest- standing examples of city and citizen cooperation. This collection contains a multitude of images of the Fairmount Park system created between 1855 and 2000 in a variety of formats. Preferred Citation note [Description and date of item], FP.2010.002, Photographic Prints Collection, Fairmount Park Historic Resource Archives. - Page 3 - Photographic Prints Collection FP.2010.002 Historical note Philadelphia's yellow fever epidemics of the 1790s spurred City Councils to seek a system to provide safe drinking water to the citizens of the city. In 1801, water works were built on the original Center Square, current site of City Hall. In 1815 the Center Square water works were replaced by the Fairmount Water Works and its reservoir atop Faire Mount (the current site of the Philadelphia Museum of Art). Throughout the early 1800s industrial pollution threatened the water quality and numerous attempts, through legislation and acquisition of riverfront properties, successfully safeguarded the water supply. The Consolidation Act of 1854 granted the newly-enlarged Philadelphia City and County the power to acquire areas within the city as open public space. Fairmount Park was officially founded in 1855 when the Lemon Hill estate was dedicated as a public park and renamed Fairmount Park. Support came from 2,400 citizens who signed a petition urging the purchase of Lemon Hill. In another effort to protect Philadelphia's water supply private citizens raised funds to purchase the Sedgley Estate in 1856. The group raised $60,000 of the $125,000 purchase price. The city contributed the balance and the property was deeded to the City. This Estate was the second significant piece of land purchased and prohibited its being developed. To escape the city's epidemics and summer heat, villas sprung up on the banks of the Schuylkill River. By the end of the 18th century the River was lined with villas, several of which can still be seen in Fairmount Park today. As extensive acreage surrounded these villas, they posed little threat to the River's water quality. City growth, the damming of the Schuylkill River, and the growth of suburban areas outside Philadelphia slowly ended the Villa Period. Unlike New York City's Central Park with its man-made landscapes, Fairmount Park evolved through the absorption of older estates, their tree groves and open meadowland without significant alterations. The historic houses of Fairmount Park are an important component of the Park. Many of the houses - Lemon Hill, Laurel Hill, Ormiston, Sweetbriar, Woodford, Strawberry Hill - are the original estate buildings appropriated by the Commission in the 1860s and 1870s. Others, like Cedar Grove and Letitia Street House, were moved into the Park to ensure their preservation. Cedar Grove, an eighteenth century country house, once stood isolated in Frankford. The two-and-a-half story, gambrel-roofed house was moved to its present location in the West Park in 1926 as a gift from Lydia T. Morris, one of the founders of the Morris Arboretum. Letitia Street House was originally built around 1715 on Letitia Street, an alley between Front and Second Streets in Old City. The house relocated to its current site in 1883. - Page 4 - Photographic Prints Collection FP.2010.002 Scope and Contents note This collection contains a multitude of images of the Fairmount Park system created between 1855 and 2012 in a variety of formats. The collection is divided into ten series by individual watershed parks, neighborhood parks, general features and activities, by the Edward and William Wharton Smith Collection, and then by formatting as either a transparency or digital file. The “Photographic prints” collection consists of primarily of 8 x 10 prints of various park features, such as historic houses, guard boxes, landscape, construction and demolition, although sizes and content does vary widely throughout. This collection is a combination of photos which are official documents of the Fairmount Park Commission, and materials related to the park which have been accessioned as a result of their informational value. Because of the breadth of its subject matter, this series has a high value to researchers interested in many aspects of Philadelphia history. Administrative Information Publication Information Fairmount Archives 10/1/2012 Conditions Governing Access note This collection is open for research. Due to the fragility of certain documents, special handling procedures may be required. All decisions regarding handling will be at the discretion of the staff archivist. Conditions Governing Use note Copyright restrictions may apply. Please contact the Archives with requests for copying and for authorization to publish, quote or reproduce the material. Controlled Access Headings Geographic Name(s) - Page 5 - Photographic Prints Collection FP.2010.002 • Allens Lane (Philadelphia, Pa.) • Bartram Garden (Philadelphia, Pa.) • Benjamin Franklin Parkway (Philadelphia, Pa.) • Bradford Park (Philadelphia, Pa.) • Burholme Park (Philadelphia, Pa.) • Carpenter's Woods (Philadelphia, Pa.) • Carroll Park (Philadelphia, Pa.) • Clifford Park (Philadelphia, Pa.) • Cloverly Park (Philadelphia, Pa.) • Cobb's Creek Golf Course (Philadelphia, Pa.) • Cobb's Creek Park (Philadelphia, Pa.) • East Fairmount Park (Philadelphia, Pa.) • Fernhill Park (Philadelphia, Pa.) • Fisher Park (Philadelphia, Pa.) • Fox Chase Farm (Philadelphia, Pa.) • Franklin D. Roosevelt Park (Philadelphia, Pa.) • Franklin Square (Philadelphia, Pa.) • Glen Foerd (Philadelphia, Pa.) • Harper's Hollow Park (Philadelphia, Pa) • Hunting Park (Philadelphia, Pa.) • I-95 Park (Philadelphia, Pa.) • John Byrne Golf Course (Philadelphia, Pa.) • John F. Kennedy Plaza (Philadelphia, Pa.) • Juniata Golf Course (Philadelphia, Pa.) • Logan Square (Philadelphia, Pa.) • Loudoun Park (Philadelphia, Pa.) • Manatawna Farm (Philadelphia, Pa.) • Manayunk Canal (Philadelphia, Pa.) • Marconi Plaza (Philadelphia, Pa.) • Morris Park (Philadelphia, Pa.) • Palmer Park (Philadelphia, Pa.) • Pastorius Park (Philadelphia, Pa.) • Penn Treaty Park (Philadelphia, Pa.) • Pennypack Park (Philadelphia, Pa.) • Poquessing Creek Park (Philadelphia, Pa.) • Roosevelt Boulevard (Philadelphia, Pa.) • Schuylkill River Park (Philadelphia, Pa.) • Stephen Girard Park (Philadelphia, Pa.) • Tacony Creek Park (Philadelphia, Pa.) • Wakefield Park (Philadelphia, Pa.) • Walnut Lane Golf