Centre Square Engine House, ca. 1807
This hand-colored engraving on wood depicts the Pump House in Centre Square, Philadelphia. From 1800 to 1815, the Water Works were used to deliver water from the Schuylkill River to various parts of the city.
The white marble neoclassical building, designed by Benjamin Latrobe, was a popular destination for day walkers and pleasure-seekers, like the couples seen strolling the grounds as two musicians play on the building's steps. The Pump House was demolished in 1827.