Topics Infrastructure

Birch’s Views of Philadelphia, 1800

Schuylkill River from below the South Street Bridge, 1873

Chestnut Street Bridge, on the Schuylkill River (Picturesque America)

Schuylkill River from below the South Street Bridge, 1873

Plan of Philadelphia, John Hills, May 30, 1796

Plan of Philadelphia, John Hills, 1796

Centre Square Water Works, Drawings of Intake Basin

Benjamin Henry Latrobe, portrait by Filippo Costaggini, 1880

Centre Square Water Works, Latrobe Plans, 1799

Pen and ink drawing of the proposed Delaware Seventh Street Sewer

Plan and profile of proposed Delaware Seventh St. Sewer, 1850

Fourth of July in Centre Square, John Lewis Krimmel, ca. 1812. The wooden statue in the fountain, “Allegory of the Schuylkill River (Water Nymph and Bittern)”, was carved in 1809 by Philadelphia sculptor William Rush.

Fourth of July, Centre Square, ca. 1812

A section of wooden water pipe, long out of service, removed from a Philadelphia street in 1901. It had been installed about 1801.

Wooden Water Pipe, removed from Market Street, December 6, 1901

Centre Square Engine House, location of one of two steam engines used in the city’s original water system. Engraving by Birch.

Centre Square Engine House, ca. 1807

The Water Works in Centre Square, Philadelphia