Fairmount Park Conservancy

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The Water Works from the Eagle Pavilion by Graydon Wood.

Water Works

From the moment the Fairmount Water Works opened in the early 1800’s it was hailed as an engineering marvel and an architectural masterpiece. The Water Works’ South Garden was considered one of Philadelphia’s most beautiful places and formed the basis for what would become the Fairmount Park system. The original Cliffs Path, carved into the stone face of “Faire Mount,” ascended from the Water Works to an elevated reservoir, offering visitors breathtaking views of the Schuylkill River and the surrounding area. Unfortunately the decommissioning of the Water Works in 1911 reduced the popularity of the South Garden, and the entire site subsequently fell into disrepair.

In 1974, the Junior League of Philadelphia began raising the funds needed to restore the neoclassical buildings of the Water Works. In the 1990s Ernesta Ballard, a founding member of the Fairmount Park Conservancy and a former Park Commissioner, began working with the Junior League to continue the necessary fundraising for the restoration. Along with the Junior League, Ernesta helped raise $23 million over the course of a decade for renovations to the building complex, which now includes the Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center for watershed education and the Water Works Restaurant and Lounge.

In 2006, Women for the Water Works, an initiative of the Fairmount Park Conservancy, launched a campaign to raise money to complete the South Garden and Cliffside renovations. So far the Women for the Water Works has raised $3.6 million towards its $5 million dollar goal, bringing the total monies collected to more than $28 million since renovations first began thirty years ago. As of spring 2007, both the Central Cliffs Path and the renewal of the South Garden have been completed. The exciting final phase of the project is the restoration of the North and South Cliff Paths, the Mercury Pavilion and the Rustic Pavilion. Just as in the 19th century, a dazzling fountain, statuary, paths and parterres will again attract visitors to this national historic landmark.

This project is also supported by those who have contributed to the Fund for the Water Works, a project of The Fairmount Park Commission created to support the preservation and restoration of the Fairmount Water Works.  Monies raised are not only restoring the site for today - we are also ensuring that generations to come will be able to enjoy the restored Water Works by establishing a private maintenance endowment for the site.

For more information on the Water Works project, please see our brochure (PDF)