Fairmount Dam and Water Works, Philadelphia Author(s): Thomas Gilpin Source: The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and

Biography, Vol. 37, No. 4 (1913), pp. 471479 Published by: The Historical Society of Pennsylvania Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20086141 . Accessed: 20/01/2014 17:51
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Fairmount

Dam

and Water Works,

Philadelphia.

471

FAIEMOUNT DAM AND WATER WORKS,

PHILADELPHIA.
[The 1852, and main years use, now gives statement following a detailed account water an the for works of water attractive old an in Gilpin, by the late Thomas prepared a dam as to who first proposed building on the Schuylkill at Fairmount, the river Philadelphia The dam dismantled reduced 1 for many is still and in are

erecting source and but used

of for the city supply resort of its citizens. houses ; the the Municipal have Art been reservoir

pumping aquarium erected

is being Gallery.

in height,

on which

is to be

In the year
S. Lewis he had, mount called for

1817?I
on me

believe
to consult power stream

in the winter;
me respecting on the river so as to

Joseph
an idea Schuyl take in

using up

a water the

kill, to be created by making

to raise

a dam across
there,

it at Fair

the water level above the Falls, works erected by Josiah White
ham This ferences its for their became between factory,?he

which was used for and Joseph Gilling

he could of purchase con

told me, the

their interest

in the mill
afterwards us,

seat for that purpose.

subject I gave several encouragement

in which

to the project,?but
novelty S. Jos. steam

it required deliberation
that he

owing to
the

and magnitude. to me, Lewis stated

preferred

employment
their enormously

of water
power expensive was

power
not from

to that of steam;

that

and had sufficient, the high price and

become scarcity

think he said that the cost of the steam of wood?I fuel was then between thirty and thirty-five thousand
dollars a year, with an increasing requisition upon it.

The Coal Mines in Pennsylvania had not then been or or the coal brought to Market discovered opened
under quate any expectation of its usefulness or of an ade supply.

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472 Fairmount
Our ment

Dam

and Water Works,

on the subject

Philadelphia.
continued

conversations of water

were of

from his idea that I was well acquainted with

powers in consequence being

employ
inter

ested in them for a long time?and particularly Mills on Brandywine Creek near Wilmington
ware?these Water and ?and had an extensive used than power being to more advantage the several after one to there

at our Dela

from the reputation, more economically common thro' the country which had been

representations introduce of

made

to him respecting

this, he considered
at Fairmount. the water those

the plan

to be a suitable construction than level under force?in ten of and

These Mills had been in operation upon an improved

years?they its the application differed then of a head the for more from in common

use by the water its descending

being let upon the wheels

the power to cause

near to the
from

surface?and

obtained an

weight?it

was not let into the wheels

water-wheels impulsive a contained and were had been

pressure this way,

greater body steadier?and

of water?moved much slower were more This plan effective. many

originated a very celebrated ployed on his largely experiments

after

experiments Smeaton, by John em in who was Millwright England, works?whose to this country, had come writings and Jos

in Govermment

eph S. Lewis had obtained them from the Philadelphia As the construction of a Mill and the best Library.
use of a water operation perience tion, and was a considerable at all times power ex skill of and both and expense?science were to test the value of the opera required it was some time before a new principle could

be credited and adopted. Owing to the Mills at Brandywine

and permanent work, the movement

requiring
of

heavy

the machinery

on the old plan with the use of the water on the wheels by impulse, had caused it to give way for want of
steadiness and strength?in the meantime I had at

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Fairmount
tended had to

Dam and Water Works,

the English over and

Philadelphia.
after New

473
con

improvements?and settled near Newark,

siderable
come

enquiry I found that an English

Millwright
Jersey,

previously to the year 1808, who was acquainted with went on immediately this mode of applying water?I to consult him about it, and found he fully understood
it. This person was Thomas Oakes, afterwards so well

known by his works on the Schuylkill River, both at Fairmount and as Engineer to the Schuylkill Naviga tion Company. We with his partner Drury Broomley,
had where sion settled they and at Bloomfield, had met with near some for the Paterson, New Jersey, employment. proper use of water

Both of them were well acquainted with their profes

the principles

power, particularly Thomas Oakes, who had studied, and practised under the experiments of John Smeaton with whom he had been acquainted in England, and he
became the planner and engineer in their and water our mills business here.

In consequence
and myself, owning estate at Brandywine,

of this, my
the mills had

brother Joshua

Gilpin

on an powers and machinery

rebuilt by Thomas Oakes. His first work there, was to put in the works of the original old mill, in 1808,
and this to answer finding structed there three other all mills The our expectations on the same mill was we con principle in opera

in 1816; all of which

repairs The for many years. had

answered well
first

and required no by fire.

and the in until

tion from 1808 to 1825?when

machinery water-wheels to go jured in the two never and machinery same substantial by very

it was destroyed
renewal, required in the new mills

continued

times

manner, severe river

tho' much freshets,

the year 1837. It was from the repute and good character of this machinery, that Joseph S. Lewis, who knew of it well, applied to me to give him information on the subject

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474 Fairmount
of water powers,

Dam
and

and Water Works,

he was the more

Philadelphia.
particularly in

terested about them after I told him we had connected with them a powerful iron forceing pump which had been in constant operation night and day thro' all the
year, per chine, and day, and raised for the more than 200,000 six Paper was this fully engines, one-tenth of water gallons ma and the Paper of the quan part

tity then used at Philadelphia for all the city purposes. As I thought it would be better that the Watering
Committee should have every opportunity to be satis

fied on the subject; I invited all the gentlemen com posing the same to visit the mills in order to see their construction and availability, and I stated to the Com
mittee, that as our waterfall in use there, was about

seven feet in height, it would correspond so nearly to that a similar the proposed water fall at Fairmount
calculation of machinery to this, In conformity and wheels would answer. an appointment was made, and Doctor S. Lewis, Samuel Jackson, Benjamin came down to Wilming and Frederick Graff their at carriage, the mills. all their and I received them the next

Joseph Jones, ton, in morning and wheels cation reservoir large lons,

These Gentlemen
examined and of

remained with me during

the works, performance, power upon particularly as well them was near as the

the day
appli pump

the water

the water in the mill,

; the water connected a million

ing; the quantity

Settling-pond the movement

of water
which and

raised and delivered

held

into a
with a

but which

substantiality

of gal of the work, and

they were all satisfied of its efficiency. In the course of the day Joseph S. Lewis told me, that the Committee had come to the conclusion to adopt at Philadelphia, the same plan for the Water-Works
with could the be same improvements to construct and workmanship; they would and sue

I replied to them if they did so, and if Thomas Oakes

obtained them

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Fairmount

Dam

and Water Works,

Philadelphia.

475

ceed ; but if they employed anyone else in the country, I believed the work would prove a failure, because I did not think there was then any other person to whom
such an operation In consequence to be entrusted. ought of this, it was concluded by the Com

mittee that I should write to Thomas Oakes to come on at once which I did; and he came to Philadelphia where I introduced him to Joseph S. Lewis at his
house place in Second S. Lewis the afternoon our discussion where Street, of the days after he arrived. said that his engagements would took

Joseph

pre

vent him from going out the next day to Fairmount as he had desired to do to go over the ground; but
wanted be taken no of time the to be season, lost and because it was advantage important ought to make to a

report to the Council without delay. At his request I concluded to go with Thomas Oakes the next day out to the position of the present Water Works where he sounded the river from the City side to the western side. He found the depth of the river to be very con siderable on the City side, the current having set the channel of the river to the eastward; I think it was about 30 feet before a solid bottom could be found; but the water became quite shoal with a rock bottom
on the western Thomas Oakes side. concluded it would therefore not an

swer well to build a crib dam of logs and stones up to the City side because it would be too high, and in
too deep water, he therefore should advise bank or pier earthen mold should be run out that for dam an about

four hundred
river, and then

feet
to

to go over
commence

the deep part

a crib

of the
to go

with

over to the other side grounding it upon the rock bot tom, but as it would not be safe to contract the stream because the high water of the river freshets would have to be passed off, he would propose that the water fall part of the dam should be run diagonally across the

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476 Fairmount
river the to allow average

Dam
at least of

and Water Works,

as much the stream. discharging I think

Philadelphia.
surface the cataract as

part

part of the dam he allowed to be about 1200 feet. In addition to the plan or place for the dam, Thomas
Oakes was required to give his opinion in general re

and it was specting the eligibility of the measure, a to to the proposal under the make thought best reply
following heads:?

1. Whether sufficient water power could be obtained from the flow of the Schuylkill River with a fall of 7. to 9. feet to raise the supply of water 100 feet high
into the Reservoir as on Fairmount the average as for level existed the city of at the the purposes,

using the water

Robeson's a rock Mills, reef

fall height from the tail water

of Peter
tides.

2. Whether Schuylkill
pose 3. ; and That

if there had existed at Fairmount

obstruction Falls

such
of

it would not be eligible to use it for the pur

as not there an was not there due a reef of rocks the at Fair or pur his same

mount, dam could pose. Thomas

whether

artificial

be made after I drew

one, to answer consideration for him all

or an

obtruction

Oakes, request report,

made

up

mind
and ingly.

affirmatively,
at his This

and in favor
up answering

of all these points;

his report ideas, these accord and cov

ering the whole ground was handed by him to Joseph S. Lewis, and will be found to be the substance of the Committee to the Council. Report of the Watering The importance of the subject engaged all his at
tention Broomley, and Thomas who came Oakes on wrote and for his partner Drury soon they were engaged

after by the corporation to do the work, and to lay out the site for the dam and mills according to his plan. The position was for the location for eight mills
to use basin all &c, the water but only power, one or the two guard docks, of the water forebay, powers

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Fairmount

Dam

and Water Works,

Philadelphia.

477

were at first put into use by him ; the remaining water powers were for use for the additional mills as they
were required. Thomas Oakes remained at these works till the prin

ciple and movement were fully tested by the wheels being put into operation but he had soon after to leave
them to be executed more particularly by his partner

Drury Broomley for he was chosen to be Engineer for the Schuylkill Navigation Company in the month of March 1819. First under the presidency of Cadwala
Evans, when Lewis, intendency der and of all afterwards afterwards the works was under on increased the that of he had the erection river, from S. Joseph and super his where

judgment

and practical
salary of his an

efficiency were

always
time

relied
to time

and his upon; in consideration sideration by too It was

of his great from

services, His employers. exposure frequent to

con by the voluntary was death occasioned in the the summer heat, and observa

faithful

devotion
very

to his business.
intercourse

tion I had from time to time, as well as from the rep resentation of everyone I conversed with; that I was satisfied the proposal to raise the water supply from the Schuylkill River by the present water works at originated with Joseph S. Lewis ; that he Fairmount,
was the first mover and and enterprise to convince afterwards others of their difficulty them and carried into effect. advantage, get at the Fairmount I was water-works occasionally conferences under took contract place between or the members composing to do the material the Watering it; and some part conception of them, and as the projector was he had bold and novel,

great

where

Committee the persons

of of

the work; and attended to their explanation, particularly with Ariel Cooley when building
across works, the and as the as well river, on all these occasions of progress the opinion

about it the dam

the mill and de

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478 Fairmount
cisi?n much which controlled

Dam
was

and Water Works,

as

Philadelphia.

required by Joseph

a principal was very tho' for the prac S. Lewis,

tical planning of such work as the board could not be expected to be acquainted with, he depended chiefly
The work Oakes. upon Thomas the nature to be reduced difficult tract, but the progress of the dam was from con to a descriptive of the work was to be approved

by him, both as it related to the Fairmount Water works and to the Schuylkill Navigation Company in its
material workmanship and time.

In confirmation of this statement and of the ideas of the Corporation, and of his friends at the time of the decease of Joseph S. Lewis, I refer to the adjoin
ing memorial respecting this enterprise. It is en

graved on the panel on the north side of the marble monument placed over his tomb in the Laurel Hill
Cemetery, which stands in a conspicuous situation on

a hill, open to the view of the Schuylkill River?to the truth of which inscription, his cotemporaries can bear
testimony. on the south side of the monument, and On the panel river is in the there cut relief the water view, fronting front of the Fairmount Water and, Works, picture in carrying meritorious other were, persons however, out of the laying further out extension the beautiful of the works grounds and around in the the labor reser

voirs; origin
Joseph

the bold conception of the Water Works

S. Lewis.

in the of the enterprise is due to at Fairmount Thomas Gilpin.

the vari our the

Philadelphia
A ous

3 April,

1852.
efforts of

correspondent, who citizens Water to our

in noticing the were instrumental Works, notices,

Fairmount transfer

in building up in warm terms,

conduct of the late Joseph

the monument the columns, to his memory,

S. Lewis,

and begs us to

on inscription following as erected at Laurel

Hill.

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Fairmount
"Erected,

Dam
by

and Water Works,

Fellow-Citizens

Philadelphia.
and

479

Grateful

Friends,

To the Memory JOSEPH

of

S. LEWIS,

Who long and faithfully presided over The Schuylkill Navigation Company, And the Fairmount Water Works. He originated the latter, and by his persevering and disinterested exertions, brought to a completion that great Public Work, which, for magnificence of conception, simplicity and solidity of exe
cution, cence, and unmixed of character being placed of benefi is worthy amongst

the noblest achievements of enlightened His remains fitly Civic Enterprise. repose in this spot, on the River
rendered by his labors a source

Health and of Prosperity, to his Native Safety City. 9th, 1778. Born, May Died, March 13th, 1836."

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