Portal:Philadelphia/Selected picture/June 2008

credit: National Park Service

The Fairmount Water Works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was the first municipal waterworks in the United States. Designed in 1812 by Frederick Graff and built between 1819 and 1822 it operated until 1909, winning praise for its design and becoming a popular tourist attraction. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 and is once again in the process of winning back visitors, having now opened an Interpretive Center to aid in understanding the waterworks' purpose and history.