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Fairmount Waterworks

1871
T. Henry Smith (American, active 1843–c. 1903)
William Penn named this hill Fairmount and enjoyed viewing the Schuylkill River scenery from its summit. When Philadelphia built the water works facility here, a 3-million-gallon reservoir was excavated at the top of the hill to supply neighboring homes and businesses with water. Smith portrayed Fairmount as an idealized place where technology and nature coexisted, creating a stable foundation for the modern city in the background.

Object Details

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