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| >HOME >HISTORY/ARTS/CULTURE >GENERAL HISTORY | |
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Park Origins
 What Would Have Been
Transformation of the LandscapeDiversity of Landscape Evolving Forms of Park RecreationSupport for Public Use Citizen Involvement
V. EVOLVING FORMS OF PARK RECREATION There should be...open lawns to give room for playgrounds and parades; shaded and secluded spots in sufficient number to present ample opportunity for the enjoyment of the quiet retirement, doubly grateful to those who temporarily escape from the din of crowded City streets. There should also be arbors, and other structures for shelter and rest, as well as suitable arrangements to facilitate the enjoyment of fine views of the Park and the surrounding scenery." - First Annual Report of the Fairmount Park Commission - 1869 Victorian park planners sought calming experiences and activities for park visitors. Compare this to today's more athletic uses of the park. The park design attempted to discourage rowdiness by fostering reflection and access to healthy air and water. By the end of the 19th century, the Commission began to accommodate the complex needs of the public, adding rather than limiting the scope of its recreation facilities and resources. The automobile, in particular, challenged the mission of the park as a place for quiet and recreation. On the other hand, it allowed greater access to the park, ushering in a new generation of park users.  Indian Rock Hotel Frank H. Taylor, artist c.1870 Fairmount Park Commission The Indian Rock Hotel, which stood opposite the Rex Avenue Bridge, was one of the many inns which visitors encountered along the Wissahickon Creek. These inns and roadhouses attracted city-weary tourists as much for food and entertainment as for the picturesque scene the establishments created along the creek. Today, only the Valley Green Inn survives.  City-Children's Outing at Lemon Hill 1911 Record Group 149 Philadelphia City Archives Fairmount Park became the perfect location to host outings for school groups and underprivileged children. The Fairmount Park Transportation Company trolleys not only enabled this group of 1,000 children to spend a day at Lemon Hill with the Lemon Hill Association, a missionary society, but it also became a major means for visitors to get to the Park.  Memorial Hall Art Gallery photographer unknown 1900 Negative # 703 Philadelphia City Archives  Zoological Gardens and Sculpture from A Descriptive Souvenir of Fairmount Park (Fairmount Park Guard Pension Fund Association, 1913) Fairmount Park Commission A. Louden Snowden, a Park Commissioner at the turn of the century, advocated for a horse speedway. Within a few years automobile races, both on the Chamounix Speedway and throughout the Park, were a reality. At first, only the wealthiest citizens owned cars which they fearlessly sped onto park carriage routes, threatening pedestrians and frightening horses. Soon, however, the general public could afford cars too. Today the Commission continually monitors auto access to various sections of the Park, balancing recreational needs and the mission of the park against the need for automobile thoroughfares.  Plan of Speedway Along Chamounix Drive from Proposed Speedway in Fairmount Park 1901 Fairmount Park Commission  Automobile and Horse-Drawn Carriage Share the River Drive Photographer unknown c.1910 Fairmount Park Commission  Automobile Trips and Sight-Seeing Guide The American Taxi Cab Company 1911 Fairmount Park Commission  Headlights Not Allowed in Park 23 July 1915 Record Group 149 Philadelphia City Archives  Gustine Lake, Wissahickon Valley Park photographer unknown July 1954 Fairmount Park Commission  Robin Hood Dell, East Fairmount Park photographer unknown c. 1960 Fairmount Park Commission  Sledding in Fisher Park photographer unknown 27 January 1966 Fairmount Park Commission |
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