 |
About Fairmount Park |
|
Recreation/Activities |
|
Environment/Education |
|
History/Art/Culture |
|
Services/Permits |
| Support Your Park | ||
 | ||
 |
FAQs | |
|
Related Links | |
|
Downloadable Forms | |
|
Site Map | |
| >HOME >HISTORY/ARTS/CULTURE >GENERAL HISTORY | |
|
Park Origins
 What Would Have Been
Transformation of the LandscapeDiversity of Landscape Evolving Forms of Park RecreationSupport for Public Use Citizen Involvement
VI. SUPPORT FOR PUBLIC USE Fairmount Park is much more than a topographical feature within Philadelphia. It's also comprised of people: users, visitors, and most importantly, the men and women who work day after day to both preserve the park and keep it safe and clean. Although semi-autonomous during much of its early existence, the Fairmount Park Commission is now an actively functioning part of the City government. Many of the grounds administered by the Commission are used for organized recreational activities.  Regulations for the Government of Parks Fairmount Park Commission 1984, 1992 Fairmount Park Commission  Guard House on the East Bank of the Schuylkill River James Cremer, photographer c. 1875 Fairmount Park Commission The Act of Assembly of 1868 which granted the Fairmount Park Commission the authority to claim lands for a public park also initiated the Park Guard. Small structures, such as the one featured in this 19th century image, existed throughout the park, ensuring the Guard's continuous presence. In 1971, after a century of service, the City merged the Guard with the Philadelphia Police Department.  Fairmount Park Guard All Night Bicycle Squad From A Descriptive Souvenir of Fairmount Park (Fairmount Park Guard Pension Fund Association, 1916) Fairmount Park Commission  Sheep Grazing on the Belmont Plateau, West Fairmount Park From A Descriptive Souvenir of Fairmount Park (Fairmount Park Guard Pension Fund Association, 1913) Fairmount Park Commission  Fairmount Park Guard Surveying the Schuylkill River photographer unknown 1957 Fairmount Park Commission  WPA Building a Rockery in Morris Park photographer unknown 22 July 1936 Fairmount Park Commission From Fairmount Park's inception, maintenance of the extensive parklands and buildings has remained a constant challenge to and priority for the Commission. The Works Progress Administration, a program of the New Deal, employed thousands of Philadelphians during the Depression of the 1930s. These workers provided much needed maintenance to the heavily used park. Many sections of Fairmount Park took their present form because of the work done by these laborers, who drained swampland, tapped springs, removed dilapidated structures, and built bridges, gazebos, trails and picnic shelters.  WPA Working at Black Road Quarry photographer unknown 21 July 1936 Fairmount Park Commission  Fairmount Park Mounted Police Ben Maser, photographer c. 1957 Fairmount Park Commission  Caring for Trees in Washington Square Arbor Day Celebration photographer unknown 1996 Fairmount Park Commission |
|
 |
||||||||||
| PLACES TO GO | ||||||||||
|
||||||||||
