Boat House Row - Philadelphia, PA
N 39° 58.183 W 075° 11.281
18S E 483943 N 4424413
Boathouse row is one of the many attractions of the East River Drive/Art Museum area. The NRHP site and National Landmark encompass 15 properties on East River Drive (now Kelly Drive) on the Schuylkill River.
Waymark Code: WMHT82
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 08/12/2013
Views: 2
Boathouse Row is a historic site located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on the east bank of the Schuylkill River, just north of the Fairmount Water Works and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It consists of a row of 15 boathouses housing social and rowing clubs and their racing shells. Each of the boathouses has its own history, and all have addresses on both Boathouse Row and Kelly Drive (named after famous Philadelphia oarsman John B. Kelly, Jr.).
Boathouses #2 through #14 are part of a group known as the Schuylkill Navy, which encompasses several other boathouses along the river. Boathouse #1 is Lloyd Hall and is the only public boathouse facility on the Row. Boathouse #15 houses the Sedgeley Club, which operates the Turtle Rock Lighthouse. The boathouses are all at least a century old, and some were built over 150 years ago.
I was fascinated by the lighthouse, the only one in Philadelphia. The Turtle Rock Light is a lighthouse completed in the summer 1887 and was originally built to guide steamboats down the Schuylkill River. Ideas for a lighthouse to provide safety for river users appeared in meeting minutes dating back to the 1820s. It wasn't until the early 1880s was a formal request made for a lighthouse at Turtle Rock. It was listed as necessary, but not urgent, and therefore delayed until 1887. The lighthouse was constructed by Frank Thurwanger at a cost of $2,663 on an area of land just west of Boathouse Row. The lighthouse has a hexagonal lantern room with an octagonal walkway. Gas was first used to power the light, but in 1990, when the lighthouse was repainted and received a new wooden balustrade and newel posts, the beacon was electrified. SOURCE It is my understanding the home owners may actually own the light. The land on which the structures of Boat House Row rest is owned by the Fairmount park Commission, a municipal agency. The individual boathouses are under private club ownership. 1982 NRHP Nomination form for Boat House Row
I decided to really investigate and explore this site. It took me a few hours as I also had to see every statue as well; this is a remarkable area. The biggest complaint or concern were the number of bicyclists and joggers on the Schuylkill River Trail. It made walking very dangerous. The clubs were nice and friendly and no problem with me walking about the grounds. Before today, I gawked at the Row from the Art Museum, the Water Works or while driving on the Schuylkill Expressway. It was interesting to get the front yard perspective. These home are really old! The homes cover a range of architecture types such as Late 19th- and 20th-century Revivals, Late Victorian and some Gothic mixed in too. Surprisingly, parking was a breeze and available out front or just down the road a piece in a two-hour parking lot. I stayed for 2 hours 5 minutes and was rewarded with a $26 parking tickted..totally worth it!A really decent history can be found HERE.