Fairmount Water Work's Historic Cliff Path Railing

In the 1800's no trip to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was considered complete until the visitor had seen the Water Works. Philadelphia's water department was the first (1801) in America to supply an entire city with drinking water. Designed by Frederick Graff as a collection of Greek revival "temples" nestled onto the banks of the Schuylkill River, the complex is surrounded by one of the nation's largest urban parks. Almost from the day the waterwheels began turning, the Fairmount Water Works and its beautiful grounds, Fairmount Park, made the place an international tourist attraction renowned for melding nature and technology.

Honored today as a National Historic Landmark and a National Historic Civil and Mechanical Engineering Landmark the Water Works hosts an Interpretive Center and numerous civic activities and organizations. As part of an ongoing restoration of the Park, Robinson iron is reproducing the historic cast iron cliff path railing.
This railing with its unusual curvilinear pattern lead the visitor along a winding pathway to a small gazebo built on the hill as a vantage point to overlook the river and the complex below. Only small fragments of one support brace are extant, the railing having disappeared sometime in the early twentieth century.

This has not deterred Robinson Iron's craftsmen who are working with Claire Donato of the architectural firm of Mark B. Thompson Associates LLC to reproduce the design. Computer enhanced images of the original railing have been carefully inspected and the sculpted details rendered in pencil. Once these have been established a CNC Router (see below) is used to form the basic pattern of the curvilinear structure. Then the details are sculpted into clay that has been attached to the surface to complete the pattern.

Note: Content taken in part or in its entirety from The Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center.

•TThe following images are courtesy of About.com, John Fischer,
and the Guide to Greater Philadelphia/South Jersey

•The following images are courtesy of www.ushistory.org

Extensive planning was required to match changes in elevation.

Every curve was followed closely.

The flyaway braces are another unique feature.
• The Gazebo overlook with the path where the reproduction cast iron railing will be installed.
• A view of the restored complex with the Philadelphia Museum of Art in the background
• Another view with the city beyond
• An early color lithograph.
Historic Photo of the Cliff Path Railing looking down to the Schuykill River
A preliminary model showing how the finished pattern contours will look.

•The above image is courtesy of www.ushistory.org