Karen Young stood in the old swimming pool turned event space, watching the sunlight dance on the Schuylkill River. Abandoned since 1972, the natatorium is part of the Fairmount Water Works, an important landmark in Philadelphia’s history. This place, once a hub for handling the city’s water supply, now shows signs of neglect—peeling paint, rusty ceilings, and empty bleachers surround a drained pool.
Five years ago, Hurricane Ida put the Water Works in danger. Young, who has led the center since 2007, faced the wrath of Ida’s flooding. The storm unleashed up to ten inches of rain in just hours. The Schuylkill River reached nearly record levels, causing chaos.
“The water blew out doors and windows,” she recalled. “We lost everything that couldn’t be moved.” The flood wrecked their elevator and sprinkler system, leaving debris and muck in its wake. For over six months, the center had to shut down.
Pennsylvania is the most flood-prone state in the U.S., with more than 86,000 miles of rivers and streams at risk. This makes historical sites like the Water Works especially vulnerable. In fact, Pennsylvania boasts the third-highest number of National Historic Landmarks in the country.
Seri Worden, from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, emphasizes that climate adaptation has moved from being just a good idea to an urgent necessity. “If we don’t adapt, we risk losing these landmarks,” she warns.
The night Ida hit, the Water Works was supposed to open a new exhibit on the history of segregation in public pools. As storm warnings buzzed on cell phones, staff scrambled to evacuate. They last-minute moved exhibits to higher ground. Idalia’s impact remains evident—the walls are still marked with “Ida” stickers showing how high the floodwater rose.
Each rainstorm brings anxiety. “It feels like we all have PTSD from the flooding,” Young admitted. But she sees a silver lining in the chaos. “Ida taught us how to better protect important buildings.”
To prepare for future floods, the Water Works has begun a three-phase resilience plan. They’re making the exhibits mobile to quickly move them in emergencies. Even the educational materials are now durable and flood-resistant. Young explained, “When the water comes, we just let it flow through. There’s no point in fighting it.”
Claire Donato, an architect involved in the Water Works project, noted that they realized after Ida that they need to enhance their flood defenses even more. Past storms, like Hurricane Agnes, didn’t foresee the severity of future weather events.
The intersection of architecture and nature creates unique challenges. Fallingwater, a renowned house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, is another example. Built over a stream, it impressively blends nature and human design. However, floods in 1955 and 2017 caused significant damage, prompting efforts to protect the site for future generations.
“That very stream that inspires the architecture is now a threat,” said Justin Gunther, director at Fallingwater. Their preservation project will cost $7 million, focusing on keeping nearby forests healthy and fortifying the structure against moisture.
Young agrees that nothing can replace the real experience of visiting historical sites. “There’s a unique power in place,” she said. They’re not just preserving buildings; they’re keeping the history alive. The Water Works was once an engineering marvel, telling stories of public health and urban development.
The Water Works is struggling to fund its resilience efforts. So far, they’ve gathered about $650,000, which is far from enough. In a time of tight budgets, many historic sites compete for limited resources, making preservation more challenging.
“The needs are vast,” lamented Joanne Dahme from the Fund for the Water Works. As the conversation shifts to funding, the stakes become more apparent. Restoring and preserving these locations often falls to local initiatives due to diminishing government support.
Now, as Young gazes over the river, she feels a profound respect for water and its impact. The Fairmount Water Works is surrounded by sculptures that celebrate the river’s power and the human effort to harness it. But with climate change, managing this delicate balance is tougher than ever.
“The river’s pulse is a reminder of our challenges ahead,” she said. “We must prepare and adapt to ensure these histories endure.”
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environment, climate, philadelphia, hurricane ida, schulykill river, fairmount water works, rain, fairmount, flooding
