The Lighthouse on Turtle Rock is a

lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Lighthouses mar ...

built in 1887 to aid traffic on the

Schuylkill River The Schuylkill River ( , ) is a river running northwest to southeast in eastern Pennsylvania. The river was improved by navigations into the Schuylkill Canal, and several of its tributaries drain major parts of Pennsylvania's Coal Region. It fl ...

near

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. The lighthouse was constructed by Frank Thurwanger at a cost of $2,663 on an area of land just west of

Boathouse Row 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 ro ...

. 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 A baluster is an upright support, often a vertical moulded shaft, square, or lathe-turned form found in stairways, parapets, and other architectural features. In furniture construction it is known as a spindle. Common materials used in its con ...

and

newel post A newel, also called a central pole or support column, is the central supporting pillar of a staircase. It can also refer to an upright post that supports and/or terminates the handrail of a stair banister (the "newel post"). In stairs having str ...

s, the beacon was electrified.

Sedgeley Club

The lighthouse is operated by the Sedgeley Club, a social club located at #15 Boathouse Row in the historic

along the

, which is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

and designated a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

. In 1897, the club was founded as the Bicycle, Barge and Canoe Club, but quickly changed its name to the Sedgeley Club.Stillner, p. 106 The Club initially occupied # 14 Boathouse Row, until 1902, when the

Fairmount Park Fairmount Park is the largest municipal park in Philadelphia and the historic name for a group of parks located throughout the city. Fairmount Park consists of two park sections named East Park and West Park, divided by the Schuylkill River, with ...

Commission permitted the Club to build its own boathouse. The building, designed by Arthur H. Brockie, was adapted to encompass the lighthouse that predates it. Brockie designed a shingle, Colonial Revival house. After completing this design, Brockie joined the

University Barge Club University Barge Club of Philadelphia (also known as UBC) is an amateur rowing club located at #7 in the historic Boathouse Row of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a National Hist ...

in 1902. World War II caused the Club to stop operating as an athletic facility. The Sedgeley Club still operates as a social club and is available to rent for private parties.

Friends of Historic Sedgeley

In 2012, Friends of Historic Sedgeley, a 501(c)(3) corporation was established to maintain and preserve the Sedgeley Club building as a local and national historic landmark, and to promote the architectural and cultural significance of the boathouse and the lighthouse to the public through open houses and educational programs.

References

Sources

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Lighthouse FriendsLighthouse Digest
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Sedgeley Club

Friends of Historic Sedgeley

References

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Further reading