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 near
Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania. 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
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 posts, 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
Boathouse Row along the
Schuylkill River, which is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places and designated a
National Historic Landmark. 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 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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Further reading
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Lighthouses completed in 1887
Lighthouses completed in 1903
Boathouse Row
Transportation buildings and structures in Philadelphia
Colonial Revival architecture in Pennsylvania
National Register of Historic Places in Philadelphia
National Historic Landmarks in Pennsylvania
Shingle Style architecture in Pennsylvania
Sports clubs established in 1897
Lighthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania
Philadelphia Register of Historic Places
Historic district contributing properties in Pennsylvania
Boathouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania
1897 establishments in Pennsylvania