Turtle Rock Light
Encyclopedia
The Turtle Rock Light is a lighthouse
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
and newel post
s, the beacon was electrified.
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. The Club initially occupied #14 Boathouse Row, until 1902, when the Fairmount Park
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 shares its space with a chapter of The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America
. Some Sedgeley Club members' boats are stored at the Public Canoe House, up river.
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
built in 1887 to aid traffic on the Schuylkill River
Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River is a river in Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River.The river is about long. Its watershed of about lies entirely within the state of Pennsylvania. The source of its eastern branch is in the Appalachian Mountains at Tuscarora Springs, near Tamaqua in...
near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. 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
-Early 19th century beginnings:The history of Boathouse Row begins with the construction of the Fairmount Dam and the adjacent Water Works. The Dam was built in 1810 as part of a lock at the Falls of the Schuylkill to bring coal downriver. The Dam submerged rapids and transformed the Schuylkill...
. 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
Baluster
A baluster is a moulded shaft, square or of lathe-turned form, one of various forms of spindle in woodwork, made of stone or wood and sometimes of metal, standing on a unifying footing, and supporting the coping of a parapet or the handrail of a staircase. Multiplied in this way, they form a...
and newel post
Newel
A newel, also called a central pole, is an upright post that supports the handrail of a stair banister. In stairs having straight flights it is the principal post at the foot of the staircase, but it can also be used for the intermediate posts on landings and at the top of a staircase...
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 Boathouse RowBoathouse Row
-Early 19th century beginnings:The history of Boathouse Row begins with the construction of the Fairmount Dam and the adjacent Water Works. The Dam was built in 1810 as part of a lock at the Falls of the Schuylkill to bring coal downriver. The Dam submerged rapids and transformed the Schuylkill...
along the Schuylkill River
Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River is a river in Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River.The river is about long. Its watershed of about lies entirely within the state of Pennsylvania. The source of its eastern branch is in the Appalachian Mountains at Tuscarora Springs, near Tamaqua in...
, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
and designated a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
. In 1897, the club was founded as the Bicycle,
Barge and Canoe Club, but quickly changed its name to the Sedgeley Club. The Club initially occupied #14 Boathouse Row, until 1902, when the Fairmount Park
Fairmount Park
Fairmount Park is the municipal park system of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It consists of 63 parks, with , all overseen by the Philadelphia Department of Parks and Recreation, successor to the Fairmount Park Commission in 2010.-Fairmount Park proper:...
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
University Barge Club of Philadelphia is an amateur rowing club located at #7 Boathouse Row in the historic Boathouse Row of Philadelphia Pennsylvania, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a National Historic Landmark...
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 shares its space with a chapter of The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America
The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America
The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America is an American organization composed of women who are descended from an ancestor "who came to reside in an American Colony before 1750, and whose services were rendered during the Colonial Period." The national headquarters of the society is at...
. Some Sedgeley Club members' boats are stored at the Public Canoe House, up river.