Turtle Rock Light
The lighthouse in 2023
LocationKelly Drive, Boat House #15, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Coordinates39°58′12″N 75°11′23″W / 39.97000°N 75.18972°W / 39.97000; -75.18972
Tower
Constructed1887
FoundationNatural
ConstructionBrick
Automated1990
Height30 feet (9.1 m)
ShapeConical, with hexagonal balcony
MarkingsRed tower with white balcony and lantern
HeritageNRHP contributing property Edit this on Wikidata
Boat House #15
Architectural styleColonial Revival, Shingle Style
Part ofBoathouse Row (ID87000821[1])
Designated CPFebruary 27, 1987

The Lighthouse on Turtle Rock 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 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.[2] In 1897, the club was founded as the Bicycle, Barge and Canoe Club, but quickly changed its name to the Sedgeley Club.[3] The Club initially occupied #14 Boathouse Row, until 1902, when the Fairmount Park Commission permitted the Club to build its own boathouse.[3] The building, designed by Arthur H. Brockie, was adapted to encompass the lighthouse that predates it.[3] Brockie designed a shingle, Colonial Revival house.[4] After completing this design, Brockie joined the University Barge Club in 1902.[5]

World War II caused the Club to stop operating as an athletic facility.[3] The Sedgeley Club still operates as a social club and is available to rent for private parties.[6]

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.[7]

References

  1. ↑ "NPS Focus". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. Archived from the original on July 25, 2008. Retrieved June 13, 2011.
  2. ↑ "Listing of National Historic Landmarks by State" (PDF). National Historic Landmarks Program. National Park Service. April 2011. p. 81. Retrieved June 13, 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Stillner, p. 106
  4. ↑ Charleton, p. 666.
  5. ↑ Charleton, p. 674.
  6. ↑ "Home". Sedgeley Club. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
  7. ↑ "About Us - Friends of Historic Sedgeley". www.friendsofhistoricsedgeley.org. Retrieved February 16, 2018.

Sources

Further reading

Media related to Turtle Rock Light at Wikimedia Commons

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