The bright lights of Philadelphia’s famous Boathouse Row — long one of the city’s iconic nightlife spots — are dimmed, at least for now.
Depicting a cluster of historic boathouses along the Schuylkill River near the Philadelphia Museum of Art, twinkling lights reflect off the water and define each building’s unique architecture. “It’s kind of our postcard picture of Philadelphia,” said Tara Rasheed of Fairmount Park Conservancy, as indelible as the Liberty Bell or the steps of the art museum in “Rocky.”
Starting Monday, however, the lights will be turned off and taken down as work begins on a $2.1 million replacement project. If all goes according to plan, a new and improved lighting system should be ready for the winter holiday season.
The buildings store the long, slender boats used by rowing crews and have wide bays resembling garage doors that open to ramps that lead down to the water’s edge. Many have sloping roofs or Tudor or Victorian-influenced architecture, which are accentuated by lights.
Fairy lights were first installed along Boathouse Row in 1979 before Pope John Paul II visited Philadelphia. LED replacements arrived in 2005. Since then, weather, weather and wildlife have taken their toll, leading to regular outages.
“The wholesale replacement with a more robust and durable system made sense in terms of the budget,” said Rasheed, director of capital projects at Fairmount Park Conservancy, a nonprofit that works with the city to support the public park system.
Boathouse Row traces its history to the 1800s when Philadelphians flocked to the river for recreation and the city became a major center for rowing. It became a National Historic Landmark in 1987.
Bonnie Mueller, commodore of the Schuylkill Navy, an association of amateur rowing clubs in Philadelphia, said Boathouse Row holds a unique place in the city – as its buildings are individually maintained by the clubs that own and use them, they collectively form “a very emblematic and important public landscape.
“We recognize that the Boathouse Row lights mean something to people, and we see that as a gift and a responsibility,” she said. “We are incredibly confident and excited to launch the project and look forward to celebrating its completion by the end of the year. »
The new programmable lighting system will feature 6,400 individual LED lights with 16 million color combinations — think Eagles green on game day — mounted on a custom track that will protect them from the elements.
A private donor provided most of the funding for the lighting project, while the City of Philadelphia, which is responsible for maintaining and operating the lights, is contributing $600,000.
While the lights are out, clubs will be able to carry out building repairs in previously inaccessible areas. A club is considering replacing the roof, according to Rasheed,
“Having this beautiful scenery means so much to Philadelphians and visitors,” said Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Commissioner Kathryn Ott Lovell. “That’s the image we think of when we think of Philadelphia. …We must take great care to put our best foot forward and ensure that the physical beauty of our city reflects the passions of our residents.
Michael Rubinkam, Associated Press
