3. Forgotten Steam-Powered Pumping Stations
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, massive brick-lined pumping plants dotted cityscapes, driven by roaring steam boilers. Philadelphia’s Fairmount Water Works, for instance, churned out millions of gallons daily until electric pumps took over. Across the Charles River in Boston, the Chestnut Hill station once fed suburban pipes with high-pressure steam power. Today, these ornate Victorian edifices stand silent beneath busy streets, their rusted engines and iron pipes hidden from casual view.
Learn more via Fairmount Water Works.
