Website
Email
219 South 6th Street
Philadelphia, PA
United States
phone: (215) 925-2688
|
Items arranged and numbered chronologically, then grouped by architectural building project.Items 1-8 pavilion (1883) Items 9-14 bear cages (1912). Items 15-119 & 129 & 131 bird house (original project, 1914-1916) Item 120 plan for future development (1930). Item 121 picnic area and play ground (1938). Items 122-123 pachyderm house (1939-40). Item 130 plan for ostriches, snake pit, retiles, etc. (1940) bird house alterations and additions (after 1916) History notes Historical Note: The Zoological Society of Philadelphia (Pa.) was chartered as a non-profit corporation in 1859, although no advances were made at that time. In 1872 the Society was reoganized and in 1873 the Zoo was established on the southern end of West Park in the larger Fairmount Park. On the 1st of July 1874, the Zoo was officially opened to the public. Originally, the Zoo was known as the Zoological Garden of Philadelphia. Taken from "Centennial Celebration, 1859-1959", Zoological Society of Philadelphia (operating America’s first zoo), 1959, p. 3-4. Summary Contains design and construction drawings for a number of building and landscape projects, proposed or built, from 1883 to 1969. Includes the design work of brothers George W. and William D. Hewitt, architects (1883 garden pavillion); Walter Mellor and Arthur I. Meigs, architects (1914-1916 original bird house and grounds) ; Paul P. Cret, architect (1930 plans for future development and 1939-40 pachydern house); Horace T. Fleisher, landscape architect (1938 picnic area and playground) Stephen M. Ford, landscape architect? (1940 ostrich, snake pit, reptile, etc. areas) Bolton, Martin & White, architects and "KMZ"? (bird house alterations and additions after 1916, including some dated 1969). All of the above mentioned design practitioners were located in Philadelphia. Also includes: building estimates for the 1889 pavillion from James H. Errickson and T. M.(Thomas M.) Davis, both carpenters and builders; iron work drawings for the 1912 bear cages produced by Frank Pettit Iron Work; correspondence and contract between J.S. Connell and Sons, carpenters and builders, and the Zoological Society for the original bird house; structural drawings for the bird house by F. Dickinson Shaw, Engineer; shop drawings of metal work for the 1914-1916 bird house by J.S. Thorn Company, Gehnet Brothers, and the National Steel Products Company; shop drawings of terra-cotta for the bird house from Conkling Armstrong Terra-Cotta Co.; a plan drawing of the landscape stone-work surrounding the bird house by John Maxwell’s Sons, masons; plans for the steam heating system for the same from Philadelphia Steam Heating Company; plumbing plans for the same by Boon and Sample, pipe contractors and electrical drawings from A. Ernest D’Ambly, registered professional engineer. All the above carpenters, manufacturers, and sub-contractors where located in or around Philadelphia.
Cite as: Zoological Society of Philadelphia architectural drawings collection on loan to the Athenaeum of Philadelphia, with the support of the Pew Charitable Trusts through its Museum Loan Program.
Individual holding records for this collection are available on the
Philadelphia Architects and Buildings
website.
|
