Lights return next month on iconic Boathouse Row
PHILADELPHIA » Philadelphia’s iconic Boathouse Row has received a major glow-up and will once again illuminate the historic buildings along the Schuylkill River beginning the evening of Thursday, March 7, from 6 to 8 p.m., along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive at the Fish Ladder, directly across the river from Boathouse Row.
The Official Boathouse Row Relighting Ceremony will be a free public event.
Food trucks, music, and the ideal viewing location will be available to the public, with a ceremony, with speaking remarks by leaders from Fairmount Park Conservancy, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, and city officials, beginning at 6 p.m., followed by the illumination at 7 p.m. The illumination will feature a short light show that will repeat.
Fairmount Park Conservancy partnered with Philadelphia Parks & Recreation to replace and upgrade the previous light system, at a cost of $2.1 million. The previous lights experienced outages due to ongoing maintenance issues, as well as damage from animals and weather.
The new project completely redesigned and upgraded the lighting system to keep Boathouse Row’s lights on for years to come.
The new lighting system has 6,400 individual LED lights, with 16 million color combinations. Lightings will be able to change from one color to another or be programmed in a way that appears to make them sparkle or “dance” along the boathouses.
Lights will be able to
fade from one to the next, also creating ombre effects and highlighting eclectic architectural features of the historic structures with different colors.
Due to the ongoing construction of the MLK Bridge, access to the viewing site along MLK Drive is only accessible from Sweetbriar Drive or Black Road. Limited parking is available at a lot between those two streets along MLK Drive (west of the Fish Ladder).
Guests will then have
approximately a 15 to 20 minute walk to the ceremony and viewing location. Alternate public viewing is available from points near the Fairmount Water Works.
The Boathouse Row Lights can be booked for special events, holidays, sponsored shows, and individual requests, with fees going directly to the ongoing maintenance of the Boathouse Row lights.
Anyone can become a Boathouse Row Lighting Partner to put a special
cause in the city’s spotlight. Pricing will vary for nonprofits and private companies as well as depending on the complexity and duration of the display.
To learn more about customized lights and to make a request, email info@ boathouserowlights.org or visit http://boathouserowlights.org.
Introduced in 1979, the lighting along Boathouse Row has become an iconic feature along the Schuylkill River, where most of the boathouses date to the 19th century.
The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. The houses moved over to LED lighting in 2005 and were last refurbished in 2016.
According to a press release:
The $2.1 million project, managed by Fairmount Park Conservancy, completely replaced the failing system, which struggled with significant connectivity challenges, regular power outages and mounting issues. The project included upgraded technology and durable housing boxes to protect the system from weather and wildlife damages.
Women-owned and Philadelphia-based
lighting design firm The Lighting Practice designed an upgraded custom lighting system with robust mounting channels for installation on Boathouse Row’s 12 historic buildings.
Fairmount Park Conservancy worked with Eagle Industrial Electric as the onsite contractor and Nanometer to custom fabricate lighting materials. Special thanks is due to the Schuylkill Navy for coordinating with each of the 15 rowing clubs who occupy the 12 buildings, and to the clubs themselves for their cooperation during the construction.
The houses went dark in March 2023.
Following the removal of the old light system, the individual boathouses had an opportunity to address any deferred building repairs that were previously inaccessible because of the lights. Some of the houses replaced their roofs, and a few did structural repairs, which were uncovered after the removal of the previous lighting system.
Many did carpentry repairs and painting on the exterior of their historic buildings. One house even completely replaced the chimney. In the long term, the time spent on repairs will protect both the lighting system and the historic houses. The lighting system all feeds to a central control at Lloyd Hall.
Each night the lights are automatically scheduled to go on at sunset and off at sunrise. Funds to replace the lights and underwrite the lighting project were provided by the Joanna McNeil Trust and the City of Philadelphia.
For frequently asked questions about Boathouse Row’s lights, go to: https:// myphillypark.org/whatwe-do/capital-projects/relighting-of-boathouse-row.
Upper Chichester Library names new director
Upper Chichester Library recently announced the hiring of Teresa Smedile as its new director.
Smedile brings a wealth of library experience to the new position. The new director formerly shared her passion for reading with students as a school librarian.
She began at Notre Dame deLourdes Catholic School in Swarthmore and continued her school librarian career at Glenolden School in Interboro School District, Chichester Middle School and Linwood and Hilltop Elementary Schools. After retiring from the Chichester School District, Smedile had the opportunity to step into this role as library director.
“I took this opportunity because I feel very grateful to continue meaningful work in an area I love,” Smedile said. “Much to my delight, I quickly realized I was part of an amazing adventure where the vision of a larger library could be
fulfilled.”
Smedile was referring to the future home of the Chichester Library in the 8,000-square-foot Boothwyn Fire Station.
The “tiny but mighty” library currently operates in a 1,500 square foot, storefront building. The library, celebrating its 23rd anniversary this year, serves 17,000 patrons in the Upper and Lower Chichester areas as well as neighboring townships and states. Its physical book collection exceeds 20,000 and library members have access to 50,000 ebooks.
“We are currently working on plans and designs for the new, expanded, state of the art Chichester Library and Resource Center that will continue to fulfill its mission to provide educational
and literary resources, cutting edge programs, and current technology, which enhance and enrich the library members in the community at large,” Smedile stated.
The nonprofit independent library continues to
fundraise for its vision to relocate. Upcoming fundraisers include bingo on March 2 and a musical night with Joe Staffieri and the Legends on April 21.
“The warm welcome that I continue to receive from patrons, staff and our dedicated board members, especially the board President, Dawn Daniels, gives this special library a family-like atmosphere,” Smedile said. “Our hard-working staff is a joy to work with and the Friends of the Library have been instrumental in their efforts to support the library by their various fundraising events throughout the year.”
Smedile said the library has a variety of programs, such as musical story time with Mr. Andrews on Tuesdays, and Arts and Crafts on Saturday mornings. On Wednesdays, the library stays open until 6 p.m. to welcome students to do homework, crafts and play board games. “Woolgatherers” meet on Friday to crochet with Irene.
The library partners with the Memorial Presbyterian Church, 3217 Chichester Ave., to bring fun, fellowship and learning on Tuesday mornings, twice a month. Topics such as Social Security, home improvements, service projects, and more are enjoyed, along with coffee and breakfast.
Residents can call the library at 610-485-0200, stop by at 3374 Chichester Avenue #19, Upper Chichester, or visit https://upperchichesterlibrary.org to find out more information about library programs.
Christ Church holds drive-through ash distribution on Ash Wednesday
Christ Church in Ridley Park will hold drivethrough ash distribution, from 7 to 9 a.m. on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 14. Fr. Michael Ru and Deacon Dennis will share the imposition of ashes during a brief encounter of prayer and ritual action during the morning rush.
Holy Ashes on Your Way invites the public to drive through, walk, or bike through the White Luttrell Funeral Home parking lot at 311 N. Swarthmore Ave., Ridley Park, to receive ashes while on the way to work, school or other destination.
Ash Wednesday services with the full liturgy will also take place at Christ Church Ridley Park, 104 Nevin St., at both noon and 7 p.m. All are welcome. For more information, call Christ Church at 610-5211626.
Parkside chili cooks vie for cash prizes Saturday
Parkside Fire Company will have a Chili Cook-off at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10 at the firehouse, 107 Roland Road, Parkside. For a $25 entrance fee, cooks can enter their chili and win cash prizes for first, second and third place wins.
Other food and treats will be available to pur
chase. For information, call the firehouse at 610-872-6136.
During the second and fourth week of each month, the Parkside Food Pantry is open 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday and 10 to 11 a.m. Thursday. For more information, email parksidefooddrive@gmail.com.
Campbell AME Church celebrates 197 years
Campbell AME Church of Media will kick off a 197th anniversary celebration at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16 at the Media Borough Community Center, 301 N. Jackson St. Proceeds will benefit the preservation of the historic church building. The public is welcome. For more information about all upcoming events, contact 610-565-1066 or info@campbellmedia.com.
“The congregation at Campbell AME, along with our newly formed Campbell
Community Center, has partnered to work with Reformation Lutheran Church of Media throughout the year to address muchneeded healing from social trauma and to hold courageous conversations around racial injustice,” stated the Rev. Alexis Washington, Campbell’s recently appointed pastor.
A monthly series of in-person sessions is scheduled and includes the topics of emotional and psychological trauma, domestic violence, racial trauma, and empathy and relationships. These Saturday morning events are open to the public. Due to limited seating and because a light lunch is available, registration is required. The sessions are Act 48 approved for educators and CEU approval for social workers is pending.
To register or for further information, info@campbellmedia.com or call 610-565-1066.