An informal history of Philadelphia’s changing landscape

A presentation by Adam Levine
Wednesday, December 13, 2023, 6 pm

As we walk around the city of Philadelphia, few of us think about the hidden world of streams that once meandered across the city. Adam Levine will present a fascinating illustrated lecture that will uncover part of the city’s history that few people ever think about – the drastic changes made in the urban landscape since the city’s founding in 1682. Levine has been digging into the history of the city’s sewers and drainage systems since 1998. His talk will focus on the systematic obliteration of hundreds of miles of city streams—including Cohocksink Creek, Mill Creek, and Wingohocking Creek. These streams, with watersheds that covered thousands of acres, were wiped off the city’s map, buried deep underground in pipes as large as 20 feet in diameter that serve as main drainage arteries in the city’s sewer system. The combined flow of sewage and stormwater in these pipes, which periodically overflow, has environmental repercussions that are still being dealt with today—not only in Philadelphia, but in any older city with a similar sewer system. This lecture is guaranteed to reveal a side of urban infrastructure you have never seen, and change the way you think about cities in general.

About Adam Levine:

Adam Levine is the go-to expert on all things water (or sewer) related in Philadelphia. He is the historical consultant to the Philadelphia Water Department and webmaster of the newly-revamped PWD history site, https://waterhistoryphl.org/ (formerly known as PhillyH2o). Besides digging into the city’s past, he also enjoys digging in the dirt, and has written hundreds of articles and five books about gardening.  

Location: Parkway Central Free Library, 20th and Vine, (enter Heim Center classroom at the back of the library on Wood Street) There is metered parking around the library building and a paid parking lot behind the library with an entrance off Callowhill Street.

Free and open to Everyone

The meeting room will open at 5:30, talk will begin at 6:00