Before Pennsylvania's capital was moved to Lancaster in 1799, and ultimately to Harrisburg in 1812, Philadelphia served as the seat of government for 

Henry P. M. Birkinbine, was Chief Engineer of the Phila- delphia Water Department and one of the designers of the iconic mill house at the Philadelphia Water Works. The entire roof of the building was made into a terrace and is still a popular event site today.

the Commonwealth.

            On the banks of two rivers, with waters flowing from distant hills and mountains, there was no apprehension about the city being abundantly supplied by water.

            As the population grew in and around the city, and with the development of industries along with that, the waters were soon polluted and the quality of both rivers came into question.

            A new source was needed to bolster the waters of the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers - especially the latter.  By its proximity to the big city and its surrounding communities, the Perkiomen Creek seemed to be the best available option.

            As early as 1865, a search began for a solution.

            Henry Birkinbine, chief engineer of the Philadelphia Water Department, took up headquarters in Zieglerville to begin his research.  From there he could monitor the flow of the Perkiomen Creek and the effect on the countryside there.

            According to the Society of Architectural Historians, Birkinbine was one of 

The Green Lane Dam (shown here under construction) and Reservoir was already proposed in the 1860's when when Birkinbine developed his plan for a dam below  Zieglerville that would augment the one further up the  Perkiomen Creek.  The Green Lane Dam and Reservoir was constructed in the early 1950's.

the architects of the Philadelphia Water Works.

            In his 1867 report on the purity of water presented to the Philadelphia City Council, Birkinbine wrote: "Below Manayunk, the river assumes a dark, dirty, milky appearance, and is covered with soiled waste and shreds from shoddy mills … The City has invested a large amount of money in the Works for pumping water from the Schuylkill, and the purity of the water supplied is a matter of great importance. If it is determined to continue this as a source, a large expenditure for the purpose of securing pure water, will be warranted."

            Birkinbine's solution was that a dam and reservoir be constructed to hold and maintain a consistent flow of water downstream to the Schuylkill River and points beyond.

            Birkinbine proposed impounding the water immediately below where the Swamp and Perkiomen Creeks meet in Lower Frederick Township.

Birkinbine proposed constructing a 65-foot dam immediately below where the Swamp and Perkiomen Creeks meet in Lower Frederick Township because the lost land was not very valuable for farming and the geographical formations would not allow the water to easily sink into the ground.

            The site was chosen because the lost land was not very valuable for farming and the geographical formations would not allow the water to easily sink into the ground.  Also, it seemed that the surrounding hills were high enough to capture the rainfall from clouds moving west from the Atlantic Ocean.

            The dam was to be 65-feet high and submerge several hundred acres of land.  It would form a lake with tributaries extending a few miles up the Perkiomen and it would hold an immense volume of water.  It would be enough water to supply the city for three months during a drought.

            We often think about the 1920s, 30s and 40s as the time period that the Green Lane dam and reservoir were envisioned.  But that dam and reservoir were already part of the plan that Birkinbine was adding to in the 1860s.  Birkinbine's plan was to augment the Green Lane site with one further downstream.

            Birkinbine believed in his plan and advocated for it.  But it was rejected by the people of Philadelphia who didn't think it could supply enough water and reportedly called it the "muddy Perkiomen."

            In 1883 another, more precise survey was performed.  Using more accurate instruments, an error was found in Birkinbine's calculations regarding the elevation above the Zieglerville storage dam.  Apparently, only an additional seven feet of water would have flowed downstream to bail-out Philadelphia's water problems, which put more emphasis on constructing the dam and reservoir further upstream in Green Lane.

            The Green Lane Dam and Reservoir came to fruition nearly a century after Birkinbine's suggestion for a dam and reservoir to augment one downstream near Zieglerville.