Flat Rock Dam (Pennsylvania)

For the dam in Michigan of the same name, see Flat Rock Dam (Michigan).

Flat Rock Dam
Official name	Flat Rock Dam
Country	United States
Location	Philadelphia and Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Coordinates	40°02′23″N75°14′49″W / 40.03972°N 75.24694°W / 40.03972; -75.24694 (Flat Rock Dam)
Construction began	1815
Opening date	1818
Dam and spillways
Impounds	Schuylkill River

The Flat Rock Dam is an earthen dam which stretches across the Schuylkill River. It is part of the Flat Rock Park maintained by Lower Merion Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, and is located off the Schuylkill Expressway in Gladwyne. ^[1]

History and architectural details

The dam is part of a series of locks and waterway built by the Schuylkill Navigation Company between Port Carbon and Philadelphia in order to carry upstate coal to markets in the city. It created a pool for the canal boats above it and brought water to the Manayunk Reach. Under the supervision of Ariel Cooley, a Massachusetts engineer who was responsible for the design of the Fairmount Dam, the construction of the dam and locks began in 1815 and was completed in 1818. ^[2]

Recreation

The section of river between the dam and the Philadelphia Canoe Club features Class II whitewater and is used by the club for training. ^{[3] [4]}

References

1. "Flat Rock Park Improvements". Archived from the original on 2020-04-30. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
2. "Flat Rock Dam – Built For Transporting Coal in 1818 - Was A Popular Recreation Site - And A Backdrop to Tragedies and Heroic Rescues". This Is Lower Merion And Narberth. 2020-06-14. Retrieved 2020-07-22.
3. "Schuylkill:Flat Rock Dam". Archived from the original on 15 Jul 2025.
4. Barker, Jeremy (November 9, 2005). "Olson wants to build course, trails". Roxborough Review (The Times Herald) . Archived from the original on July 16, 2025.

See also

• Transportportal
• Engineeringportal
• Pennsylvaniaportal
• Philadelphiaportal
• List of crossings of the Schuylkill River