Frederick Graff
Frederick Graff | |
---|---|
hydraulic engineer | |
Projects | Fairmount Water Works |
Frederick Graff (27 August 1775 – 13 April 1847) was an American hydraulic engineer who designed and built the Fairmount Water Works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and unofficially invented the fire hydrant.
Biography
Graff was son to Jacob Graff, Jr., a bricklayer who is noted for renting out the second floor of his house to
In 1811 Graff recommended Fairmount as the proper place for the water works, and was placed in charge of the construction. At this time, the pipes were made of wood, but Graff devised an iron-pipe system to be used instead. These were the first large size iron pipes used in the United States.
By 1842, over 113 miles of water mains had been laid.[6] He was engaged for 42 years in the service of the city of Philadelphia, and a monument to his memory was erected on the grounds of the Fairmount Water Works.[7]
Graff invented the modern fire hydrant in 1801.[8] His design had a hose-faucet outlet on a cylinder with a valve at the top. It is believed he held the patent for invention of the fire hydrant but this cannot be confirmed since the U.S. Patent Office burned down in 1836 and many records were destroyed.[9]
He died on April 13, 1847, and was interred at Laurel Hill Cemetery. His son, Frederic Graff, Jr., succeeded him as chief engineer of the Philadelphia water works.[10]
Citations
- ^ Westcott, Thompson (1875). The Official Guide Book to Philadelphia: A New Handbook for Strangers and Citizens. Philadelphia: Porter and Coates. pp. 324–325. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
- ^ Simpson, Henry (1859). The Lives of Eminent Philadelphians, Now Deceased. Philadelphia: William Brotherhead. pp. 431–436. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
- ^ a b c d Wilson, James Grant; Fiske, John (1900). Appletons' Cyclopaedia of American Biography, Volume 2. New York: D. Appleton and Company. p. 700. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
- ISBN 0-8117-3191-X. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
- ISBN 978-1-138-02828-9. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
- ^ a b Baker, Ray Palmer (1931). "Graff, Frederick". Dictionary of American Biography. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons.
- ^ Scharf, Thomas J.; Westcott, Thompson (1884). History of Philadelphia: 1609-1884, Volume 3. Philadelphia: L.H. Everts & Co. p. 1877. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
- ISBN 978-1-61069-093-5. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
- ISBN 978-1-61423-685-6. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
- ISBN 1-56639-791-X. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
External links
- New International Encyclopedia. 1905.
.
- Frederick Graff at Find a Grave