Rowing Legacies

Philadelphia is the home of American rowing. Originally a blue-collar pastime, it grew into an international sport that shaped local National Historic Landmark Boathouse Row. Like many athletic competitions, it was a sport exclusively for men that has since grown to include people of all ages and genders.

In 2014, we installed two murals celebrating the history of rowing on the Schuylkill River, right on the water’s edge (the first murals in Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park). Four years later, a new pair of murals from artist Jon Laidacker represents women in rowing on one side of the river, and youth rowers on the other. From local waterways to the Olympic stage, these athletes have been trailblazers in the sport, and we’re celebrating their legacies with a public dedication during the 2.5-mile-long Head of the Schuylkill Regatta. The second mural, representing youth rowers, was dedicated in the spring of 2019.