The Occult History of Fairmount Park, Philadelphia

My husband and I were recently watching Ancient Aliens and the episode was about mound builders and ancient mounds in the United States. It reminded me of something I read a while back.

The Fairmount Park section of Philadelphia has an alleged hidden history that few people hear about. In traditional history books, William Penn is credited for most things Fairmount. He is even arbitrarily credited with naming the area. Still, not everyone believes the story of William Penn naming the area Fairmount upon 'noticing a beautiful hill' to be the full namesake or origin story. Some say the area has a deeper, more occulted past.

In fact, it is possible that much of the area's pre-colonial history has either never been recorded or has simply been omitted and obscured from record.

Today, most people know the Fairmount Park section of Philadelphia for its famous art museum and the art museum's famous steps as seen in the movie Rocky. The steps of the art museum (in the modern day Fairmont Park section of Philadelphia) are the very steps that Rocky climbs up in his internationally famous training montage.

​If you have ever watched the movie scene you will notice Rocky is sprinting up a strangely elongated and slightly awkwardly shaped flight of stairs. As far as public stairs go, they are unusually high and particularly steep looking if viewed from afar. The stairs starting up to the museum are followed by a landing.. then more stairs. If you've ever climbed the flight of steps yourself, you know it is a bit of a haul up to the museum entrance.

The shape and slope of the staircase are features that 'fuel' the theory of a hidden history. If you think about the layout of the steps, you might compare it to the steps at famous ancient pyramid sites like that at Teotihuacan, Mexico.

Furthermore, it is said by some that Fairmount, or the "fair mount" for which Fairmont in Philadelphia gets its name was originally called ‘the fire mount' which was an ancient sacred mound site. Proponents of this theory claim that the area only became named "Fairmount" after more recent European settlers corrupted the name of what the Lenni Lenape and early settlers originally called the "fire mount." The fire mount would have been a place either built to be or held sacred for energy or ceremonial activity. Of course, the fire mount would have likely been a place where 'elemental fire' was used for ceremony. Disclaimer: This is Not accepted fact, this is speculated.

One thing is for sure however, before Fairmount was Fairmount (all one word), there was a "Fair Mount" (a large standalone hill) after which it was named. On old maps the ‘fair or fire mount’ is illustrated plainly (see below). Note that while we see the hill illustrated on the 1600's Holme map, we have no indication of whether it was natural, manmade, natural and improved upon or otherwise.

An ancient sacred mound site existing below the Philadelphia Museum of Art may seem ludicrous to some Philadelphians and tourists. However, thousands, if not tens of thousands of similar sacred mound sites are factually known to have existed throughout the North American continent.

Some of these sites were rounded mounds, some were similar to the step pyramids many know from shows like Ancient Aliens and some were even unique forms like serpents and other shapes. Some still exist though many are visibly lost.

Why don't we see many of these mounds or sacred sites today? It has been common practice around the world to build elaborate churches or public sites on top of what was once natively sacred structure or ground. In traditional academia it is accepted that many sacred mound sites became obliterated by colonial and modern construction. In fact, Thomas Jefferson apparently built his house "Monticello" on a once sacred mound site. Some mound sites are also known to have been made unrecognizable by erosion.

As for what is hiding under the art museum and its steps in Fairmont, Philadelphia the truth may be hidden in the sands of time. That said, some aspects of the hill and its history make a pretty good case for a sacred mound site buried below.

Maybe you have walked up the museum steps and just get a feeling that something is a little different about the site or get a feeling and know it to be true. On the other hand, maybe you think it is all way too much of a stretch.

Could Philadelphia's Fairmount (or Fire Mount) have originally been a sacred mound site? Is the hill on which the famous Philadelphia art museum stands actually a sacred Native American site? Could the steps that Rocky climbed up be traditional steps within the mound similar in exact layout and structure to other sites like Teotihuacan in Mexico?

We know that the Swedish settlers that inhabited the area very well may have used a hill like the one the museum currently sits on as a sacred observatory. Could they have been following in the footsteps of the Lenni Lenape or people unknown who came before them in holding the site as ceremonial or sacred?

A convincing bit of evidence says "it is not out of the question."

Below are some fascinating screenshots which are mostly excerpts from an article on obscure Philadelphia history. I'll add references to where you can read more articles and decide for yourself.

Sacredhistory.com feels that the mound on which the Philadelphia Museum of Art was built would have been sacred, akin to a sacred mound. Although they are little known, many such mounds exist throughout North America.

View of the Philadelphia Museum Art Stairs with Excerpt from strangerhistory.com

Typical step pyramid / sacred site shape as seen at Teotihuacan, Mexico

The late 1600's Holme map of Philadelphia showing the 'mount' from which the entire Fairmount section eventually took its name

More from strangerhistory.com

This excerpt from strangerhistory.com alleges that the pope chose this spot because it was once a sacred mount. You'll have to be the judge.

YES, There are some people who say "this whole alternative Fairmount history - It's impossible!" ... and I get it. I'm a healthy amount of skeptical myself as well.. 

..But I decide to dig a little deeper and play devil's advocate for a moment.

A case for the skeptics? 
​

This alternative, not at all validated version of Fairmount's history is sometimes called "The Fable of Fairmount." Though it is not in academic text books, The Fable of Fairmount has actually been published in a few newsletters. The screenshot below is from a newsletter archive of the Kelpius Society. The Kelpius Society is not an academic institution but is roughly associated with the 'religious' group the Rosicrucians. Now, the interesting this about this article in the 2010 Kelpius newsletter is that it is actually a reprint from an article that appeared in the Friends of Philadelphia Parks in Spring of 2011.

The following excerpt explains the perpetuated story about how William Penn identified and named the "fair mount" but it also goes on to explain how the Fairmount area and its naturally abundant and fertile forest and hunting grounds became a favorite place of European aristocrats. During colonial times, Europeans sometimes had a way of taking some of the best fertile land from natives and then erasing them from the written history. We can't say that is with certainty that is what happened here, but I don't think it is out of the question. With fertile ground and abundant hunting lands, is it very likely that the native populations did not live here and / or hold it sacred?

"The Aristocratic Beginnings of Fairmount Park"

Wikipedia itself even goes onto explain how the Swedish, Dutch and German settlers flocked to areas along the Delaware river and that, in a similar fashion to Penn's Walking Purchase, swindled the native tribes into giving away their land. Could it be said that something similar happened in the Fairmount section of Philadelphia along the Delaware river? Remember, it was fertile ground near a body of water. It would have been a prime spot for tribes to meet, hunt, fish, gather or live.
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Though the Fair Mount is noted on the 1683 Holme map, actual written history on the area seldom talks about what went on in the area prior to William Penn's landing.

Though the Fair Mount is noted on the 1683 Holme map, actual written history on the area seldom talks about what went on in the area prior to William Penn's landing.

Everything before the early 1700's in the Fairmount area is unknown or referred to as the 'fable' of Fairmount. Therefore, while no one can prove (without excavation) that the "Fair Mount" was once a sacred space or fire mount, the story can be difficult to disprove.

Another important read that proves that some of history may have been erased by the settlers is this article which is a pretty thorough explanation of how how the Lenape were erased from Pennsylvania history! Could their sacred spots have been 'erased' from Fairmount's historic accounts? It doesn't seem impossible.