At the top of a steep zigzag of granite steps at the foot of Freeland Avenue, it is possible to gaze down through a green tracery of leaves and see, actually see, Wissahickon Creek.

Its faint burble now rises up to an attentive listener, washing out the fainter, drier buzz of traffic on Lincoln Drive.

These broad stairs – known as the 100 Steps – have invited strollers down into Fairmount Park for more than a century. And for more than a century, their stone and ironwork slowly decayed and marauding bamboo invaded every available open space, crowding out sound and light and the sight of slow water.

But no more. Yesterday, at a brief formal ceremony led by City Councilman Michael A. Nutter, the completely refurbished steps and view were formally dedicated.

“It’s a pleasure,” said a happy Marian Ciliberti, peering over the Wissahickon Valley with its maples, oaks and open space.

The 100 Steps, treasured by those in the neighborhood but relatively unknown elsewhere, constitute a classic example of an obscure Philadelphia gem.

Built in 1901 of Wissahickon granite and local ironwork, the steps lead down from the Wissahickon section of Manayunk into Fairmount Park with its trails and creek walls.

When the steps opened in 1902, strollers had a convenient route to those trails, officials toned at the time. But, as Richard Tustin, direction of the city’s Capital Program Office, said yesterday, the steps quickly became known as Lover’s Lane, and alternatively, the Bridal Trail.

So much for strolling.

“It used to be Lover’s Lane, now it’s for joggers,” said the philosophical Tustin, whose office oversaw the restoration. “Time moves on”. Karen L. Norski, interim director of Fairmount Park, was not surprised at early names for the steps.
“The first thing I thought of when I saw them was a bridal path,” said Borski, who had not known about the steps until the restoration project began.

That project got off the ground when Nutter, whose Council district includes the neighborhood, visited the area several years ago with his staff.

He was standing on the decrepit steps when a man came clambering up. He ‘inquired about the steps and the poor condition and what are we going to do about it,” Nutter recalled.

“The end result,” said Nutter, looking around, “is what you see today. It represents the power of the individual.”
The $309,000 restoration began in earnest about two years ago. Bamboo was ripped out. Steps were repaired. New lighting was installed and railings were replaced.

“Over the years, it had fallen into disrepair and decay,” said Chip Roller, vice president of the Wissahickon Interested Citizens Association. “People took the railings because of their value, I guess. It was vandalized. Over 100 years, things happen.

“But this is the gateway to our neighborhood,” he continued. “It’s the gateway to the Wissahickon. It’s very sylvan.”

Tustin, very much a city man, couldn’t agree more.

“You walk down to the bottom of the steps,” he said “and you forget you’re in the city.”