SCHENLEY PARK

'Schenley Park' is a large municipal park located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA between the neighborhoods of Oakland, Greenfield, and Squirrel Hill.
The park is made up of 300 acres (1.21 km²) donated by Mary Schenley in 1889 and another 120 acres (0.49 km²) that the city subsequently purchased from her. Another 36 acres (0.15 km²) were acquired at a later date, bringing the park's total size to 456 acres (1.85 km²), and making it the second largest municipal park in Pittsburgh.
The park borders the campuses of Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh.

Contents

Facilities

Annual events

History

Recent developments

Go Skateboarding Day protest at Schenley

See also

External links

References

Facilities

Schenley Park features a grand entrance, Schenley Plaza, and several miles of hiking trails and a large lake in Panther Hollow. Across from the Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens is Flagstaff Hill, a popular place to watch outdoor movies in the summer.
In the early days of Schenley Park, the area known as "The Oval" was used for horse racing. Today, it has 13 tennis courts, an all weather running track, and a soccer field. There is also an ice skating rink, public swimming pool, and an 18-hole disc golf course nearby.
Schenley Park also contains the Schenley Park Golf Course. The golf course includes an indoor practice facility where golfers can play a "virtual" round on Pebble Beach and other famous courses.

Annual events

★ Vintage Grand Prix [1]

★ Race for the Cure [2]

History

In 1842, Mary Elizabeth Croghan of Pittsburgh, who was 15 at the time, eloped with 43-year-old Captain Edward Schenley. The couple moved to England. Mary's father attempted to terminate her inheritance in a lawsuit, but was unsuccessful. Mary's maternal grandfather, General James O'Hara, bequethed to her a parcel of land known as the "Mt. Airy Tract."
Mary's wealth attracted the attention of several land developers in the Pittsburgh area as well as Edward Bigelow, the Director of the Department of Public Works in Pittsburgh. In 1889, Bigelow learned that the agent of a land developer planned to travel to London to attempt to purchase the land from Mary. Bigelow sent an East Liberty lawyer by train to New York City where he then boarded a steamer bound for England. The lawyer beat the real estate agent by two days.
After negotiations with Mary, Bigelow's lawyer entered into an agreement to give 300 acres (1.21 km²) of the Mt. Airy Tract to the city of Pittsburgh with an option to purchase 120 (0.49 km²) more, under the conditions that the park be named after her and never be sold. The city agreed and immediately purchased the additional 120 acres (0.49 km²) of land.
Bigelow began to develop the newly renamed Schenley Park for recreational uses. He hired William Falconer to lead the Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens which was built in 1893. In 1895, Andrew Carnegie built the Carnegie Museum and Music Hall, establishing Oakland and Schenley Park as a cultural icon.
Forbes Field, the home field of the Pittsburgh Pirates, was adjacent to Schenley Park during its lifespan (1909–1970).

Recent developments

★ In 2001, after extensive renovations, the Schenley Park Visitor Center opened in one of the park's original buildings. The building had previously served as a tool shed, the home of the Pittsburgh Civic Garden Center, and a nature museum, until closing in the late 1980s.

★ In spring 2006, the Schenley Plaza area was converted to its original use as a grand entrance to Schenley Park. Although it was originally designed as a grand entrance, it had been used as a parking lot for many years. The new park area features a carousel and several small food stands.

★ In January 2007, carousel operator John Cameron Spiggle was awarded the "Breaver Award for Most Excellent Carousel Operation", in the award's inaugural year. His Scottish friends were then overheard saying, "Did you make that award up yourself Speeeeeeeegle?"

Go Skateboarding Day protest at Schenley

On June 21, 2006, a controversial protest occurred at Schenley Park to bring attention to the rights of skateboarders in the city of Pittsburgh.
Organized by Will Daloz with the aid of businesses such as FC Skateshop and The Head Board Shop, the protest was planned to coincide with the annual international Go Skateboarding Day. A large group of skateboarders rode down the busy Oakland streets (Forbes and Fifth) during rush hour, blocking traffic. The event was similar to the Critical Mass bicycle protests. Photographs and a story of the protest were later made public by the local Pittsburgh Tribune-Review as the cover story to their afternoon tabloid, the ''Trib PM''.

See also

★ List of Pittsburgh neighborhoods

★ Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh

★ Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens

External links

★ Schenley Park Map

★ Pittsburgh Dept. of Parks & Recreation website

★ Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy

★ Tour of the Schenley Park's bridges

★ Schenley Park Golf Course

★ Schenley Park Disc Golf Course

References

★ Patricia Lowery (2006). Schenley Plaza Dedication: story by Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved June 4, 2006.

★ Pittsburgh: An Urban Portrait, Toker, Franklin, , , Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1986, 1994, ISBN 0-8229-5434-6

★ Ben Muessig (2006). Sk8er (un)appreciation: story by Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved February 17, 2007.