Mellon Park
Encyclopedia
Mellon Park is a park
in the Shadyside
and Point Breeze neighborhoods of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
, at the corner of Fifth
and Shady Avenues, beside the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts
building. The park is home to the Walled Garden, and holds events throughout the year. It is also home to several recreational facilities. A number of public buses serve the area.
The park is on the list of landmarks recognized by the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation
(PHLF).
. His was the largest mansion in Pittsburgh. The gardens were originally designed in 1912 by Alden and Harlow. Several other architects added their own touch to the landscape including the Olmsted Brothers
and some seventeen years after the garden began, Vitale and Geiffert. After Mellon's sixty-room home was brought down during World War II
, most of the garden still remained and was transformed to and from a City park, into today's Mellon Park. Within the park resides the Phipps Garden Center and Pittsburgh Center for the Arts
.
wall. The fourth wall of the garden was Mellon's mansion before it's destruction during the 1940s. A fountain sits between the garden and the rest of the park. It was Vitale and Geiffert who were behind the planning of this garden. The Mellon Park Project wanted to create a memorial in memory of Ann Katherine Seamans who came to the Walled Garden over and over after her first visit in kindergarten. Janet Zweig, an artist chosen by the project team, turned the floor of the garden into an exact replica of the sky in Pittsburgh the day Ann was born. There are 150 stars and each is a light in the ground and includes an inscription about it. It is possible to sponsor a star and make a donation. LaQuatra Bonci Associates was responsible for the planning and supervising of the garden's redemption. The park was reopened on June 12, 2010.
, basketball court
s, and baseball field
s.
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
in the Shadyside
Shadyside (Pittsburgh)
Shadyside is a neighborhood in the East End of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It has zip codes of both 15232 and 15206, and has representation on Pittsburgh City Council by the council member for District 8...
and Point Breeze neighborhoods of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, at the corner of Fifth
Fifth Avenue (Pittsburgh)
Fifth Avenue is one of the longest streets in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It begins downtown and moves eastward for about seven or eight miles...
and Shady Avenues, beside the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts
Pittsburgh Center for the Arts
The Pittsburgh Center for the Arts is a non-profit community arts campus that offers arts education programs and contemporary art exhibitions in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
building. The park is home to the Walled Garden, and holds events throughout the year. It is also home to several recreational facilities. A number of public buses serve the area.
The park is on the list of landmarks recognized by the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation
Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation
The Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded in 1964 to support the preservation of historic buildings and neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA....
(PHLF).
History
The park was established in 1943, on the grounds of the former estate of Richard B. MellonRichard B. Mellon
Richard Beatty Mellon , sometimes R.B., was a banker, industrialist, and philanthropist from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania....
. His was the largest mansion in Pittsburgh. The gardens were originally designed in 1912 by Alden and Harlow. Several other architects added their own touch to the landscape including the Olmsted Brothers
Olmsted Brothers
The Olmsted Brothers company was an influential landscape design firm in the United States, formed in 1898 by stepbrothers John Charles Olmsted and Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. .-History:...
and some seventeen years after the garden began, Vitale and Geiffert. After Mellon's sixty-room home was brought down during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, most of the garden still remained and was transformed to and from a City park, into today's Mellon Park. Within the park resides the Phipps Garden Center and Pittsburgh Center for the Arts
Pittsburgh Center for the Arts
The Pittsburgh Center for the Arts is a non-profit community arts campus that offers arts education programs and contemporary art exhibitions in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
.
The Walled Garden
The Walled Garden is surrounded by brick and limestone walls, and one GothicGothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
wall. The fourth wall of the garden was Mellon's mansion before it's destruction during the 1940s. A fountain sits between the garden and the rest of the park. It was Vitale and Geiffert who were behind the planning of this garden. The Mellon Park Project wanted to create a memorial in memory of Ann Katherine Seamans who came to the Walled Garden over and over after her first visit in kindergarten. Janet Zweig, an artist chosen by the project team, turned the floor of the garden into an exact replica of the sky in Pittsburgh the day Ann was born. There are 150 stars and each is a light in the ground and includes an inscription about it. It is possible to sponsor a star and make a donation. LaQuatra Bonci Associates was responsible for the planning and supervising of the garden's redemption. The park was reopened on June 12, 2010.
A Fair in the Park
Any form of event can potentially take place in Mellon Park by permission from the City of Pittsburgh Department of Public Works. One event that has taken place annually since 1969 is A Fair in the Park put on by the Craftsmen's Guild of Pittsburgh in the month of September. This is a contemporary craft festival with a small concert. There is an area just for children. No admission fee is charged.Mellon Park Tennis Center
The Mellon Park Tennis Center functions all year. They offer classes for younger children ages 4–7, and other age groups up to adults. Along with the tennis courts, Mellon Park also holds a playgroundPlayground
A playground or play area is a place with a specific design for children be able to play there. It may be indoors but is typically outdoors...
, basketball court
Basketball court
In basketball, the basketball court is the playing surface, consisting of a rectangular floor with tiles at either end. In professional or organized basketball, especially when played indoors, it is usually made out of a wood, often maple, and highly polished...
s, and baseball field
Baseball field
A baseball field, also called a ball field or a baseball diamond, is the field upon which the game of baseball is played. The terms "baseball field" and "ball field" are also often used as synonyms for ballpark.-Specifications:...
s.