Schenley Park Casino
Encyclopedia
The Schenley Park Casino was Pittsburgh’s first multi-purpose arena
. The facility was considered the envy of the sports and entertainment world during the early 1890's, with amenities that were unsurpassed anywhere on the globe. It was built at the entrance to Schenley Park in Oakland
near the Phipps Conservatory, the Schenley Bridge
and the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
. The University of Pittsburgh’s
Frick Fine Arts Building
currently sits on the site of the Casino. The Casino was the first place in Pittsburgh where organized ice hockey
was played. The arena's artificial ice surface was the first of its kind in North America
.
convinced political boss
, Christopher Magee
, that the new building could feature an indoor ice skating rink. The notion of indoor ice skating galvanized the Casino’s construction plan. As a result investors were quick to agree to the $400,000 financing, and construction of the Casino was completed before opening to the public on May 29, 1895.
The Casino contained luxury boxes, as well as a grand theater, and a $45,000 roof garden. Each end of the ice rink featured 10 dressing rooms which were furnished with oil paintings and tapestries. The rooms were owned by politicians and capitalists from the banking, steel, coal and railroad industries and were used for winter carnivals, skating expos and political rallies. The facility also contained a ladies’ reception room which was furnished with imported carpeting, lace curtains, and stuffed leather recliners. It also featured a childcare and play area.
However the primary attraction at the Casino was the elliptical-shaped, 225 x 70 feet (21.3 m) ice surface. The facility offered public skating sessions were held only on weekdays. The five cent admission included steel skate frames that were strapped over a person’s winter footwear. Saturdays were reserved for private parties and the Pittsburgh hockey club that evolved into the Pittsburgh Keystones, a group of local men from the Western University
and Carnegie Tech. In the summer, the Casino was used as a 3,500 seat theatre.
pipe in the icemaking department began leaking. Firefighters believed the gas mixed with grease and created an explosion resulting in a fire that consumed the equipment room in the rear of the Casino and spread to the ladies’ dressing room. Cold temperatures decreased the water pressure for the fire department's hoses, and limited access across the wooden Schenley Bridge
, which was also damaged during the incident, gave the fire too much of a head start
for firefighters to have a realistic chance of battling it. The amount of heat from the blaze was strong enough to melt the glass windows of nearby Phipps Conservatory. Dense smoke and heavy poisonous ammonia fumes forced firefighters in their horse-drawn equipment to retreat from trying to save the main hall of the building resulting in the fire being declared unmanageble by Pittsburgh Fire Chief
, Miles Humphries.
hockey team was to have played a series of games against Western University of Pennsylvania, Duquesne University
and the Keystones the weekend after the fire, but they were telegraphed and told not to come to Pittsburgh. The only thing that remained was the large brick smoke stack and a portion of the wall along the bridge side of the Casino. Along with the facility, a brand-new merry-go-round, valued at $30,000, was also destroyed in the blaze.
The loss of the Casino led many local investors to look into constructing a new multi-purpose arena. Christopher Magee, the city's first elected treasurer
focused local attention on the Duquesne Traction Company, an old streetcar barn less than a half mile away from the Casino. The devastating loss of the Casino hastened efforts in transforming the barn into the city’s new multi-purpose sports and entertainment venue that became the Duquesne Gardens
.
Arena
An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
. The facility was considered the envy of the sports and entertainment world during the early 1890's, with amenities that were unsurpassed anywhere on the globe. It was built at the entrance to Schenley Park in Oakland
Oakland (Pittsburgh)
Oakland is the academic, cultural, and healthcare center of Pittsburgh and is Pennsylvania's third largest "Downtown". Only Center City Philadelphia and Downtown Pittsburgh can claim more economic and social activity than Oakland...
near the Phipps Conservatory, the Schenley Bridge
Schenley Bridge
Schenley Bridge connects Schenley Plaza to Schenley Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It carries Schenley Drive over Junction Hollow to Frew Street and Flagstaff Hill....
and the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh is the public library system in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Its main branch is located in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, and it has 19 branch locations throughout the city...
. The University of Pittsburgh’s
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
Frick Fine Arts Building
Frick Fine Arts Building
The Henry Clay Frick Fine Arts Building is a landmark Renaissance villa and a contributing property to the Schenley Farms-Oakland Civic Historic District on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States...
currently sits on the site of the Casino. The Casino was the first place in Pittsburgh where organized ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
was played. The arena's artificial ice surface was the first of its kind in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
Beginnings
In the fall of 1893, The City of Pittsburgh pondered on the idea of multi-purpose facility that would be a place for theater, recreation and social gathering. The idea sputtered through a committee of capitalists until Casino manager, James Wallace ConantJames Wallace Conant
James Wallace Conant was an amusement manager who later became the manager of the Schenley Park Casino, as well as the first manager of the Duquesne Gardens, the first indoor ice rinks in the city of Pittsburgh. Conant is credited with bringing the sport of ice hockey to Pittsburgh, since the...
convinced political boss
Political machine
A political machine is a political organization in which an authoritative boss or small group commands the support of a corps of supporters and businesses , who receive rewards for their efforts...
, Christopher Magee
Christopher Magee
Christopher Lyman Magee was a powerful political boss in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Along with William Flinn , his political partner, the two ran the Republican Party machine that controlled the city for the last twenty years of the 19th century.-Early life:He was born in Pittsburgh...
, that the new building could feature an indoor ice skating rink. The notion of indoor ice skating galvanized the Casino’s construction plan. As a result investors were quick to agree to the $400,000 financing, and construction of the Casino was completed before opening to the public on May 29, 1895.
The Casino contained luxury boxes, as well as a grand theater, and a $45,000 roof garden. Each end of the ice rink featured 10 dressing rooms which were furnished with oil paintings and tapestries. The rooms were owned by politicians and capitalists from the banking, steel, coal and railroad industries and were used for winter carnivals, skating expos and political rallies. The facility also contained a ladies’ reception room which was furnished with imported carpeting, lace curtains, and stuffed leather recliners. It also featured a childcare and play area.
However the primary attraction at the Casino was the elliptical-shaped, 225 x 70 feet (21.3 m) ice surface. The facility offered public skating sessions were held only on weekdays. The five cent admission included steel skate frames that were strapped over a person’s winter footwear. Saturdays were reserved for private parties and the Pittsburgh hockey club that evolved into the Pittsburgh Keystones, a group of local men from the Western University
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
and Carnegie Tech. In the summer, the Casino was used as a 3,500 seat theatre.
Destruction
On December 17, 1896, at approximately 1:45 am., an ammoniaAmmonia
Ammonia is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula . It is a colourless gas with a characteristic pungent odour. Ammonia contributes significantly to the nutritional needs of terrestrial organisms by serving as a precursor to food and fertilizers. Ammonia, either directly or...
pipe in the icemaking department began leaking. Firefighters believed the gas mixed with grease and created an explosion resulting in a fire that consumed the equipment room in the rear of the Casino and spread to the ladies’ dressing room. Cold temperatures decreased the water pressure for the fire department's hoses, and limited access across the wooden Schenley Bridge
Schenley Bridge
Schenley Bridge connects Schenley Plaza to Schenley Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It carries Schenley Drive over Junction Hollow to Frew Street and Flagstaff Hill....
, which was also damaged during the incident, gave the fire too much of a head start
Head start (positioning)
In positioning, a head start is a start in advance of the starting position of others in competition, or simply toward the finish line or desired outcome...
for firefighters to have a realistic chance of battling it. The amount of heat from the blaze was strong enough to melt the glass windows of nearby Phipps Conservatory. Dense smoke and heavy poisonous ammonia fumes forced firefighters in their horse-drawn equipment to retreat from trying to save the main hall of the building resulting in the fire being declared unmanageble by Pittsburgh Fire Chief
Fire chief
Fire Chief is a top executive rank or commanding officer in a fire department, either elected or appointed...
, Miles Humphries.
Aftermath
At first many investors were hopeful that the Casino could be rebuilt. However they later learned that the $400,000 building was only insured for a sum of $50,000-$75,000. The Yale UniversityYale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
hockey team was to have played a series of games against Western University of Pennsylvania, Duquesne University
Duquesne University
Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit is a private Catholic university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, Duquesne first opened its doors as the Pittsburgh Catholic College of the Holy Ghost in October 1878 with an enrollment of...
and the Keystones the weekend after the fire, but they were telegraphed and told not to come to Pittsburgh. The only thing that remained was the large brick smoke stack and a portion of the wall along the bridge side of the Casino. Along with the facility, a brand-new merry-go-round, valued at $30,000, was also destroyed in the blaze.
The loss of the Casino led many local investors to look into constructing a new multi-purpose arena. Christopher Magee, the city's first elected treasurer
Treasurer
A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...
focused local attention on the Duquesne Traction Company, an old streetcar barn less than a half mile away from the Casino. The devastating loss of the Casino hastened efforts in transforming the barn into the city’s new multi-purpose sports and entertainment venue that became the Duquesne Gardens
Duquesne Gardens
Duquesne Gardens was the main sports arena located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA during the first half of the 20th century. It opened 3 years after a fire destroyed the city's prior sports arena, the Schenley Park Casino, in 1896. The arena was the first hockey rink to use glass above the dasher...
.
Legacy
- The Casino is credited as having the first artificial ice surface in North AmericaNorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. - The Casino was the first place in Pittsburgh where organized ice hockey was played.
- At the time, the Casino had the most modern indoor lighting system that consisted of 1,500 incandescent lamps, 11 arc lights and 4 white calcium lights