Audio tour shines spotlight on Mellon Square history
For more than half a century, Mellon Square has accommodated stressed office workers, weary shoppers and out-of-town visitors.
But few know the history of the urban park and its vital role in helping to launch Pittsburgh's first Renaissance in the late 1940s. They know only that the elevated park, bounded by Smithfield Street and William Penn Way, welcomes all comers with its long benches, shade trees and harmonious geometry.
This week, the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy erected signs in the park to promote an audio tour that they hope will educate the public on the architectural jewel in their midst. The eight-stop tour, created with the Rivers of Steel Heritage Area in Homestead, features recorded segments with titles such as "How Did Mellon Square Get Its Name?" and "Horticultural Challenges Over the Years." The titles are listed on each sign, along with a corresponding three-digit number that users can punch in after calling the main number, 412-254-2154.
The conservancy also has produced a video on the history of Mellon Square, which is featured on its Web site, www.pittsburghparks.org/mellonsquarevideo .
"One of the goals is to make people appreciate the space and why it was originally built and how significant it is," says Michael Sexauer, director of marketing and communications for Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy.
The group hopes to generate public support for the restoration of Mellon Square, which was designed in 1947 by landscape architect John Ormsbee Simonds and dedicated Oct. 18, 1955.
Last year, the American Planning Association named Mellon Square one of 10 Great Public Spaces.
But it's fallen victim to time and neglect. The waterfalls that used to flow down to street level are dry. The massive bronze planters are empty. The "grand staircase" is crumbling, while careless feeding has attracted swarms of pigeons.
Mellon Square was conceived by financier and philanthropist Richard King Mellon. He returned to Pittsburgh after serving in World War II and was dismayed at how dark and dreary the city was. Inspired by a similar park in New York City, he envisioned an urban oasis whose plants and fountains would provide a soothing respite from the oppressive industrial landscape. It was part of the first Renaissance, which also included the construction of Point State Park. It was designed by the local architectural firm of Mitchell and Ritchey and landscape architectural firm of Simonds & Simonds.
The Conservancy commissioned a restoration plan with a grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation.
"We've completed the restoration plan, and now we're in the fundraising stage and working with the city to determine what the lease agreement will be," Sexauer says.
Meanwhile, he encourages people to dial in.
"We like people to understand that they can call from anywhere," he says.
Additional Information:
Audio tour
To dial in to the Mellon Square Audio Tour, call 412-254-2154, followed by a three-digit code, from 221 to 228, posted on a sign at each stop on the walking tour. Dial 0 to advance to the next code.
A tour brochure can be downloaded at the Web site .
