Hartwood Acres Park Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Hartwood Acres Park
Hartwood Mansion as seen from the northeast corner
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Type	Municipal
Location	Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Area	629-acre (255 ha)

Hartwood Acres Park is a huge park in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. It covers about 629 acres, which is like 475 football fields! Many people think Hartwood is the most special park in the county. It's part of a big group of nine parks that together cover 12,000 acres.

This amazing park was bought by the county in 1969. Its main attraction is a beautiful old country estate. The estate includes a grand Tudor-style mansion, which was built between 1927 and 1929. There's also a lovely English-style garden, a small cottage, a stable area, and a gate lodge. The mansion was designed by Alfred Hopkins for John and Mary Flinn Lawrence. Inside, you can see many old English and American furniture pieces and decorations.

Hartwood Acres Park is located about 10 miles northeast of Downtown Pittsburgh. It's mostly covered in forests and stretches across two townships: Hampton and Indiana. The park is also a popular spot for concerts. It has a large stage where the Free Summer Concert Series and the Allegheny County Music Festival are held. Plus, there are 30 miles of trails for all sorts of activities. You can go horse riding, walking, hiking, biking, and even cross-country skiing there! Hartwood used to be famous for its "Festival of Lights," a big holiday light show that helped raise money for charities.

Park History: How Hartwood Acres Began
Amazing Outdoor Art: Sculptures at Hartwood
Images for kids
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Park History: How Hartwood Acres Began

Mary Flinn Lawrence, who was a kind person from Pittsburgh who gave a lot to charity, created Hartwood. She used money she received from her father, Senator William Flinn. In the 1920s, Mary and her husband, John Lawrence, asked architect Alfred Hopkins for help. They wanted him to use ideas from a manor house they had seen in Broadway, Oxfordshire, England. The result was a grand 31-room stone house with a slate roof, built around a large main hall.

Mary loved horses and turned her estate into a place for equestrian arts. She built miles of riding trails, show rings, and steeplechase courses. The stables, covered in ivy, had stalls made of shiny oak wood.

In 1969, the Allegheny Parks Commission bought 400 acres of land and riding trails from Mary. John had passed away in 1945. Mary had a few conditions for the sale. First, she and her servants could continue living in the mansion until she passed away. Second, the land could never be divided into smaller pieces. Third, the county also had to buy her sister Edith's home, called Harkaway Farm. This area is now where the Middle Road Concert Amphitheater is located. Mary passed away on October 29, 1974. The new park then opened to the public in 1976.

Amazing Outdoor Art: Sculptures at Hartwood

Hartwood Acres Park is home to eleven large outdoor sculptures. These artworks were created by famous artists from across the country. They are a permanent part of the park and can be enjoyed by all visitors.