Mellon Square facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mellon Square |
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| Type | Municipal Park |
| Location | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Area | 1-acre (0.40 ha) |
| Created | September 28, 1953 |
| Operated by | City of Pittsburgh Citiparks, Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy |
| Parking | Underground parking garage |
| Website | www.pittsburghparks.org/mellonsquare |
| Designated: | 1982 |
Mellon Square is a cool park right in the middle of Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It's special because it was the first park designed in a "Modernist" style built on top of a parking garage! With its unique black, white, and green patterns on the ground, it's a popular green space and meeting spot in the city.
The park is surrounded by important buildings like the Oliver Building, 525 William Penn Place, and the Omni William Penn Hotel. It's a favorite place for people working downtown to eat lunch. You can also find shops underneath the park along Smithfield Street.
Contents
A Look Back at Mellon Square's History
What Was Here Before?
In the 1800s, the area where Mellon Square now sits was home to a place called Turner Hall. Something really important happened here in 1881: the world's first labor union, the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions, was started right on this spot! This group later became a big part of what we know today as the AFL-CIO.
Later, in the early 1900s, there was a Standard Oil Building and the Davis Theater. In fact, on March 10, 1921, the world's first live theater or opera broadcast happened from the Davis Theater, thanks to radio station KDKA-AM.
How Mellon Square Was Created
After World War II, a company called the Aluminum Company of America (ALCOA) thought about moving from Pittsburgh to New York City. A banker named Richard King Mellon wanted to keep ALCOA in Pittsburgh.
So, in 1949, he suggested building a new main office for ALCOA (which is now the Regional Enterprise Tower). As an extra bonus, he proposed building an underground parking garage nearby, with a public park on top. This park became Mellon Square.
It was built between 1953 and 1955. The design was done by Mitchell & Ritchey, and the landscaping by Simonds & Simonds. The Mellon family foundations paid for the park. They gave a total of $4 million to help create it. This money was used to buy the land and build the parking garage and plant all the trees and flowers.
On September 28, 1953, the Pittsburgh City Council officially named the block "Mellon Square." Once it was finished, Mellon gave the park to the City of Pittsburgh. Mellon Square is named after Richard King Mellon's father and uncle, Richard Beatty Mellon and Andrew Mellon.
A special marker at the park says: "Mellon Square is dedicated to the memory of two brothers, Andrew W. Mellon and Richard B. Mellon, their leadership, civic spirit and philanthropy advanced immeasurably the welfare of this community."
The square is also part of the Pittsburgh Central Downtown Historic District, which was recognized as a special historical place in 1985.
A Special Historical Marker
There's a historical marker in the square. It reminds us that the American Federation of Labor was founded here on November 15, 1881. This happened at Turner Hall, which was located near this spot. This marker is listed among the important historical markers in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.
Mellon Square in Movies
Mellon Square was featured in the 2002 thriller movie, The Mothman Prophecies. In the film, Richard Gere's character travels to "Chicago" and meets "The Professor" right in the square. Many famous Pittsburgh buildings and churches are shown up close in the movie, adding to the scenes that take place in the square.
Giving Mellon Square a Fresh Look
Over the years, the park's original flooring and stairs started to wear out. So, the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, along with money from several foundations and banks, spent $10 million to fix up the square. The project replaced all the old parts that were in bad shape. After many years of work, the square reopened to the public in May 2014, looking brand new!
Fun Facts About Mellon Square
- When the square first opened, it had more than 25,000 trees, shrubs, and flowers!
- The nine round bronze basins for the long fountain were the biggest ever made when they were cast in 1953.
- The Union Square underground garage in San Francisco helped inspire the design for Mellon Square and its parking facility.
Images for kids
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The Mellon Square Fountain
