r Allegheny Public Square, Pittsburgh - Proposed Rehabilitation

Allegheny Public Square Plaza/Park, North Side, Pittsburgh
(formerly Ober Park)

Photo from postcard sold at Buhl Planetarium in the 1970s, showing Buhl Planetariium fronted by the Allegheny Square Fountain
1970s-era photograph of the Allegheny Square Fountain and Amphitheater,
with The Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science in the background.
This image comes from a postcard sold in the gift shop of Buhl Planetarium.

Authored By Glenn A. Walsh *** Sponsored By Friends of the Zeiss
Electronic Mail: < allegsq@planetarium.cc > *** Internet Web Site Cover Page: < http://www.planetarium.cc >
2008 January

Earlier known as Diamond Square and Ober Park, Allegheny Public Square is the site of the original town square of Allegheny City, Pennsylvania (which was annexed to become the North Side of Pittsburgh in December of 1907), in front of the original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science and caddy-corner to America's first publicly-funded Carnegie Library, Carnegie Free Library of Allegheny and the very first Carnegie Hall (which now contains the New Hazlett Theater).

Allegheny Public Square Plaza Rehabilitation Project

The winner of the 2007 Design Competion of Ideas for Allegheny Public Square (sponsored by the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh) is Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture, San Francisco, California. More information:

Summary of Winning Proposal

Winning Project Summary Statement

Photographs of Allegheny Square Through the Years

Nearby Institutions

News Articles

Proposals by Glenn A. Walsh

Photographs of Allegheny Square Through the Years

During construction of The Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science (1937 October to 1939 October). Diamond Square (also known as Ober Park at that time) was renovated into a more modern Ober Park, to complement the new Buhl Planetarium. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Ober Park was renovated and "modernized," again, into the present-day Allegheny Public Square, to complement the new Allegheny Center Mall and Office and Apartment Complex also under construction at that time.

Diamond Square (1937 - 1938): 1937 April 23 - Image 1 *** 1937 April 23 - Image 2 *** 1938 Oct. 22

Ober Park (1950s) *** Allegheny Square with Fountain/Amphitheater (1970s) *** Allegheny Square (1998)

Nearby Institutions

The Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science (1939 to 1991)

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Allegheny Regional Branch
Originally Carnegie Free Library of Allegheny (1890 to 2006)
First Publicly-Funded Carnegie Library in America

Carnegie Hall - now home to the New Hazlett Theater
World's First Carnegie Hall

Old Allegheny Post Office - now home to the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh

Boggs and Buhl Department Store (building demolished - 1869 to 1958)

Allegheny Center Mall and Office and Apartment Complex

NRG Thermal Natural Gas Steam Plant (serving North Side institutions)

Other Lower North Side Neighbors of Allegheny Public Square Plaza/Park

History of the Lower North Side of Pittsburgh
Including Buhl Planetarium and Carnegie Library

News Regarding Allegheny Square and Proposed Rehabilitation

* "Public meetings set on Allegheny Center plans."
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 2008 April 23.

* "Plans for Allegheny Center are subject of forum."
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 2008 March 21.

* Rosenblum, Charles. "(Not Quite) Buried Treasure, A new vision for Allegheny Center rises to the surface."
Pittsburgh City Paper 2007 Nov. 29.

* "North Side design entries go public."
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 2007 Oct. 23.

* Lowry, Patricia. "Children's Museum award launches plaza repairs."
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 2007 July 20.

* Lowry, Patricia. "Competition aims to improve city's historic public spaces."
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 2001 Feb. 22.

* Lowry, Patricia. "Places: Architects' study offers ways to repair the damage done to the North Side."
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 1999 Oct. 23.

Date:

Sat, 21 Jul 2007 12:03:16 -0700 (PDT)

From:

"Glenn A. Walsh"

Subject:

Allegheny Square Ideas

To:

"Joe Wos," Bill Schlageter

CC:

"Darlene M. Harris," "Larry Berger," "Glenn A. Walsh"

Allegheny Square Plaza Rehabilitation Proposals
By Glenn A. Walsh - 2007 July 21

GIANT SUNDIAL SCULPTURE

RESTORATION OF HISTORIC ASTRONOMICAL INSCRIPTION, FROM THE BIBLE,
ORIGINALLY ON BUHL PLANETARIUM'S EAST EXTERIOR WALL

ALLEGHENY SQUARE FOUNTAIN AND AMPHITHEATER

 

To:   Joe Wos, Children's Cartoonist & Storyteller

      Bill Schlageter, Marketing Director,

      Children's Museum of Pittsburgh

From: Glenn A. Walsh

Copy: Darlene Harris, Pittsburgh City Council Member

      Larry Berger, Host, Saturday Light Brigade

      Radio Program

 

It was a pleasure speaking with both of you this

morning at the Allegheny Public Square Charette. I

have a few ideas that I would like considered for any

rehabilitation of the Allegheny Public Square.

 

Since there is no actual web site, yet, to post these

ideas, perhaps you two can see to it that these ideas

are circulated to the architects involved with the

project.

 

1) GIANT SUNDIAL SCULPTURE

 

My first idea combines science, art, and children,

which makes it a perfect fit for Allegheny Square,

located in front of the original Buhl Planetarium and

the Children's Museum.

 

Allegheny Square should include a giant sundial

sculpture, one that is large enough for children to

actually play on. Being a sundial, it should be in the

highest elevation possible, and as far away from the

One Allegheny Square office building as possible, to

ensure that it receives maximum exposure from the

sun during the day--perhaps at the top of the steps

leading into the sunken plaza and directly in front of

the original Buhl Planetarium.

 

Since I was employed with the original Buhl

Planetarium from 1982 to 1991, I find this idea

attractive from a scientific perspective. Such a

sculpture could include the cardinal points of the

compass laid-into the bottom of the sculpture, as the

cardinal points of the compass are at the bottom of

the Foucault Pendulum Pit inside the original Buhl

Planetarium. An explanatory sign could accompany the

sculpture, to explain to children how and why this

sculpture actually tells time. I would be pleased to

write such text.

 

The sculpture would also be large enough for children

to play on it. Of course, this would make it quite

appropriate for a park close to the Children's Museum.

 

Unfortunately, I cannot claim this to be an original

idea. Such a Giant Sundial Sculpture WAS PROPOSED for

another Lower North Side site more than thirty years

ago, but was never built. It was proposed for the site

of a former ornamental fountain in Allegheny

Commons-East Park, at the intersection of East North

Avenue and Cedar Avenue, directly across the street

from Allegheny General Hospital.

 

The Giant Sundial Sculpture was proposed by, and was

to funded by, the United Nations Association of

Pittsburgh, as a Bicentennial gift to the City of

Pittsburgh in 1976. At first the neighborhood was

intrigued by the idea.

 

However, as time went by, old-timers, who no longer

have children, became sentimental about the old

fountain and preferred that the fountain be replaced

instead of a sculpture for children. Of course, there

was no funding to replace the fountain. Today, this

site is simply used as a flower bed.

 

Once the North Side neighborhood rejected the Giant

Sundial Sculpture proposal, there was a rumor that the

United Nations Association of Pittsburgh may consider

installing such a sculpture at the Highland Park Zoo.

However, my understanding is that this did  not happen

and the whole project fell-through.

 

I had always thought that the plaza directly in front

of the Buhl Planetarium would be a perfect location

for a Giant Sundial Sculpture. Indeed, one year for

Buhl Planetarium's annual Summer "Solstice Day" event

on June 21, Jane Werner painted a sundial on the plaza

at the bottom of the steps leading to Buhl's entrance;

the shadows of children standing in the middle of the

painted sundial were used to tell the time.

 

Actually, remnants of the paint from this painted

sundial could be seen all the way until construction

began on the Children's Museum's "Nightlight

Building." With all of the construction activity, the

last vestiges of this painted sundial finally

disappeared for good.

 

As for funding such a Giant Sundial Sculpture, why not

approach the United Nations Association of Pittsburgh?

Since it was their original idea, they may seriously

consider providing the funding to place the sculpture

in the best location for a children's sculpture!

 

2) RESTORATION OF HISTORIC ASTRONOMICAL INSCRIPTION,

FROM THE BIBLE, ORIGINALLY ON BUHL PLANETARIUM'S EAST

EXTERIOR WALL

 

As some of you know, I have been HIGHLY AND VERY

PUBLICLY critical of the current disposition of the

fragments from a historic astronomical inscription,

from the Bible, that had been inscribed on the east

wall of the original Buhl Planetarium, prior to the

installation of a giant window in that location

during the Children's Museum renovation.

 

The text of this historic inscription, from the 19th

Psalm of the Bible, is the following:

"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the

firmament sheweth His handywork. Day unto day uttereth

speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge."

 

Here is a photograph of what the historic inscription

looked like, before it was dismantled:

 

< http://buhlplanetarium2.tripod.com/Buhl-InscriptionE.JPG >

 

Currently, the unorganized fragments of this historic

inscription are strewn over the fenced-in portion of

Buhl Planetarium's east lawn, with some of the

unorganized fragments forming borders of flower beds.

I consider this to be a disgrace!

 

The rehabilitation of Allegheny Square would provide

an opportunity to finally restore this historic

inscription and display it to the public in a

dignified manner.

 

As with the final court decision, which permitted the

Ten Commandments plaque to remain on the exterior of

the Allegheny County Courthouse due to its historic

significance, the religious content of the Buhl

Planetarium inscription should not be an impediment to

placing it in a public park.

 

The historic inscription should be accompanied by an

explanatory sign, telling the history of the

inscription and explaining why this particular

Biblical verse was considered appropriate for an

Institute of Popular Science in 1939. As the historian

of the original Buhl Planetarium

 

< http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com >,

 

I would be pleased to write the text of an explanatory

sign to accompany the restored inscription.

 

3) ALLEGHENY SQUARE FOUNTAIN AND AMPHITHEATER

 

I have fond memories of the Allegheny Square fountain

and amphitheater. These provided a very welcoming

addition to the entrance of Buhl Planetarium in the

1970s and 1980s. In fact, Buhl Planetarium sold

postcards to the public, in our gift shop, showing

Buhl's entrance with the fountain in front:

 

< http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/postcards/buhlfountain.jpg >

 

The amphitheater was also quite useful. In addition to

being used for special events, such as the annual

International Children's Festival, during the good

weather months children, visiting Buhl Planetarium

with school groups would often eat their lunch in the

amphitheater.

 

I think the fountain and the amphitheater are worth

saving and could perform similar functions today, as

they did successfully twenty years ago.

 

gaw

 

Glenn A. Walsh

Electronic Mail - < gawalsh@planetarium.cc >

SPACE & SCIENCE NEWS, ASTRONOMICAL CALENDAR:

  < http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/#news >

Author of History Web Sites on the Internet --

* Buhl Planetarium, Pittsburgh:

  < http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com >

* Adler Planetarium, Chicago:

  < http://adlerplanetarium.tripod.com >

* Astronomer, Educator, Optician John A. Brashear:

  < http://johnbrashear.tripod.com >

* Andrew Carnegie & Carnegie Libraries:

  < http://andrewcarnegie.tripod.com >

* Duquesne Incline cable-car railway, Pittsburgh:

  < http://incline.pghfree.net >

* Public Transit:

  < http://andrewcarnegie2.tripod.com/transit >

Other Internet Web Sites of Interest

History of The Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science, Pittsburgh -
Which Housed the Oldest Operable Major Planetarium Projector in the World !

History of The Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum, Chicago -
America's First Major Planetarium !

History of Astronomer, Educator, and Optician John A. Brashear

History of Andrew Carnegie and Carnegie Libraries

The Duquesne Incline, Pittsburgh -
Historic Cable Car Railway Serving Commuters and Tourists since 1877 !

Other History Links

Master Index

NEWS: Planetarium,
Astronomy, Space

Authored By Glenn A. Walsh *** Sponsored By Friends of the Zeiss
Electronic Mail: < allegsq@planetarium.cc > *** Internet Web Site Cover Page: < http://www.planetarium.cc >
This Internet Web Page: < http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/allegsq/EM-AllegSq.htm >
2008 January

NEWS: Planetarium, Astronomy, Space, and Other Sciences

Have a Question About Astronomy or Other Sciences? Ask an Expert from Friends of the Zeiss!

Internet Web Site Master Index for the History of
The Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science, Pittsburgh

Disclaimer Statement: This Internet Web Site is not affiliated with the Andrew Carnegie Free Library,
Ninth Pennsylvania Reserves Civil War Reenactment Group, Henry Buhl, Jr. Planetarium and Observatory,
The Carnegie Science Center, The Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh/Carnegie Institute, or The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.

This Internet, World Wide Web Site administered by Glenn A. Walsh.
Unless otherwise indicated, all pages in this web site are --
© Copyright 2008, Glenn A. Walsh, All Rights Reserved.
Contact Web Site Administrator: < allegsq@planetarium.cc >.

This Internet World Wide Web page created in January of 2008.