Schenley Bridge
Encyclopedia
Schenley Bridge connects Schenley Plaza
to Schenley Park
in Pittsburgh
, Pennsylvania
. It carries Schenley Drive (between The Carnegie Institute
and The Henry Clay Frick Fine Arts Building) over Junction Hollow
to Frew Street and Flagstaff Hill
.
This bridge in the city's Oakland
district is one element of a grand main entrance into the park. Its span is 620 feet and it arches 120 feet above the hollow. Erected in 1897, it replaced a temporary structure by the same name dating from 1890, a year after the park opened.
In 1890, the year after the City of Pittsburgh received the land for Schenley Park, a temporary trestle was constructed across Junction Hollow. The present Schenley Bridge replaced this structure in 1897. One of the original plans was to remove the temporary trestle and re-erect it over Panther Hollow. It has been speculated that the fire which destroyed the Schenley Park Casino
near the temporary bridge was also a factor leading to the erection of a wholly new bridge at Panther Hollow. As built, the Schenley Bridge and the Panther Hollow Bridge
are near twins—built concurrently.
, sited just northeast of the bridge's Oakland abutment, play a special role in The Mysteries of Pittsburgh
, the 1988 debut novel
by the Pulitzer Prize
-winning writer Michael Chabon
.
Recently, several padlocks have started appearing on the bridge.
Schenley Plaza
Schenley Plaza is a public park serving as the grand entrance into Schenley Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.The plaza, located on Forbes Avenue and Schenley Drive in the city's Oakland district, includes multiple gardens, food kiosks, public meeting spaces, a carousel, and a prominent "Emerald...
to Schenley Park
Schenley Park
Schenley Park is a large municipal park located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, between the neighborhoods of Oakland, Greenfield, and Squirrel Hill. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district...
in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. It carries Schenley Drive (between The Carnegie Institute
Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh
Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh are four museums that are operated by the Carnegie Institute headquartered in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
and The Henry Clay Frick Fine Arts Building) over Junction Hollow
Junction Hollow
Junction Hollow is a small wooded valley bordering the west flanks of Schenley Park and the campus of Carnegie Mellon University and the southern edge of the University of Pittsburgh's campus in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania....
to Frew Street and Flagstaff Hill
Flagstaff Hill, Pennsylvania
Flagstaff Hill is a large, gently sloping hill in Schenley Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, located near Oakland.It is a popular space to frolic for students from nearby Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh. The City of Pittsburgh offers free summertime outdoor movies...
.
This bridge in the city's 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...
district is one element of a grand main entrance into the park. Its span is 620 feet and it arches 120 feet above the hollow. Erected in 1897, it replaced a temporary structure by the same name dating from 1890, a year after the park opened.
In 1890, the year after the City of Pittsburgh received the land for Schenley Park, a temporary trestle was constructed across Junction Hollow. The present Schenley Bridge replaced this structure in 1897. One of the original plans was to remove the temporary trestle and re-erect it over Panther Hollow. It has been speculated that the fire which destroyed the Schenley Park Casino
Schenley Park Casino
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...
near the temporary bridge was also a factor leading to the erection of a wholly new bridge at Panther Hollow. As built, the Schenley Bridge and the Panther Hollow Bridge
Panther Hollow Bridge
Panther Hollow Bridge carries Wilmot Road over Panther Hollow in Schenley Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.This bridge in the city's Oakland district has a main span of , total length , and arches above the hollow...
are near twins—built concurrently.
Schenley Bridge in popular culture
Schenley Bridge and a boiler plant dubbed the Cloud FactoryCloud Factory
The Cloud Factory is an affectionate nickname for a boiler plant which billows steam from below its single smoke stack in The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, the 1988 debut novel by the Pulitzer Prize-winning American writer Michael Chabon...
, sited just northeast of the bridge's Oakland abutment, play a special role in The Mysteries of Pittsburgh
The Mysteries of Pittsburgh
The Mysteries of Pittsburgh is a 1988 novel by American author Michael Chabon. The story is a coming-of-age tale set during the early 1980s in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania....
, the 1988 debut novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by the Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
-winning writer Michael Chabon
Michael Chabon
Michael Chabon born May 24, 1963) is an American author and "one of the most celebrated writers of his generation", according to The Virginia Quarterly Review....
.
Recently, several padlocks have started appearing on the bridge.
External links
- Schenley Bridge (1897) at pghbridges.comPghbridges.comPghbridges.com is a reference site created by Bruce S. Cridlebaugh. Formally titled, Bridges and Tunnels of Allegheny County and Pittsburgh, PA, pghbridges.com has information on many of the structures of the area...
- Schenley Bridge (1890) at pghbridges.comPghbridges.comPghbridges.com is a reference site created by Bruce S. Cridlebaugh. Formally titled, Bridges and Tunnels of Allegheny County and Pittsburgh, PA, pghbridges.com has information on many of the structures of the area...
- Schenley Park website
- Bridges of Schenley Park