In the late 1800s, while Pittsburgh land heiress Mary Schenley was living in England, local real estate developers had plans to travel to London and convince Mary to sell them a large section of her land, then known as Mt. Airy Tract. When Edward Bigelow, director of the Pittsburgh Department of Public Works, heard the news, he immediately sent a lawyer to persuade Mary that the land could be better used by the city as a park.

The lawyer hopped a train for New York and then boarded a steamer for England - beating the real estate agent by two days. The appeal to Mary paid off.

In 1889 she gave the city 300 acres with an option to purchase 120 more – under two provisions: the land was to be used as park named after her, and it could never sold. The city swiftly approved and purchased the extra land, which contained Schenley Plaza.

At the time of purchase, Schenley Plaza was known as the St. Pierre Ravine.  In 1897, the Bellefield Bridge was built across the ravine, serving as the primary entry to the park.  In the early 1900s, the ravine was filled with an immense amount of fill from the leveling of the Grant Street “hump,” a small hill in downtown Pittsburgh.  The Bellefield Bridge was buried by 1914 and still remains underground supporting the incredible weight of the Mary Schenley Memorial Fountain.

Over time, Schenley Plaza became a parking lot, a far cry from the envisioned grand entrance to Schenley Park. 
The restored Schenley Plaza, as you experience it today, is the result of years of planning and partnership to revitalize and reclaim a prized piece of historic Schenley Park.

Timeline:
1889 - Mary Schenley gives 300 acres to the City of Pittsburgh, and an additional 120 acres, which contained Schenley Plaza, is purchased

1893 - Phipps Conservatory is opened in Schenley Park

1894 - Schenley Bridge is competed and the Casino ice skating rink is built in Schenley Plaza

1895 - Carnegie Institute and Library opens, and the Edward Bigelow statue is dedicated

1896 - The Casino burns, damaging Schenley Bridge

1897 - Bellefield Bridge is built across St. Pierre Ravine, William Falconer designs Lily Pond on Schenley Drive, the Panther Hollow Bridge is built

1899 - First automobile races held in Schenley Park

1907 - Schenley Park Oval and matinee Racetrack opens

1909 - Forbes Field, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team, is built

1914 - St. Pierre Ravine is filled by 1915, burying the Bellefield Bridge

1918 - Mary Schenley Memorial Fountain is dedicated

1921 - Swimming Pool opens in Schenley Park

1949 - Schenley Plaza is officially designated a parking lot

1968 - Hillman Library, adjacent to Schenley Plaza, is dedicated

1971 - Forbes Field is demolished

1974 - Sarah Scaife Galleries open at the Frick Fine Arts Building in Schenley Park

1974 - University of Pittsburgh Forbes Quadrangle, later renamed Wesley W. Posvar Hall, is dedicated

2004 - Construction to restore Schenley Plaza as a public green space begins

2006 - Revitalized Schenley Plaza is re-dedicated as the grand entrance to Schenley Park