Mellon Square Dedication

1955-10-18

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Mellon Square Dedication
  • Title
  • Mellon Square Dedication
  • Creator
  • Paul Slantis
  • Identifier
  • MSP285.B014.F09.I03
  • Description
  • On April 22, 1949, The A.W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust, Sarah Mellon Scaife, and Richard King Mellon Foundation announced a gift to the City of Pittsburgh of $4 million (later boosted to $4.3 million) to build Mellon Square. On September 28, 1953, at 12:15 p.m. ground was broken for the 1.37-acre square. The square was designed by architects Mitchell and Ritchey of Pittsburgh at a total cost of the of $7.8 million. Nine giant bronze basins (foreground) were manufactured by the Jas. H. Matthews Company of Pittsburgh that were to be included in the main fountain display. Weighing nearly 3,500 pounds each, and nine feet in diameter, they are believed to be the largest single bronze castings ever made during that time. The fountains contained submerged mercury vapor headlights with a bluish cast, which emphasized the green color of trees at night.
  • Subject
  • Mellon Square (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
    Dedication services--Pennsylvania--Pittsburgh.
    Downtown (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
  • Contributor
  • Detre Library & Archives, Heinz History Center
  • Collection
  • Allegheny Conference on Community Development Photographs
  • Rights Information
  • The copyright and related rights status of this Item has been reviewed by the organization that has made the Item available, but the organization was unable to make a conclusive determination as to the copyright status of the Item. Please refer to the organization that has made the Item available for more information. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use.
    http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/