Conservancy Projects

Gatehouse at Reynolds Street

Between 1931 and 1935, several formal gatehouse entrances to Frick Park were installed, including one at Reynolds Street in Point Breeze. But after years of neglect, the gatehouses fell into disrepair.  As its first showcase project, the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy restored the gatehouse at Reynolds Street using the plans of John Russell Pope, architect, and Innocenti and Webel, landscape architects.

The gatehouse’s stone sidewall was rebuilt, and its stonework and walls repainted and cleaned. The windows, which had been bricked over, were fitted with steel and black iron window bars to match the originals. New cypress doors, fabricated to match the originals as closely as possible, were also installed, reusing some of the original hardware. A blended clay tile roof and historic lighting were added.  Dead trees were removed and existing trees pruned to sustain the vitality of the area.  The original landscape plan by Innocenti and Webel was finally implemented, and many new trees and bushes were planted, including sugar maples, juneberries, flowering dogwoods, and forsythia bushes.

Environmental Center at Frick Park

One of the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy’s top priorities in the coming years is the development of a new Environmental Center at Frick Park. The Center’s main building burned in 2002, and a dedicated staff continues year-round programming from their offices in the entrance gatehouses. A new Center would provide the space and resources for expanded staff, programming, and public access while furthering the mission of Education through Restoration.

The estimated cost of re-visioning, rebuilding, and reprogramming the Center is $17 million, with some funding already in place for the business and landscape restoration plans. Because the Parks Conservancy does not undertake projects without funding in place and without a plan for long-term sustainability, it will likely be several years before a new Center is completed. You can help by donating, offering input, and continuing to support the Center’s existing programs. For more information on the project, contact the Parks Conservancy at 412-682-7275.