Arsenal Park Restoration

October 9, 2020

APR 7, 2015
 
A petition that has recently circulated among Lawrenceville residents contains some misinformation regarding the planned restoration of Arsenal Park. Representatives from Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, Lawrenceville United, Friends of Arsenal Park, and Lawrenceville Corporation met with the president and vice president of the Lawrenceville Historical Society on March 23, 2015 to address all concerns raised in the petition. Historic preservation and restoration are a priority for the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy and all parties involved with the project. 

Highlights of the Master Plan's preservation recommendations:

    • Preserve and restore the stone wall (including capstones) surrounding the park, with limited modifications only as required to restore a historic entrance and to provide more accesible entrances (a major goal of the planning effort). Any stone removed would be reused within the park to repair walls or construct new features.
    • Restore the Powder Magazine structure to its Civil War-era form.
    • Restore the memorial installed in 1909 by the U.S. Daughters of 1812, Dolly Madison Chapter, and dedicated by President Taft.
    • Retain the 1934 ampitheater area with its flagstone paving.
    • Provide for archaelogical recovery as part of capital projecty protocols.
    • Create a permanent installation to tell the story of the Arsenal and the Park.

Community input is a key part of the planning process of all Parks Conservancy projects, and has been and will continue to be an important element in the Arsenal Park Master Plan. The Plan's recommendations were very well received at a Community Open House held on Thursday, March 26, 2015.

As with any capital improvement project in a City Landmark property, we expect to bring all projects issuing from the Master Plan before the Historic Review Commission as required. "We are committed to maintaining the historical integrity of Arsenal Park while ensuring that all in our city have access to this beloved space," commented project manager Susan M. Rademacher, Parks Curator for thePittsburgh Parks Conservancy. 

Find the statement here

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About the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy

The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy was founded in December 1996 by a group of citizens concerned with the deteriorating conditions of Pittsburgh's historic city parks. A nonprofit organization, the Parks Conservancy works closely with the City of Pittsburgh under an official public-private partnership agreement to restore and improve the city’s park system to its full potential. Originally including Highland, Schenley, Frick, and Riverview Parks, the scope of the Park Conservancy’s work now includes a focus on community parks including Allegheny Commons, Arsenal Park, Cliffside Park, McKinley Park, and Mellon Park. To date, the Parks Conservancy has raised $84 million toward park improvements. The Parks Conservancy works with thousands of volunteers annually, stewards over 1,700 acres, and has completed 14 capital projects.

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