Westinghouse Memorial
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | |
Material | Bronze, Norwegian granite |
---|---|
Opening date | 6 October 1930 |
Dedicated to | George Westinghouse |
The Westinghouse Memorial is a bronze monument located in the U.S. city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It commemorates George Westinghouse, an engineer, founder of the Westinghouse Electric Corporation, and inventor of the railway air brake. The memorial is located at the entrance to the Steven Faloon trail, a part of Schenley Park. The architects for the monument and the surrounding area were Henry Hornbostel and Eric Fisher Wood. Daniel Chester French was the sculptor for the statue and the main panel, and Paul Fjelde designed the side panels.[1]
The memorial consists of a statue of a schoolboy, who represents "The Spirit of the American Youth". He looks on at three panels that represent the life of George Westinghouse and is presumed to draw inspiration from them. The memorial is made of bronze and granite. It is one of many mementos to George Westinghouse in the area. Some additional honors include
The current location of the memorial is near the back of Carnegie Mellon University in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh. Schenley Drive, a road that runs through the park, is also nearby.[2] In 2019, the memorial was designated a historic landmark by the city of Pittsburgh.[3]
History
The
Funding for the memorial came from more than 50,000 Westinghouse employees, who raised a total of $200,000. It was dedicated on Westinghouse's birthday, October 6, 1930,
The bronze memorial was originally covered in gold leaf, which was added "so as to permanently give the monument an interesting surface which will be enhanced by the smoky atmosphere of the city."[8] However, the gilding could be easily scratched off with a knife, and consequently the memorial was repeatedly vandalized with "names, initials, and childish pictures".[9] The city spent $4,000 restoring the monument in 1937, only for it to end up defaced again just four years later. At this point it was decided to remove the gold leaf entirely, which was paid for by the Westinghouse Air Brake Company and completed in December 1941.[10] The memorial was restored again in 1984, including repairs to the American Youth sculpture, which had been toppled by vandals a few years earlier and subsequently removed for safekeeping.[11]
By 2014, the memorial was again in need of attention.[12] The pond infrastructure failed in 2009 and was no longer able to hold water, and the monument had been damaged by winter weather and vandals.[13] In 2015, a new restoration was launched by the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy and the City of Pittsburgh.[14] The 14-month, $2.7 million project included rebuilding and refilling the pond, replacing pathways, planting new vegetation, and improving storm water management around the site. The memorial was rededicated on October 6, 2016.[15]
Design
The memorial consists of three double-sided bronze panels depicting the life of George Westinghouse, a statue of a school-age boy facing the panels, and the surrounding landscape including a lily pond, stone pathways, and black granite benches. The design of the memorial shows a strong
Panels
The three panels are arranged in a semicircle and sit on top of a Norwegian granite base.
Unusually, some of the sculpted elements continue on the back side of the memorial, creating a multi-layered composition. This includes the backdrop of oak leaves visible through the openings in each panel, which are revealed as a series of fully sculpted trees when viewed from the rear. The back sides of the mechanic and engineer figures are also rendered in full relief.[4] A contemporary report described this as "[a] very unique sculptural effect, one which has never been tried and which taxed the ability of such a genius as Mr. French".[8] Elaborate borders consisting of meanders, floral patterns, and other designs appear throughout. The rear of the memorial also carries a dedication plaque, which reads:[18]
This memorial unveiled October 6, 1930, in honor of George Westinghouse is an enduring testimonial to the esteem, affection and loyalty of 60,000 employees of the great industrial organizations of which he was the founder. In his later years rightly called "The Greatest Living Engineer", George Westinghouse accomplished much of first importance to mankind through his ingenuity, persistence, courage, integrity and leadership. By the invention of the air brake and of automatic signaling devices, he led the world in the development of appliances for the promotion of speed, safety and economy of transportation. By his early vision of the value the alternating current electric system, he brought about a revolution in the transmission of electric power. His achievements were great, his energy and enthusiasm boundless, and his character beyond reproach; a shining mark for the guidance and encouragement of American youth.
The Spirit of the American Youth
Facing the panels is a life-size bronze statue by Daniel Chester French representing The Spirit of the American Youth. The statue depicts a school-aged boy holding a stack of books in one hand and a crumpled hat in the other as he contemplates the life and accomplishments of George Westinghouse. The statue has a granite pedestal and stands on a peninsula shaped like a ship's prow that projects into the lily pond.[4] At times, the statue has been vandalized by spray paint.
Lily pond and surrounding landscape
Landscape elements, including a lily pond, paved walkways, and surrounding vegetation, form an integral part of the memorial design. Some parts of the landscape, like the pond, predate the memorial itself, while others were added during and after construction. Although the landscape has evolved over time, the overall appearance of the memorial site still adheres to its original design principles.[4]
The lily pond was constructed in 1896[19] and was originally fed by Phipps Run, one of the streams that supplies Panther Hollow Lake. Eventually, the pond became damaged from storm runoff and was switched to a municipal water supply, while Phipps Run was diverted underground. However, the pond continued to deteriorate and had to be drained in 2009.[20] It was rebuilt and refilled during the 2015–16 restoration.
The plantings around the memorial include a variety of trees, shrubs, and perennials.
See also
References
- ISBN 978-0-7385-3867-9.
- ISBN 978-0-87586-796-0.
- ^ "Bill No. 2018-1213". City of Pittsburgh. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e "City of Pittsburgh Historic Landmark Nomination: Westinghouse Memorial" (PDF). Preservation Pittsburgh. 2018. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
- ISBN 978-0-87586-507-2.
- ^ "Westinghouse Shaft Draws Throng Today". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. October 6, 1930. Retrieved September 27, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Doving, George E. (October 6, 1930). "Westinghouse Memorial Is Dedicated Today By Ceremony In Pittsburgh". New Castle News. Institutional News Service. Retrieved September 28, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c "Lily Pond Transformed". The Carnegie Alumnus. 17 (3): 10–11. February 1931. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
- ^ "A Humiliating Situation". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. May 6, 1937. Retrieved October 2, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "All Because Of Vandals—Gold Plate Ground To Dust In Memorial's Renovation". Pittsburgh Press. December 21, 1941. Retrieved October 2, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Miller, Donald (October 23, 1984). "Schenley Park statue restored". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved October 2, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Jones, Diana N. (8 October 2012). "George Westinghouse memorial needs restoration". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
- ^ McMasters, Melissa (March 12, 2009). "Westinghouse Quandary". Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
- ^ Beras, Erika (August 7, 2015). "$2 Million Westinghouse Memorial Restoration Kicks Off". WESA. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
- ^ Lindstrom, Natasha (October 6, 2016). "Restored Westinghouse Memorial unveiled in Schenley Park". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
- ISBN 978-0-403-02187-1.
- ^ "Westinghouse to be honored". Pittsburgh Press. October 5, 1930. Retrieved October 2, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Story". Westinghouse Memorial. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
- ^ Hannegan, Barry (May–June 1996). "William Falconer and the Landscaping of Schenley Park". Carnegie Magazine. 63 (3). Retrieved September 16, 2018.
- ^ "Westinghouse Memorial and Pond". Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy. Retrieved September 16, 2018.
- ^ "Westinghouse Memorial: Restoration". Westinghouse Memorial. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
- ^ "Japanese Visitors Present Cherry Trees at Memorial". Pittsburgh Press. May 10, 1931. Retrieved September 25, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Japanese Plant Trees In Schenley Sept. 28". Pittsburgh Press. September 19, 1965. Retrieved September 25, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.