CLASSIC Bellefield's Tower: THE CENTENARY OF THE BELLEFIELD PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Jaes D. Van Trup This is the first in a continuing series of articles to be reprinted fro previous issues of the Historical Society quarterly. This excerpt is fro a July 1966 article, written by well-known local history writer Jaes D. Van Trup during Bellefield Presbyterian Church's centennial year. The church was deolished infavor ofan office building in the late 1980s -except for its distinctive tower, which stillstands beside the office building. Itreains one ofodern Oakland's ost unusual landarks. The original citation nubers appear here, but their accopanying notes are not included. The scholarly inclined ay consult the original. Ellipses in the following text ark areas where the original has been aended. The towers and does of Oakland have another part of the historical-religiousfor any years announced that district's architectural osaic ofa cityneighborhood cultural supreacy in Pittsburgh, and still in which he has long been interested, standing aong the is the tall "early The present Bellefield Church built in Gothic" tower of the Bellefield Pres- 1889-90 is, of all the buildings that surbyterian Church located at Bellefield and round the central capus of the University Fifth avenues. This year the congregation of Pittsburgh, the oldest. Its tower and that celebrates its 100th anniversary as a of die first wooden church of 1866-68 that church organization and die tower calls preceded itsolidly reflected die developing attention to one religious aspect of the iage of residential Oakland in both its changing iage of Oakland, an iage diat rural-suburban and urban aspects well into has evolved, aid ever enlarging u- the present century, but the erection, tations, fro die farland of die early beginning in1926, of the huge steel-fraed 19di century to die onuental etro- tower of die Cadiedral of Learning first politan quarter of today. projected into the adjacent cityscape the Bellefield's tower has had to face present enorous seblance of instituany changes in the urban ilieu that tional Oakland. Thus the difference even before the beginning of the 20th between the parochial tower and die acacentury had begun to surround it. This deic is not one alone ofarchitectural scale, essay is a "parish" 1 history of an Oakland Fro the great coplexes of onureligious organization, but it is also a ental buildings that now cover Oakland's chronicle of die land and die people who acres it is perhaps a sall historical relief produced die church. For die writer itis to cast our eyes backward to die uncopli- 10 WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA HISTORY SPRING 2000
11 cated vistas of the earlier 19th century plan "East Pittsburgh." 8 This area was in order to search for the origins of to be the "parish" of the future Bellefield's tower. In one of the schoolhouse on the Eichbau estate Bellefield Church. writer's previously published studies at Fifth Avenue and Darragh Street. 6 In1862, amr.and Mrs. D.H.Fraof Oakland buildings, we have This building, intended "for the lich gathered the children of theirneighalready encountered the Bellefield children and the poor of the Colony," borhood at their farhouse on the beginnings. 2 Like any other sub- was later reoved to Atwood Street eastern side offour MileRun. Here, on urban churches, Bellefield had its by Dr. Theodore B.Lyan, the rector Sunday afternoon for a tie, another 9 inception in a Sunday School, which of Trinity Episcopal Church (1850- Sunday School was established. was, in this case, undenoinational; 1862) who had bought the property. 7 Itreadily can be seen that, given like any wordiy and socially pro- The obility of the poor was liited; the circustances, there was a coductive activities in the early social the well-to-do suburbanites could unal need for soe kind of wellhistory of the United States, this sall drive to town to attend church, but established Sunday School. Since the institution was a counal effort, a coon solution to a coon need. But what was coon to the counity that produced this need? The answer is to be found in the rather rapid developent of Oakland fro rural to suburban status after 1830. In the early 19th century, the district was one oflarge far holdings. 3 A large acreage held by Jaes Chadwick in the western part of the district had been bought in 1836 by Charles B. Taylor and by hi ebers of no one denoination were nuerous enough to set up dieir own school, an undenoinational organization was the only solution. The results of this need were foreshadowed by the establishent in the spring of 1863 ofsunday Evening Union Prayer Meetings and these gatherings were held in the houses of the East Pittsburgh suburbanites. These neighborhood "get-togethers" were, again, interdenoinational, and in the words of a later subdivided into lots of fro eight to the transportation of their children chronicler were "largely attended, 20 acres. 4 Many of these lots were was another atter. Consequently the interesting, and haronious." 10 sold to ebers of the Third foundation of a Sunday School was As a result of these gatherings, a Presbyterian Church (then located in usually a necessary factor inid-vic- Union Sunday School was organized downtown Pittsburgh) and the new torian Aerican suburbs. on 7 June 1863 in the unfinished owners built handsoe country Meanwhile, in 1850, Messrs. parlor of Colonel D.B. Morris' house houses on dieir properties; this group Rice and Dithridge bought a part of on Dithridge Street which was located of estates was known as "The Third "Bellefield," the far of the late where the Board of Education Church Colony." 5 Neville B. Craig (which lay in die Building now stands. There were In 1837, a Sunday School was eastern part of die Oakland district) about 40 scholars in diis school and a begun in a log structure on the and laid itout in lots, calling die new half-dozen teachers. John S. Davison property of Daniel Bushnell, but it was later oved to a sall frae and Jaes was chosen superintendent 11 D.Carlisle, assistant superintendent.
UASSICTRAC c z o CD o I oor CO g o -I X GO C on XZ u -a I I X W C CD XI 1-71 C 2 i -z. " 3J = z -n 3? 1 g? 3 2 I I 5 2 «si g I SI si S SI? Z z z 3 2 Q SS S3 3 g 3 g I - - 5 Z SIN H O «2 O 2 CO- HI w -, C -I Z 33 HI CD J -^ co 2 2 -i O - 31 to 2 3 "\u25a0 o g 5 "^ CD -Z. -! rn I~z. D g o 5» SI» 3 Z S f 5 2 I- 2 \u25a0< to 5 en!i! z r-j rn C5 -± -z.tr -i 55 x o =! o "O 3 ~Z. s i «1 S I? 5 _i c: -I -I -l S 3 S 3 t- z -H? S 3 S a D o n «Ii i IO CO i x K O ) O Xi O ~n i X O H I O T I X) O As these eetings attracted ore students and aroused ore local was favorably received in the neighborhood, and widiout respect to interest, it becae necessary to find gathered on the lawn on the shady sectarian differences, soe eighty larger quarters. Accordingly, Messrs. side of the chapel. 15 persons, ebers and non-ebers, Henry Lloyd 12 and John S. Davison East Pittsburgh (the nae soon subscribed to die petition. 16 Many of bought a lot on Henry Street (which reverted to die earlier designation of die signers who were not Presbystill perpetuates Lloyd's Christian "Bellefield") was not a railroad suburb terians later wididrew to found dieir nae) and placed on it a forer and it was even ore distant an the ownchurches inoakland. 17 carpenter's shop which they re- Third Church Colony fro down- The Bellefield Church was odeled into a chapel and school- town Pittsburgh by Fifdi Street Road. organized in the Henry Street Chapel roo. 13 In rural-cu-early-suburban It was inevitable diat one of the on 9 Septeber 1866, with Messrs. Aerica, such architectural eta- denoinational groups of die village John S. Davison and John McCurdy orphoses were not uncoon. would try to for a church and since as elders and J. D. Carlisle and The first sessions were held in die Presbyterians were relatively ore George Wilson as deacons. Rev. die new carpenter-shop chapel on 2 nuerous, pressure for the foration David McKinney acted as stated July 1864. 14 The Sunday School was a Presbyterian congregation in Belle- supply of the pulpit. 18 Henry Lloyd joined at the new location by the field began to ount. provided the site of the church students who had been eeting at In the suer of 1866, an building at die northeast corner of the Fralich house. Even the new application for perission to for a Bellefield and Fifdi avenues. The new building, however, soon proved to church was sent to die Presbytery of edifice was copleted and occupied be too sall; the Bible classes still Ohio, which dien had jurisdiction by the congregation for die first tie et at the house of Colonel Morris, over Pittsburgh. The church project upon die occasion ofdie funeral ofdie and in suer when the weather superintendent of die Sunday School, was fine, the Infant Departent John S. Davison, and his son who lost 12 WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA HISTORY SPRING 2000
World Industry Looks to Pittsburgh RECENTLY ebers of the econoic issions of Great Britain, France, Belgiu and Italyvisited Pittsburgh for the purpose oflearning what aount ofbasic world coodities produced here could be secured for the rehabilitation of the devastated areas of Europe and the re-establishent of industrial activities. The iportance of their Pittsburgh conference can be understood only when you fu'ly appreciate how uch the industrial and even the coercial activity of the world depends upon the production of the great basic industries of this district. Pittsburgh anufacturers inevery line have a distinct advantage in developing foreign trade for their products because ofthe paths that have been blazed and the goodwill won throughout the world by the basic products of this district. Our Foreign Trade Departent with its world-wide banking facilities can be ofinestiable aid toyouinerchandising your products abroad. MellonNational Bank Sithfield Street Fifth and Oliver Avenues (Circa 1919) We nave a history of providing solutions. @ Mellon
their lives by drowning at Beaver on 2 Meanwhile, the character of Oak- June 1868. 19 land had copletely changed since its The Union Sunday School was Not one of Osterling's better early suburban days. With the erectransferred to the new building on 20 efforts, the present church building is tion of the first Carnegie Institute August 1868. On 20 Septeber of the an aggressive and rather infelicitous building in 1891-95, 37 it was evident sae year, Rev. D. T Carnahan was (although representative) exaple of that the quarter was destined to installed as pastor. The new church, the Aerican Protestant auditoriu becoe the "civic" and cultural center which had been erected ostly at the church of the late 19th century. Its of the city. After 1900 appeared the expense of Henry Lloyd, was on 20 tower (the best part of the copo- first of the large upperclass apartent Deceber copletely destroyed by sition) was praised obliquely by houses (the Iroquois Apartents, also fire, and the Sunday School returned Montgoery Schuyler, the great designed by F. J. Osterling, built in Aerican architectural critic, in a 1905; and the Bellefield Dwellings designed by Carlton Strong, of about the sae date) which to the Henry Street Chapel 20 The church building was rebuilt as rapidly as possible on the site and it was copleted and reopened on 29 August 1869. At this tie, the Atwood Street Sunday School, then under the superintendence of John B. Seple, was united with the Union School which was now erged with Bellefield Church.... 21 In 1888, 27 discussions began in connection with die building of the present church structure, which resulted in the plans of the Pittsburgh architect F.J. Osterling 28 being subitted for approval. The front section of the old church was were later to becoe a arked feature of the district. During the sae period Franklin F. Nicola (1859-1938) 38 -an astute - real estate entrepreneur and his Schenley Fars Land Copany bought the last of the great Oakland far tracts, the Schenley dairy far, and laid out their developent, called Schenley Fars, on ostly onuental lines, although a portion was retained for residential use. Nicola was instruental in helping to bring the Western University of Pennsylvania (it becae die University of Pittsdeolished, and die new structure stateent generally not very co- burgh in 1908) to Oakland. In 1900, built during 1889-90. The new plientary to die architect. 31 Andrew Carnegie provided funds for church was occupied and dedicated in In 1898, it was decided to the establishent of die Carnegie Septeber 1890. 29 deolish die reaining part of die Institute of Technology and widi die Atabout diis tie, Mrs. [Willia old wooden church, and to erect a establishent of these two large J.] Holland bought die lot across new chapel and Sunday School educational institutions, a transient Bellefield Avenue fro die church and building after die designs ofjaes T student eleent in die population of built die Manse, a solid stone building Steen, a local architect. Designed in Oakland becae increasingly evident, in die Richardsonian Roanesque die sae style as Osterling's audi- After 1900, itbecae apparent diat style. Sold by die Hollands in1912, it toriu, die new structure was co- die iage of Bellefield as a siple was for a tie occupied by die Knights pleted and dedicated in 1900... 32 quasi-suburban parish church inevitably would be subject to consider- of Colubus and now houses die television station able WQED. 30 odification....0 15