Erected by Authority of the
Taxpayers of the County, Pursuant to a Popular Vote Provided for by
Special Act of Assembly, Approved April 12, 1905.
Irvin K. Campbell,
J. Denny O'Neil, Stephen J. Toole, County Commissioners. R. J. Cunningham,
County Controller.
Dedicated Tuesday, October 11, 1910
The movement for the erection of a suitable monument to the
memory of the Soldiers, Sailors and Marines who served in the Union Army
and Navy from Allegheny County in the War for the Suppression of the
Rebellion originated in the year 1891 in discussions at the meetings of
the Allegheny County Grand Army Association, composed of delegates from
the twenty-eight Posts of the Grand Army located in the county.
The
Association finally appointed a committee consisting of Comrades Joseph F.
Denniston, Thomas G. Sample, William J. Patterson, Samuel M. Duvall and
Herbert H. Bengough, with direction to determine ways and means whereby
the desire might be accomplished. As the work progressed the membership of
this committee was increased by the Association adding thereto Comrades
Albert P. Burchfield, Rev. Thomas N. Boyle, Samuel W. Hill, Frank L.
Blair, Joseph W. Boyd and Charles 0. Smith.
The Committee found a deep
and unanimous sentiment in this community favoring the erection of a
memorial, which should be of a character so imposing and impressive as to
represent the wealth, intelligence and patriotic sentiment of our great
industrial center, which the immortal Lincoln had
referred to as the "State of Allegheny."
After careful
investigation the Committee deemed it wise to secure legislative enactment
to reach a proper conclusion and prepared an Act authorizing counties to
erect monuments to the memory of the Soldiers, Sailors and Marines of the
Civil War. This Act was presented at the session of the Legislature of
1895 by the late Senator C. L. Magee, passed, and was approved by Governor
Pattison on May 22d, 1895.
Governed by this Act, a petition was
presented by the Committee to two successive Grand Juries, signed by a
large number of taxpayers, praying for the erection of a monument, which
was unanimously approved by both bodies and so reported to the Quarter
Sessions Court presided over by the late Hon. Thomas Ewing.
Failure to
include in the petition an estimate of the cost of the proposed monument
led the Court to disapprove the petition. The Court also took occasion to
inform the Committee that they would not be inclined to approve the
erection of a mere monument or shaft, and suggested that the Act be
amended to authorize the erection of a Memorial Hall, which would be more
in keeping. with the dignity and greatness of this county.
The
suggestion of the Court having met with the general and hearty approval of
our citizens and survivors of the war, the Committee presented at the
session of 1903 an amendment to the Act of 1895, and secured its passage,
authorizing the erection of memorial halls in the several counties of the
State.
Under the amended Act petitions were again presented to
succeeding Grand Juries and received the unanimous approval thereof.
Pending final action by the Court thereon, the Committee decided to secure
a Special Act of Assembly for the purpose, applicable to Allegheny County
only, and the Special Act drafted by Comrade William A. Stone was passed
in the session of 1905 and approved by Governor Pennypacker on April 12th
of that year. This Act provided that upon approval of two successive Grand
Juries, the Court and a majority vote of the qualified voters of the
county, the County Commissioners should proceed to the erection of a
Memorial Hall, the building and grounds to cost $1,250,000.00. This amount
was subsequently increased by additional legislation to $1,562,500.00.
In 1906, the constitutionality of the Special Act was attacked, and the case was heard by Hon. John D. Shafer, Judge of Common Pleas Court, who, in an opinion, dismissed the bill, and upon appeal being taken to the Supreme Court, the decision of Judge Shafer was affirmed on the first Monday in January, 1908. The existence of the original Committee of the Grand Army Association, which secured the necessary legislation, ended with the final affirmation of the Supreme Court of the decree of Judge Shafer, and thereafter the Memorial Hall Committee assumed the duties as provided by the Special Act.
January 20th, 1906, a public meeting
of the survivors of the Civil War, as provided by the Act, was held
pursuant to a published notice, and the following named veterans were
elected as members of the Committee of Ten of the Memorial Hall
Committee:
Comrades Albert P. Burchfield, William J. Patterson,
Herbert H. Bengough, Joseph W. Boyd, Samuel W. Hill, John Stulen, Rev.
Thomas N. Boyle, Frank L. Blair, Charles Davis and Charles O. Smith.
On March 27th, 1906, the entire Committee, authorized by the Act,
including Hon. John M. Kennedy, Presiding Judge of Common Pleas Court No.
3; Hon. R. S. Frazer, Presiding Judge of Common Pleas Court No. 2, and
County Commissioners Charles B. Price, Irvin K. Campbell and James A.
Clark, met and organized by electing A. P. Burchfield, President; Hon.
John M. Kennedy and W. J. Patterson, Vice-Presidents; H. H. Bengough,
Secretary, and F. L. Blair, Treasurer.
The site for the location
having been decided upon and the ground purchased, the County
Commissioners promptly invited competitive designs for the memorial
building, appointing Professor Warren P. Laird, University of
Pennsylvania, Consulting Architect. Out of the competitive plans
presented, the award for the design went to Messrs. Palmer and Hornbostel, architects, on February 15th, 1907.
The County Commissioners then advertised for proposals for the
construction of the building, and the contract was awarded on November
25th, 1907.
The corner stone of the building was placed on October 2d,
1908, with imposing ritualistic ceremonies, under direction of President
Albert P. Burchfield, assisted by the entire Committee. The organizations
representing the survivors of the war attended in a body, together with a
host of citizens from far and near. General Horace Porter, of New York,
delivered an oration which was forceful and patriotic. Short addresses
were made by Hon. Charles W. Fairbanks, Vice-President of the United
States; Hon. Edwin S. Stuart, Governor of Pennsylvania; Hon. Geo. W.
Guthrie, Mayor of Pittsburgh, and Comrade H. M. Nevius, Commander-in-Chief
of the Grand Army of the Republic, after which the exercises closed by the
choir and audience singing "America."
Prior to the completion and dedication of the building, a number of the most active Comrades in the movement to secure the result attained answered the last roll call. Among these were Comrades Denniston, Sample, Duvall, Stulen, Davis and Burchfield. That they did not survive to witness the fruition of their hopes and labor was a cause of profound regret.
It having been determined that the building would be completed by October 1st, 1910, the then Board of County Commissioners, consisting of Messrs. I. K. Campbell, J. Denny O'Neil and S. J. Toole, requested that a meeting of the Committee be held to make proper arrangements for the ceremonies incident to the dedication of the memorial. An elaborate program was arranged, to include five days, to begin on Sunday, October 9th, 1910, with religious services. Comrade Charles F. McKenna, Past Colonel of Union Veteran Legion No. 1, opened the Sunday exercises and introduced Rev. Thomas N. Boyle, Past Chaplain-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, as Master of Ceremonies. Representative ministers of all the religious denominations of the county were present and joined in the services, which were solemnly impressive and strikingly patriotic.
On Monday following the religious exercises, the building was
opened for inspection by the public, and the Committee on Reception,
composed of over three hundred leading business men of this county,
greeted and welcomed the thousands of visitors who thronged the building
from early morn until late at night.
Tuesday, the dedicatory exercises proper took place, Comrade W. J.
Patterson, Past Department Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic,
presiding. The exercises were preceded by a parade of the surviving Civil
War veterans and other military organizations. The seats on the main floor
of the auditorium were occupied by veterans only, presenting an imposing
sight, never to be forgotten, the stage and balcony being crowded with
citizens from all parts of the country. Hon. John Dalzell, in an eloquent
and historical address, transferred the memorial to the care and keeping
of the County Commissioners. Comrade Thomas J. Stewart, Past
Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, delivered the
oration, which was replete with fervor and patriotic declarations. Other
addresses and patriotic instrumental and vocal music, the latter led by
Mrs. J. Sharp McDonald, added interest to the great occasion.
In the evening following the dedication an oldtime Camp
Fire was held under the auspices of the survivors of the
war, where incidents and stories associated with active
service in the army were recalled and recited by Major
General Daniel E. Sickles and other survivors.
Wednesday was known as "Woman's Day, "a reception and entertainment being held during the day and evening under the auspices of the "Woman's Relief Corps," and the "Ladies of the Grand Army," auxiliary organizations of the survivors of the war, which was attended and enjoyed by thousands of patriotic women of the country.
On Friday evening, the exercises of the week were closed with an entertainment given by the Camps of the Sons of Veterans of this county, which was presided over by Hon. Thomas J. Ford, Judge of Common Pleas Court. Among the interesting events of the occasion was the presentation by William A. Blakeley, Esq., County District Attorney, on behalf of the Sons of Veterans Camps, of a bronze bust of Abraham Lincoln for preservation in Memorial Hall.
Memorial Hall is located on a city square in the eastern district of Pittsburgh known as Bellefield, having a frontage of 280 feet on Fifth Avenue, between Grant Boulevard and Natalie Street, and extending back 589 feet to Bayard Street. The building has an extreme width of 240 feet with a depth of 210 feet. The structure forms the architectural center of a large group of public buildings. The Memorial faces Fifth Avenue, looking over Schenley Park and toward the imposing "Carnegie Institute." East of the memorial are the buildings of the "University Club" and the "Pittsburgh Athletic Association," fine specimens of architecture, while to the west is the commodious "Armory of the Eighteenth Regiment, National Guard of Pennsylvania," and on the north the group of buildings of the "University of Pittsburgh," now in course of erection, and which will eventually form a splendid background of classic structures on the sloping, picturesque hillside.
The exterior of the memorial building speaks for itself in the
fine illustration herewith given, and needs no description of its contour and external beauty.
The front entrance is flanked by two projecting wings, each
containing a room for meetings of Posts of the Grand Army of the Republic,
the Encampment of the Union Veteran Legion, and organizations auxiliary
thereto. Over the entrance is a statue in bronze, representing "America,"
modeled by Mr. Charles Keck. The main entrance foyer is rectangular in
form, with a barrel vaulted ceiling resting on a cornice supported by free
standing columns. This foyer opens directly to the main auditorium and, on
each end, to the memorial corridor extending along the three other sides
of the building.
The main auditorium has a seating capacity of 2550,
being 122 feet clear span in the square and 66 feet in the
center of the floor to the ceiling, the
floor sloping to a large stage at the rear with a seating capacity of 300. A
commodious gallery extends around three sides of the room, all being
lighted during the day by immense one-piece plate glass windows twenty
feet high, and illuminated at night by a system which comprises
Cooper-Hewitt mercury vapor lamps, Moore nitrogen vapor tubes, flaming
arcs and incandescent lamps, placed above the ceiling of the auditorium
and reflected down, while on the surface of the ceiling incandescent
lights are placed. The ceiling is broken into panels by deep plaster
soffits covering the bottom chord of the trusses which support the floor
of the banquet hall above.
The banquet hall, having a seating capacity of 750 for
banquet purposes, is reached by elevators and staircases,
is 32 feet from floor to ceiling, 74 feet in width and 103 feet
deep. A gallery extends around the upper part of this hall,
under which, on each side, are the corridors giving access
to the Memorial Hall Committee headquarters
room, library and souvenir rooms, cloak rooms, kitchen, etc., with a
promenade corridor at the front thereof.
Members and Officers of the Memorial
Hall
Committee, Authorized by Act of Assembly,
from Date of Organization.
Committee of Ten:
*Albert P. Burchfield *Christopher C. Fawcett
*Thomas N. Boyle John A. Fairman
Frank L. Blair Samuel W. Hill
Joseph W. Boyd Charles F. McKenna
Herbert H. Bengough William J. Patterson
William T. Bradberry William T. Powell
*Charles Davis *Charles O. Smith
Samuel M. Evans *John Stulen
Ex-Officio Members.
County Commissioners:
*Charles B. Price Irvin K. Campbell
*James A. Clark J. Denny O'Neil
Stephen J. Toole.
Hon. R. S. Frazer, President Judge, Court of Common Pleas.
*Hon. J. M. Kennedy, Judge, Court of Common Pleas.
Hon. J. D. Shafer, Judge, Court of Common Pleas.
Officers:
*Albert P. Burchfield President.
William J. Patterson President.
*Hon. J. M. Kennedy Vice President.
Hon. R. S. Frazer Vice President.
*Rev. Thomas N. Boyle Vice President.
Herbert H. Bengough Secretary.
Charles F. McKenna Asst. Secretary
James G. Chalfant, County Engineer.
