Object Details
- Varying Form
- Also known as Mellon Park.
- General
- Postcard circa 1901-1915.
- The half-acre walled garden was the renaissance garden situated behind the grand estate of the Mellon family; the mansion was demolished in 1940. Land was donated to Pittsburgh and maintained as a public park, but gardens inevitably declined. The nonprofit Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, members of the Garden Club of Allegheny County and master gardeners provided maintenance, but the restoration of this garden was impelled by the desire of the Seamans family to create a memorial for their daughter, Ann Katherine Seamans. Original features remained: the tapestry brick wall on three sides, limestone steps for the classical processional through the garden, two Samuel Yellin wrought iron gates, and the pink granite fountain by sculptor Edmond R. Amateis backed by a terrace and stone wall. A raised octagonal flower bed below the steps was reconstructed, and holly hedges partially form a fourth wall where the house stood. Restored flagstone walkways around the rectangular lawn are bordered by plantings on either side including allées of Japanese stewartia, sun and shade perennials, spring bulbs, black gum trees for shade, understory magnolia and serviceberry, and woody shrubs including oakleaf hydrangea and Delaware Valley azaleas. The walled garden was reopened as a public park in 2010. The memorial is an art installation within the lawn: 150 fiber optic light sticks depicting constellations, planets and stars as they were over Pittsburgh on the day and time of Ann Seamans' birth. Each light is labeled on a small disk and there is an interpretive sign on a raised overlook with a limestone bench in one corner. Artist Janet Zweig conceived the project that was installed by wiring each light stick into conduits under the lawn. The garden has park benches around the perimeter and lightweight movable furniture on the terrace. Persons associated with the garden include: Richard Beatty Mellon and Jennie King Mellon (former owners, 1910-1938); Richard King Mellon (former owner, 1938-1943); City of Pittsburgh (owner, 1943- ); Ferruccio Vitale (1875-1933) & Alfred Geiffert, Jr. (1890-1957) and Gilmore D. Clarke (landscape architects, 1927-1929); Frederick R. Bonci and Natalie Byrd Plecity, LaQuatra Bonci Associates (landscape architects, 2005- ); Edmond Romulus Amateis (1897-1981) (sculptor of fountain, 1929); Samuel Yellin (1885-1940) (iron work, 1929); Janet C. Zweig (1950- ) (artist, 2008-2010); Hal Hilbish (lighting designer, circa 2008).
- Former owner
- Mellon, R. B.
- Architect
- Alden & Harlow
- Landscape architect
- Vitale & Geiffert
- Clarke, Gilmore D., 1892-1982
- Olmsted Brothers
- Collection Collector
- Marchand, Richard
- Place
- Mellon Garden (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
- United States of America -- Pennsylvania -- Allegheny County -- Pittsburgh
- Topic
- Gardens -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
- Mansions
- Formal gardens
- Flower beds
- Garden walks
- Garden ornaments and furniture
- Wall fountains
- Conservatories
- Former owner
- Mellon, R. B.
- Architect
- Alden & Harlow
- Landscape architect
- Vitale & Geiffert
- Clarke, Gilmore D., 1892-1982
- Olmsted Brothers
- See more items in
- Richard Marchand historical postcard collection (35mm slides)
- Richard Marchand historical postcard collection (35mm slides) / Pennsylvania
- Sponsor
- A project to describe images in this finding aid in this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative, administered by the National Collections Program.
- Extent
- 1 Slides (photographs)
- Archival Repository
- Archives of American Gardens
- Identifier
- AAG.MAR, File PA407
- Type
- Archival materials
- Slides (photographs)
- Postcards
- Collection Citation
- Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, Richard Marchand historical postcard collection.
- Collection Rights
- Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
- Bibliography
- This property is featured in Gutowski, Melanie Linn. Pittsburgh's Mansions. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing Incorporated, 2013. Garden featured in 'List of Gardens of the Members of the Garden Club of America' (1921); "Eastward in Pittsburgh: The Estate of R.B. Mellon" by James D. Van Trump, published in Pittsburgher Magazine, January 1981, pp. 15-18; Discovering Pittsburgh's Sculpture by Marilyn Evert, University of Pittsburgh Press, 1983, p. 287; The Garden Club of America annual meeting publication (1986); "Making a Splash" by Charlie Stewart, published in Shady Ave, Summer 2019, p. 38.
- Genre/Form
- Postcards
- Collection Restrictions
- Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
- Record ID
- ebl-1585920647092-1585920647371-1
Related Content
View Slideshow
