Laura Zurowski/Mis.Steps

1923 map of the area.

By 1923, the Homewood playground/bathhouse appears on maps. The Westinghouse mansion had recently been demolished and the estate converted into a city park. Heinz died in 1919, and in 1924, his mansion would be sold and deconstructed, with the materials used to build new homes on the land. 🍅❤️

Your tax dollars at work sign on the construction fencing around the park.

It’s mind-boggling that playgrounds were controversial and deemed disruptive by some, but they were. I wonder if Heinz’s public support made for tense dinner-party conversations within the Point Breeze social set. A century before the term YIMBY would be coined, H.J. made a difference by saying yes.

Polaroid of the public pool under construction.

No parking sign on the construction fencing.

Homewood Park has been a focal point of the community ever since, and its most recent restoration project is nearly complete. A new football field was finished last year, and the playground and public pool (today’s version of the “bathhouse”) should open in the months ahead.

1913 letter from Heinz to City Council. Letter courtesy of the Pittsburgh City Archives.

During the early twentieth century, as the public playgrounds movement grew, Heinz supported these efforts. But more importantly, he supported these efforts near his home. In 1912, when a playground and bathhouse were proposed two blocks away, he wrote a letter of support to the City Council.

1910 Map showing Heinz's estate (next door to Westinghouse and close to Frick) in Point Breeze. Homewood is on "the other side of the tracks."

While Heinz was a man of his time, he also held beliefs that today might be called “progressive” about the nature of work, social welfare, and community. These beliefs and actions certainly ran counter to some of his neighbors along Millionaire’s Row in Point Breeze.

The Heinz 57 stacks seen from the Basin Street city steps in Troy Hill. Downtown and the 16th Street Bridge in the distance.

Pittsburghers are not alone in their love for Heinz ketchup. Still, Pittsburgh is unique in that the region has long benefitted from the generosity and civic-mindedness of H.J. Heinz and his family, long after the brand name was sold and the food production plants turned into luxury apartments. 🧵

A Visit to... Homewood Playground and Park, Homewood South Pittsburgh's Parks, Playgrounds, and Trails

Start your week with the curious history of H.J. Heinz and Homewood Park and Playground! Don't like dealing with threads? No problem - here's the link to the full post with lots of photos and maps from 1910 and 1923.
pghgreenandgray.substack.com/p/a-visit-to...

1890 map showing Solitude: mansion and all outbuildings on the estate.

1923 map showing City of Pittsburgh ownership. Manion is gone as are other outbuildings which contained a power-station. The stable is indicated.

And while I’m disappointed that a lack of “estate planning” led to the demolition of a Gilded Age mansion, perhaps the tunnel led to Westinghouse’s true home and the solitude necessary for his life’s work.

Maps show the location in 1890 and 1923. Before and after "Solitude." ❤️

Mini-tunnel at the playground!

During his life, Westinghouse was awarded over 360 patents, and his creativity and intellect changed the course of world history. It does not surprise me that the tunnel was constructed with the utmost care and stability.

Getting into the tunnel under Westinghouse Park — The Westinghouse Legacy On May 8, 2019, Brandon Davis of Christine Davis Associates and David Bear of The Westinghouse Park 2nd Century Coalition climbed down into the tunnel that runs 225 feet under the park, connecting the...

Either way, its presence was forgotten until 2005, when archaeologists uncovered the 220-foot-long brick-lined passage, which was still in remarkably good condition. This article from 2019 shows photos! 😮https://www.thewestinghouselegacy.org/archives/getting-into-the-tunnel-under-westinghouse-park

Photo from Historic Pittsburgh of the stables at the Westinghouse estate. While the house was demolished, the stables building served park maintenance until the 1960s when it was rebuilt into a hideous, squat structure.

All contents and building materials were promptly sold and the remains imploded and buried. As a result, the underground tunnel leading to Westinghouse’s private lab, located under the stables, remained untouched. Maybe people knew about it, or maybe not.

Photo of the many shade trees at Westinghouse Park - in the area where the mansion once was.

George sold the estate to the Western Pennsylvania Engineering Society in 1918, and the Society, in turn, turned the deed over to the City. The transfer stipulated that the mansion be demolished and the land be used as a public park in memory of Westinghouse.

Photo from Historic Pittsburgh of the Westinghouse mansion and estate, "Solitude."

In 1914, when George and Marguerite Westinghouse died, there were no specific instructions regarding the disposition of their Pittsburgh estate, known as Solitude. As a result, the property passed to their only child, George Westinghouse III, who lived in California with his family.

Polaroid of the playground at Westinghouse Park in Pittsburgh.

On the surface, Westinghouse Park looks pretty ordinary: walking paths, a small playground and shelter, and assorted stone slab walls and city steps. But this space is unique in that what cannot be seen is almost as important as what can. 🧵

A Visit to... Westinghouse Park, Point Breeze North Pittsburgh's Parks, Playgrounds, and Trails

Next up is a long-ish post about Westinghouse Park! Don't like dealing with threads? No problem - here's the link to the full post with lots of photos and TWO maps! (thrilling, I know... lol) pghgreenandgray.substack.com/p/a-visit-to...

That tracks. Remember when residents made their own speed bumps on Melwood and ended up on national NPR?

1923 map of Dallas Ave. long before the park arrived - this was a very dense residential and industrial area along the railway back then.

But we know many more grabbed onto the idea and never let go. ❤️

Park bench and playground equipment at Dallas Playground.

Their street-smart distrust of the unfamiliar might be viewed as ignorance (or worse) by adults unfamiliar with the harsh realities of their lives. I don’t doubt that some children never took to playing, either by their own choice or because of their families’ demands.

A working water fountain! At Dallas Playground.

But it’s not beyond belief that some children, born into poverty and with household responsibilities starting by age 5 or 6, wouldn’t immediately understand what teachers expected. I think about these children from 130 years ago, and the language barriers, hunger, and fatigue many of them faced.

Dallas Playground sign.

Reports from those early years indicate that while children in middle-class areas quickly took to playground activities, those in areas adjacent to mills often seemed not to know “how to play.” Some adults were skeptical, claiming children surely used the playground while adults “were not looking.”

Polaroid of Dallas Playground in Homewood West.

Playgrounds are such a big part of modern-day Pittsburgh that it’s easy to forget they’re a relatively recent invention. In 1896, the Civic Club of Allegheny County joined forces with education and social welfare groups to create the first playgrounds, all adjacent to schools, in the City. 🧵

Marcus Rediker’s book about the fascinating life of Benjamin Lay is one of my favorite historical biographies of all time. Lay’s life-long conscious decisions and actions (which might be called guerrilla tactics today) offer a blueprint and high bar.

"Look around, assess where you are, reflect on where you have been, and dream of where you are going. Every moment of the present contains the seeds of opportunity for change."
- J Francis
✌🏽❤️🌲🌎
Keep going;
#blueskyartshow #sunlight #graffiti #streetart #photography #PMA

Neat! Please share your impressions when you’re finished.

Is an audiobook in the works?

The Washington Post, which is owned by Jeff Bezos, announced that they're shutting down their books section. We'd say "ironic," but...

Keep supporting indie bookstores and public libraries over the mega retailer, aka the institutions that actually care about storytelling 💓

Weigh in on Allegheny Forward - the County's first Comprehensive Plan since 2008 - BikePGH This is your chance to shape the future of Allegheny County It’s been since 2008 when Allegheny County last created a Comprehensive Plan – something that the State requires every county in Pennsylvania to prepare and adopt. From the team: Allegheny County is updating its Comprehensive Plan, a bold, long-range framework designed to guide for

Have your say in Allegheny County’s future 🔮

For the first time since 2008, the County is updating its Comprehensive Plan (Allegheny Forward), and they want your input!

Share your priorities: https://bikepgh.org/2026/01/16/weigh-in-on-allegheny-county-first-comprehensive-plan-since-2008/

1923 map of the area where Baxter Park is today.

And back in 1923, Baxter Park wasn't yet a thing but the Brushton School building was already in place (as was the large apartment building that is now boarded up). Note the trolley car barn building across the street!

Baxter Park Improvement Plan | Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy

In 2024, the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy received approval and initial funding to implement substantial improvements to Baxter. The community-endorsed plan is available on the EngagePGH website. I was happy to see that benches and picnic pavilions were requested. pittsburghparks.org/baxter-park-...

Polaroid of the playground slide at Baxter Park.

I get the impression this is a regular spot for both of them. A slow walk around the block, a sit and rest in the park, and a slow walk back home. There are as many reasons for sitting on a park bench as there are people sitting on them. That shouldn’t be controversial; that’s common sense.