Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-01
Chief BigelOw's Scheme to Lay Out a
New Park Around the Old
Block House at the Point.
ALETTER SENT TO MRS. SCHENLEY.
1.-THE Ground Cannot be Obtained the Fort
May be Removed and Placed on
Mount Airy as Relic.
WHAT THE CHIEF HAS TO SAY ABOUT 1T.
NE Scheme Would not Interfere With the Plans
for Building Warehouses.

Chief Bigelow, Of the Department Of Pub
lie Works, has scheme to build another
park. This breathing spot is to be in the
First ward, and while it will not be large
park, it will preserve one of the city's long
neglected relics, and will be an adjunct to
the park on the Allegheny wharf, near the
Exposition building. The plan is to build
the park around the "old block house." on
Fort Duquesne, and Mr.. Bigelow has every
assurance that Mrs. Sehenley will give the
land. 1t will not interfere with the lady's
intentions to build number of warehouses
on the site of many Of the old houses now on
her ground.
Some months ago, when there was some
talk of preserving the old block house and
putting it in some place where it would be
kept sacred for the promulgation of local
modern history, Chief Bigelow thought of a
scheme, and instantly put it into execution.
He wrote letter to Mrs. Schenley, and in
closed plans made by himself in regard to
building park around the tort The latter
stands in an out-ofthe-way place. near the
corner of Penn avenue and Fort street, back
about so yards from Penn avenue, and about
half that distance from Fort street.
HOW TO REACH IT.
1t can be reached by either thoroughfare
by going through an alley, and owing to the
surroundings, it has not that air which a
frst-class relic should have. On this &C.
count there are thousands of Pittsburgers
who have lived here all their lives and
never laid eyes or hands on the historic pile
of wood, bricks and crumbling mortar.
Knowing this. and wishing to have people
become acquainted with the fort, Chief
Bigelow proposes to build park to enclose
il to draw people to the building.
The proposed park is to take in all the
ground lying between Fort street and the
alley between that street and Water street.
1t will run back from Penn avenue and
Duquesne way, and if laid out, there will be
no obstructions between it and the 1pos-
ZION building. The lower end OF the park
is to run to the Art Gallery of the Exposi-
tion, and an excellent view of the proposed
park can be obtained from that departn ent
of the building.
Chief Bigelow was encountered last even
ing, receiving the congratulations of hun
dreds of people listening to the concert at
Highland Park, and when asked about the
new park scheme said: 81 wrote to Mrs.
Schenley about the scheme and gave her
nv plans. Since then 1 have not heard
from her, but 1 am sure will get q favor
able answer. would have worked up the
scheme had it not been for the mass of work
connected with Schenley and Highland
parks. The obstacles in the former case
have all been overcome, and as
the work OF getting the park into
shape is progressing as rapidly as possible,
1 will now turn my attention to doing some
thing about the Fort Park. 1 do not know
how many acres lie between the boundary
lines, but the park, if 1 get it, will extend
from Penn avenue to Duquesne way, and
from Fort street to the alley on the south
side OF the latter street.
SHOULD BE PRESERVED,
81 believe in keeping what is left of the
old block house intact, but to make it a
point of interest the ground around it
should be beautlfed. The park would
not be very large. but it would
be pleasant spot for the people in the lower
part of the city. The technical work of the |
Allegheny wharf park is going on, and it |
will be finished soon. You can rest assured |
there will be a park on the Allegheny |
wharf, and the Fort Park is to be an adjunct |
to it,
If Chief Bigelow fails to get the ground,
it has been suggested to move the old fort
out to Schenley Park and there preserve
it. It would be an attractive feature
to the grounds, and one, it is said, that
would be appreciated by the old residents
of the city who want to see the house pre-
served. There would be no difficulty about
moving the building, if the CITY could get
possession of it. The house is owned bv
Thomas Madden, OF Charters, former resi-
dent of the First ward, who purchased it
from I. d. Casey. Mr.. Madden wanted to /
sell the building to the Schenley estate
about six years ago for 5000. but Mrs. Schen-
ley is not buying houses on her land.
The agent told him he would have
to leave the building on the
ground, when the lease for the latter
expired. This will be next April, and Mr.
Madden would probably take anything for
the house rather than lose it. The Schenley
estate claims ownership to the house, on ac-
count of it being on leased ground, and the
Ptttsburg representatives say the law will
sustain their claim.
The old house is probably Is feet long, Is
feet wide, and 10 feet high. 1t has only one
story, with sub-basement. Two families
are living in the two rooms, and the inside
of the house is very com Portable.
The walls are in a sound condition,
but the outside of the building is in bad
state of neglect. Relic hunters have torn
out bricks and pieces of wood, and at the
rear end great hole has been made in the
outside wall by vandals.
SATISFIED WITH THEIR HOME.
Mrs. Costello, who occupies the upper
part of the building with her two children,
says they have as good house as they could
want, and Mrs. Flaherty, who occupies the
sub-basement, thinks she is living in a cas-
Jle. When a DISPATCH representative
called on the ladies yesterday. he was made
welcome and invited to inspect the house.
"'Big bugs don't visit us much now,"
said one of the old ladies, ''but when they
do, they leave us something to buy a pipe
of tobacco" They did not like the idea of
having the fort moved. but if park was to
be built around them, they said they would
like to continue in the house.
To show how easily the fort could be
moved, the removal of Libby prison to
Chicago may be cited. Several years ago,
the old court house at Cincinnati was
moyed to Eden park, distance OF three or
four miles. About dozen years ago,
historic Temple Bar il London, was moved
to Epping Forest, about twenty miles away.
Alderman P. J. Donahoe, of the First
ward, who is the champion of the old
Schen1ey tenants, and who will resist any
more to evict the old residents from their
little homes. was asked what he thought of
the moving scheme. He said: "Schenley's
Park will be about the best place
for the fort, if Mrs. Schenley carries
out her intentions to tear down
the dwelling houses on her ground and erect
large warehouses. If the latter put up. the
fort would be out of place standing alongside
of them. The old traditions around the fort
make it an object of interest to Pittsburgers,
and the older it gets the more sacred it should
be held. 1t is a building that could be moved
easily, and there would be no trouble about get
ting IL out to the park. wonder m.in the event
of il being moved, the owner viii get paid for
itf If he does not would rather see the old