- Downtown Pittsburgh features memorial cathedrals and statues.pittsburgh image by blaine stiger from Fotolia.com
Pittsburgh is one of Pennsylvania's largest cities and played an significant role as a munitions and iron factory city during the U.S. Civil War and the Industrial Revolution. This involvement in the industrial development of the United States has earned Pittsburgh the nickname, "Steel City," and monuments have been erected to honor this heritage. Pittsburgh sites with memorials include Allegheny Cemetery, the University of Pittsburgh and the downtown area. - The Allegheny Cemetery is in northeastern Pittsburgh, less than a mile from the south banks of the Allegheny River. The cemetery was founded in the 19th century, making it one of the oldest cemeteries in Pittsburgh; this site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This 300-acre cemetery features several monuments, including the Soldier's Monument and Arsenal Monument. The Arsenal Monument is a 4-foot high granite slab with a black plaque on all four sides; the plaques have the names of 43 women who were killed by an explosion at the Allegheny Arsenal in the 1862. The Soldier's Monument is a 166-foot wide, 30-foot long stone wall dedicated to military personnel who served the U.S. military; this monument was erected in 1937. The cemetery is open year-round.
- Fred Rogers, better known as Mister Rogers from the public television children's show "Mister Roger's Neighborhood," was a Pittsburgh native and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his work in television. Rogers' show was filmed in Pittsburgh's television studio WQED. Upon his passing in 2003, the city of Pittsburgh erected two memorials in Rogers' honor. One memorial is the Fredousaurus Rex Friday XIII statue outside the WQED studio. This statue is the image of a tyrannosaurus rex in a red cardigan sweater and black tie, the clothing combination Fred Rogers wore on his show. The other memorial is a 10-foot bronze statue of Rogers on the North Shore of the Allegheny River near Heinz Field; this statue shows Rogers in a seated position tying his sneakers, which was what Rogers did at the beginning and end of every show.
- The Panthers of Pittsburgh are 20 bronze statues of panthers throughout Pittsburgh. These statues were made in honor of the panther, which was once indigenous to the Pittsburgh area. The four original statues are on four corners of the Panther Hollow Bridge in the Schenley Park Historic District; these statues were created in 1897 by sculptor Giuseppe Moretti. Other panther memorials include the Millennium Panther -- a 10-foot-long statue outside of the William Pitt Union building on the University of Pittsburgh's campus -- the 12-foot panther outside of Heinz Field and 9-foot panther statue at the entrance of the Peterson Events Center. The Peterson Events Center panther has images of the old Pitt Stadium engraved on the body.
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
