Music Building (University of Pittsburgh)

United States historic place

Music Building

U.S. Historic district
Contributing property

Music Building at the University of Pittsburgh

Coordinates| 40°26′47.88″N 79°57′7.89″W﻿ / ﻿40.4466333°N 79.9521917°W﻿ / 40.4466333; -79.9521917
Built| 1884
Architect| Longfellow, Alden & Harlow
Architectural style| Richardsonian Romanesque
Part of| Schenley Farms Historic District (ID83002213[1])
Added to NRHP| July 22, 1983
Music Building from Bellefield Avenue

The Music Building is an academic building of the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, and a contributing property to the Schenley Farms National Historic District.[2][3] A Longfellow, Alden & Harlow-designed mansion that was originally the home of the pastor of a neighboring church and former university chancellor, it also served as the home to a local chapter of the Knights of Columbus, as chemical laboratories, and as the first home of educational television station WQED and that station's original production site for Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Today it is home to the University of Pittsburgh's Department of Music and the school's Theodore M. Finney Music Library.

## History

[edit]

The original mansion was designed by Longfellow, Alden & Harlow as a sandstone Richardsonian Romanesque mansion in 1884.[4] The mansion was commissioned by Carrie T. Holland, youngest daughter of pioneer Pittsburgh iron manufacturer James K. Moorehead, as a gift for her husband William Jacob Holland, pastor of Bellefield Presbyterian Church at Fifth and Bellefield avenues in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh. William Jacob Holland was also a nationally recognized zoologist, paleontologist, and entomologist and went on to become a trustee (1886) and then chancellor (1891–1901) of the University of Pittsburgh, then called the Western University of Pennsylvania.[5]

The Holland's house sat across the street from Holland's church, Bellefield Presbyterian, a wooden structure that was replaced by a stone Richardsonian Romanesque structure designed by Frederick J. Osterling in 1890 that matched his house. The Hollands sold their house some time before 1912. It became a Knights of Columbus club before being purchased in 1936 by Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company for laboratory operations of its subsidiary, Columbia-Southern Chemical Corporation.[6] Pittsburgh Plate Glass donated the building to the University of Pittsburgh in 1953 in order for the university to establish it as the home for the city's first educational television station, WQED.[7] The building therefore became the original home of the Public Broadcasting Service station, and the original production site of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, before becoming the home of Pitt's music department.[8]

A one-story addition was added presumably in the 1920s which was given a Richardsonian Romanesque stone facing, estimated to have been added in the 1950s, that matched the original house. The university's Department of Music moved into the building in 1971 from its previous quarters on the ninth floor of the Cathedral of Learning.[9] The Music Building was renovated in 2003 which included the installation of elevators.[4] It also houses the Music Department Library, a piano lab, the electronic music studio, the ethnomusicology lab, a student/faculty lounge, practice rooms, teaching studios, offices, seminar rooms, and classrooms.[8][10]

In 1967, the Bellefield Presbyterian Church merged with and moved to the First United Presbyterian Church at Fifth and Thackeray, which adopted its name. The old church was dismantled in 1985 except for its tower, which still stands.[5]

## Library

[edit]

Music Building at the University of Pittsburgh. Ruskin Hall can be seen behind the building on the left.

The Theodore M. Finney Music Library is located in the basement of the Music Building and contains a general music research collection as well as several collections of important musical materials. The library is named for the former head of the music department who donated his personal collection to the school.[11] The library's holdings include approximately 65,000 music scores and books, 25,000 sound recordings, 1,500 microforms, and 150 journals. Collections include Early American hymnals and tunebooks, volumes of sheet music with regional significance, seventeenth and eighteenth century prints of English sacred and secular works, and music belonging to the late William Steinberg and Fidelis Zitterbart.[12]

## References

[edit]

* Alberts, Robert C. (1987). Pitt: The Story of the University of Pittsburgh 1787-1987. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press. ISBN 0-8229-1150-7.

1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. ^ Mann, Christina, "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form: Schenley Farms Historic District" (PDF), Cultural Resources Geographic Information System, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, retrieved October 10, 2010
3. ^ Saja, Mike (January 23, 1997). "Hearing set on historic landmark nomination for two Pitt buildings". University Times. University of Pittsburgh. Retrieved October 10, 2010.
4. ^ a b Pfaffmann, Rob (September 2005), University of Pittsburgh Civic Center Conservation Plan (PDF), Pfaffmann + Associates, PC and the Getty Foundation Campus Heritage Program, pp. 129–131, retrieved January 27, 2010
5. ^ a b Alberts, Robert C. (1986). Pitt: The Story of the University of Pittsburgh, 1787-1987. Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Press. p. 39\. ISBN 0-8229-1150-7. Retrieved October 8, 2010.
6. ^ "Building Given Pitt for New TV Station". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Vol. 27, no. 4\. Pittsburgh, PA. August 6, 1953. p. 13. Retrieved October 10, 2010.
7. ^ "Building Given Pitt for New TV Station". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Vol. 27, no. 4\. Pittsburgh, PA. August 6, 1953. p. 1. Retrieved October 10, 2010.
8. ^ a b "Music Building". Pitt Tour. University of Pittsburgh. Retrieved October 10, 2010.
9. ^ Colangelo, Jr., J. G. (Summer 1971). "Music: The Old New & the New New". Pitt. 27 (2). University of Pittsburgh: 23. Retrieved August 20, 2013.
10. ^ "Facilities". Department of Music. University of Pittsburgh. Retrieved October 10, 2010.
11. ^ "The University Libraries". Pitt. 28 (3/4). University of Pittsburgh: 19. Winter 1972–1973. Retrieved August 20, 2013.
12. ^ "Theodore M. Finney Music Library". University of Pittsburgh. Retrieved November 26, 2009.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Music Building (University of Pittsburgh).

* Music Building on Pitt's virtual Campus Tour
* Pitt Department of Music
* Theodore M. Finney Music Library

Preceded by

Log Cabin

|  University of Pittsburgh Buildings
Music Building
Constructed: 1884  | Succeeded by

Chancellor's Residence

|
|

* v
* t
* e

University of Pittsburgh

Located in: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Academics|

| Schools and
colleges|

* Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences
* Business
* Dental Medicine
* Education
* Fanny Edel Falk Laboratory School
* Swanson School of Engineering
* General Studies
* Katz Graduate School of Business
* Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
* Honors College
* Computing and Information
* Law
* Medicine
* Nursing
* Pharmacy
* Public and International Affairs
* Public Health
* Social Work

|

Centers and
institutes|

* Archives Service Center
* Cancer Institute
* Center for International Studies
* Latin American Studies
* Center for Philosophy of Science
* Center on Race and Social Problems
* Epidemiology Data Center
* Ford Institute for Human Security
* Learning Research and Development Center
* Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse
* Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center

Athletics|

| Sports|

* Pittsburgh Panthers
* Football
* Men's basketball
* Women's basketball
* Baseball
* Softball
* Men's soccer
* Women's soccer
* Men's volleyball
* Women's volleyball
* Wrestling

|

Facilities|

* Acrisure Stadium
* Petersen Events Center
* UPMC Sports Performance Complex
* Petersen Sports Complex
* Cost Sports Center
* Fitzgerald Field House
* Trees Hall

Rivalries|

* Backyard Brawl
* City Game
* Notre Dame
* Penn State
* Syracuse
* ACC
* EAGL

Spirit|

* Panther mascot
* Oakland Zoo
* Varsity Marching Band
* "Hail to Pitt"
* "Victory Song"
* "Alma Mater"
* "Sweet Caroline"

Life|

| Groups|

* Friday Nite Improvs
* Heinz Chapel Choir
* Pitt Men's Glee Club
* Pitt Stages
* William Pitt Debating Union

|

Media|

* The Pitt News
* University Times
* The Original
* WPTS-FM
* JURIST

Journals|

* Hot Metal Bridge
* Three Rivers Review
* Pitt Law Review
* Journal of Law and Commerce
* Pitt Journal of Environmental and Public Health Law
* Pitt Journal of Technology Law & Policy
* Pitt Tax Review

Pittsburgh
campus|

| Historic
buildings|

* Allegheny Observatory
* Allen Hall
* Alumni Hall
* Bellefield Hall
* Cathedral of Learning
* Nationality Rooms
* Chancellor's Residence
* Clapp Hall
* Ford Motor Building
* Gardner Steel Conference Center
* Heinz Memorial Chapel
* Frick Fine Arts Building
* Music Building
* O'Hara Student Center
* PAA building
* Ruskin Hall
* Salk Hall
* Schenley Quadrangle
* Stephen Foster Memorial
* Thackeray Hall
* Thaw Hall
* UCDC
* University Club
* William Pitt Union

|

Other
buildings|

* Barco Law Building
* Benedum Hall
* Bouquet Gardens
* Chevron Science Center
* Clapp/Langley/Crawford Complex
* David Lawrence Hall
* Eberly Hall
* Forbes Hall
* Forbes Tower
* Hillman Library
* Information Sciences
* Irvis Hall
* LRDC
* Litchfield Towers
* Log Cabin
* Lothrop Hall
* Mervis Hall
* Nordenberg Hall
* Old Engineering Hall
* Parran Hall
* Panther Hall
* SRCC
* Posvar Hall
* Scaife Hall
* Sennott Square
* Sutherland Hall
* Victoria Building

Around
campus|

* Oakland
* Schenley Farms Historic District
* UPMC
* Schenley Park
* Schenley Plaza
* Carnegie Museums
* Dippy
* Carnegie Library
* Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
* Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy
* Soldiers and Sailors Memorial
* Mellon Institute
* Light Up
* Mary Schenley Memorial Fountain
* Stephen Foster sculpture
* The "O"
* Cloud Factory

Other
locations|

| Regional|

* Bradford
* Greensburg
* Johnstown
* Pasquerilla Performing Arts Center
* Titusville

|

Facilities|

* Cook Spring Creek Preserve
* Pymatuning Laboratory of Ecology
* U-PARC

People|

* Alumni
* Faculty
* Chancellors

Miscellaneous|

* History
* Pitt Stadium
* Trees Field
* University Place Office Building
* Transportation
* Press
* D-Scribe
* Pitt Poetry Series
* Gene Kelly Awards

* Founded: 1787
* Students: 28,617
* Endowment: 3,589 billion
* Categories
* Commons

* v
* t
* e

City of Pittsburgh

Government|

* Airport
* Convention Center
* City Council
* City Hall
* Courthouse
* District Attorney
* Education
* Events
* Fire
* InterGov
* Libraries
* Mayor
* Parks
* Police
* Port
* Regional
* Sheriff
* Transit
* Water

Economy|

* Allegheny Conference
* Duquesne Club
* Chamber of Commerce
* Corporations
* Economic Club
* HYP Club
* Stock Exchange

Other topics|

* Colleges and universities
* Culture
* cookie table
* theatre
* Green Man
* Pittsburgh Parking Chair
* Picklesburgh
* Dialect
* Yinzer
* Flag
* Fictional settings
* Filming
* films
* television
* History
* name
* timeline
* Jewish history
* 2018 synagogue shooting
* Pittsburgh toilet
* Hospitals
* Media
* Museums
* Neighborhoods
* Nicknames
* Notable Pittsburghers
* Region
* combined statistical area
* Skyscrapers
* Sports

* Category

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template