Pittsburgh’s Westinghouse Park, located on the former estate of George Westinghouse, has been designated a nationally recognized certified arboretum.
The park at North Point Breeze has been awarded Level I accreditation by the ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program and Morton Arboretum for achieving and maintaining nationally recognized standards for arboreta. The park is now included in the Morton Register of Arboreta, a database of the arboreta and gardens of the world dedicated to woody plants.
“Certification requires a concerted effort to maintain and manage the trees on the property, and we look forward to working to make the trees healthier and happier,” said Lisa Ceoffee, Pittsburgh city ranger.
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– Julia Felton (@ JuliaFelton16) October 6, 2021
To commemorate the appointment – and to celebrate Westinghouse’s 175th birthday – Mayor Bill Peduto joined other local leaders and supporters of the park on Wednesday afternoon. They honored the life of Westinghouse as well as the new recognition of the park.
“It has such a wonderful history here,” said Peduto, who was standing in the park.
Now it is a “special part of nature” and a place where communities come together.
Pittsburgh’s first arboretum was designated in Mellon Park, making Westinghouse Park his second.
“It’s a museum for trees,” said Peduto. “It’s a place you can come to not only see the beauty of our natural habitat, but learn more about it and make sure it’s not just for the next generation but for the generations that will , will be improved follow that. “
Peduto said he hoped other parks in the city would become arboretums as well.
Councilor Ricky Burgess spoke during the ceremony, noting that he grew up near the park and still lives in the area. He and his sons learned to ride bicycles in the park, and he and he wrote many of his early sermons in the park.
He said he hoped to install a new shelter in the park soon to “celebrate how great this park is”.
The park was once the Westinghouse estate known as “Solitude,” said David Bear, who represented the Westinghouse Park 2nd Century Coalition. The property became a public park named Westinghouse after the death of Westinghouse and his wife.
Westinghouse has founded over 60 companies and acquired more than 360 patents. His railroad air braking system revolutionized the railroad industry and provided engineers with a quick and reliable way to stop trains.
Westinghouse Park is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.
The municipality recently completed the municipality’s engagement and planning for the restoration, maintenance and improvement of the park in preparation for the development of a master plan for the park with the Department of Urban Planning for the next year.
The forestry department temporarily placed information banners on trees throughout the park to encourage the community to learn more about the park’s native trees. A community celebration is scheduled for Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and includes a 3 mile community run, Tree Pittsburgh sponsored tree pickup, and a video on Westinghouse.
Julia Felton is a contributor to Tribune Review. You can contact Julia at 724-226-7724, jfelton@triblive.com, or on Twitter.
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