The Murdoch Entrances

In its early years, Schenley Park was a rustic tract of rolling hills and ravines still being tamed by the City. Some folks in Squirrel Hill had to take a roundabout route to enjoy its tranquility because of the rugged layout until the Murdoch’s came to the rescue.

The Murdoch family, who were downtown florists with a thriving regional business, lived and grew their flowers in Squirrel Hill nurseries and greenhouses. They owned 60 acres that stretched from the park border to Wightman Street running between Forbes and Forward. The area is still known as Murdoch Farms today.

According to George Fleming’s 1894 “History of Pittsburgh and Environs,” John Murdoch had begun the operation in 1845 in Peebles Township (the area was unspecified; perhaps it was Prospect Hill), and it grew enough that by 1859, he bought some Oakland property, the Schenley Park nursery. It was located at Forbes and St. Pierre Street - today’s Schenley Plaza - and we believe it was absorbed in part by William Falconer, the park’s first horticulturist, for his massive parks nursery. Shortly thereafter, the family added their blooming Squirrel Hill nursery.

Murdoch Entrance 1924 (Polk Co "Progress in Pittsburgh")

The Murdoch clan was noted as community-spirited people, and when the park opened, they donated some property for use as a park entrances. The original and more noted Murdoch Entrance to Schenley Park was by the golf course, just below Aylesboro, connecting Forbes and Darlington Road. It was 3,000' long and 100' wide, lined with locust trees. Now it’s the tail end of Schenley Drive as it goes past the Golf Course parking lot. The entrance lasted for quite awhile; it’s specifically identified on both 1911 and 1939 maps and probably dates to the genesis of the Park.

Hopkins map 1911 (entrance top right above #17)

In addition, the January 23, 1911 edition of the Pittsburgh Times Gazette made a big to-do about a newer Murdoch entrance, this one connecting Beacon Street to the Park. It seems that the Murdochs had also generously donated a right-of-way to connect Beacon to the Park at Bartlett Street along with the site of the their golf course entrance. At the time, it was nothing more than a footpath, and eventually that was blocked off by a fence.

It seems the City had sat on its hands for a couple of decades for financial reasons before deciding to unwrap the Murdoch’s gift, when City Council voted to grade and add curbs to the lane. “Residents of the Squirrel Hill district are elated…” that the City decided to loosen their purse strings and open up the Park to them was the paper's lede that fine day. A few years later in 1923, the Boulevard of the Allies and then Panther Hollow Road opened, making the Beacon Street connection a big deal.

So remember to give the Murdoch family its just due in making the park accessible to Squirrel Hill. Their contributions may not be recalled by name today, but they played a big role in connecting the Park to the folk in the 14th Ward with links that still remain.

(Caveat emptor: this was put together using maps, an newspaper article, one citation from an old history and the odd detail or two from other sources. So we pieced it together, and think we have it right. If you have something to add or dispute, please give us a yell.)