Greentree Alley

From Pittsburgh Streets
Greentree Alley
Neighborhood Central Business District
Fate Vacated in 1901
Green Alley (until 1881)

Greentree Alley ran from Penn Avenue to Duquesne Way (today's Fort Duquesne Boulevard) between Second Street and Third Street (today's Commonwealth Place). It first appears as an unnamed alley to the east of the McQuywan & Douglass planing mill and a steam boiler works in the 1872 Hopkins atlas;[1] it is labeled "Greentree Al." in the 1882 edition.[2]

It was originally named Green Alley. It was renamed Greentree Alley in 1881 to fix the duplication with Green Street in the Hill District.[3][4]

Greentree Alley was vacated by a city ordinance in 1901, along with First Street and Second Street, as part of a plan to build warehouses at the Point.[5][6][7][8][9] Soon Point Alley and Fort Street were also vacated, which sparked a lengthy legal and political battle between the city and property developers on one side and the Daughters of the American Revolution, who owned the Fort Pitt Block House, on the other. See Fort Street for the story of the fight to save the Block House.

References

  1. Atlas of the Cities of Pittsburgh, Allegheny, and the Adjoining Boroughs, p. 15. G. M. Hopkins & Co., Philadelphia, 1872. http://historicpittsburgh.org/maps-hopkins/1872-atlas-pittsburgh-allegheny; 1872 layer at Pittsburgh Historic Maps (https://esriurl.com/pittsburgh). [view source]hopkins-1872
  2. Atlas of the Cities Pittsburgh and Allegheny, plate 1. G. M. Hopkins & Co., Philadelphia, 1882. http://historicpittsburgh.org/maps-hopkins/1882-atlas-pittsburgh-allegheny; 1882 layer at Pittsburgh Historic Maps (https://esriurl.com/pittsburgh). [view source]hopkins-1882
  3. "An ordinance establishing the names of avenues, streets, lanes and alleys of the City of Pittsburgh." Pittsburgh city ordinance, 1881, no. 33. Passed Feb. 28, 1881; approved Mar. 4, 1881. Ordinance Book 5, p. 212. In Municipal Record: Minutes of the Proceedings of the Select and Common Councils of the City of Pittsburgh, for the Year 1880, pp. 213–234 (Internet Archive pghmunicipalrecord1880). [view source]ordinance-1881-33
  4. A. M. Neeper. Maps and Descriptions of the Election Districts in the Cities of Pittsburgh and Allegheny. W. V. Dermitt & Co., Pittsburgh, 1886. Google Books clI_AQAAMAAJ; Historic Pittsburgh 00c595180m. [view source]neeper
  5. "Big improvement is now assured: Common council decrees the street vacations needed by warehouse scheme: Mrs. Schenley to give bond: Assurances of this fact overcame objections and a demand for delay: Select likely to act soon." Pittsburg Post, Oct. 29, 1901, p. 7. Newspapers.com 86383884. [view source]big-improvement
  6. "Close vote on three vacating ordinances: Surveys committee of Councils, by vote of 12 to 10, favors grants in the point district—victory for the Schenley estate." Pittsburg Press, Oct. 26, 1901, p. 2. Newspapers.com 141915976. [view source]close-vote
  7. "An ordinance authorizing the vacation of Greentree alley, from Penn avenue to Duquesne way." Pittsburgh city ordinance, 1901, no. 378. Passed Nov. 25, 1901; approved Dec. 6, 1901. Ordinance Book 14, p. 252. Reprinted in the Pittsburg Post, Dec. 11, 1901, p. 7 (Newspapers.com 86389443); and in the Pittsburg Press, Dec. 10, 1901, p. 7 (Newspapers.com 141824959), and Dec. 11, p. 12 (Newspapers.com 141825301). [view source]ordinance-1901-378
  8. "Point district to be vacated: City will be reimbursed by Mrs. Schenley's agents for street improvements: Great warehouses going up: Councils pass many measures for sewer work---more contracts to be made: M'Tighe's death lamented." Pittsburg Post, Nov. 26, 1901, p. 9. Newspapers.com 86389154. [view source]point
  9. "To investigate a city office: City assessors said to be doing too much political work: Busy meeting of councils: Select councils pass two resolutions over Brown's veto: Common was quite lively." Pittsburg Press, Oct. 29, 1901, p. 11. Newspapers.com 141918282. [view source]to-investigate