Schenley Quadrangle

Schenley Quadrangle
Forbes Avenue entrance to Schenley Quadrangle
LocationPittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Coordinates40°26′35.64″N 79°57′20.79″W / 40.4432333°N 79.9557750°W / 40.4432333; -79.9557750
AreaSchenley Farms Historic District
BuiltJune 3, 1922–1924
ArchitectHenry Hornbostel with collaboration from Rutan & Russell and Eric Fisher Wood
Part ofSchenley Farms Historic District (ID83002213[1])
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJuly 22, 1983[1]
Designated PHLF1972[2]
A view of the Schenley Quadrangle colonnade along McCormick Hall. Holland Hall can be seen towards the back.

Schenley Quadrangle is a cluster of University of Pittsburgh ("Pitt") residence halls that is a Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation Historic Landmark[2] and are contributing properties to the Schenley Farms National Historic District[3][4] in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States.

The five residence halls are the former historic Schenley Apartments, designed by Henry Hornbostel[5] with collaboration from Rutan & Russell and Eric Fisher Wood,[6] for developer Franklin Nicola; they were built between 1922 and 1924[7] at a cost of more than $4.5 million ($80.5 million in 2023 dollars[8]). Originally, the Schenley Apartments were home of Pittsburgh's well-to-do (including for a time their architect Henry Hornbostel) and consisted of 1,113 rooms in 238 apartments across the five buildings. The university acquired them in December 1955 at a cost of $3 million ($34.1 million in 2023 dollars[8]), renovating them into residence halls for another $1 million ($11.2 million in 2023 dollars[8]). By 1957–1958, 101 female students had moved into 20 apartments in Building F (now called Brackenridge Hall).[9][10]

Today, Schenley Quadrangle consists of five Pitt residence halls: Amos Hall, Brackenridge Hall, Bruce Hall, Holland Hall, and McCormick Hall.

Previously a vehicle drop-off area and parking lot, the courtyard between these buildings was converted to a public open space with landscaping and exterior furniture in 2018; a raised platform was built for performances or other events. The renovation cost $5 million, with another $5 million spent on the parking garage beneath it.[11]

Schenley Quadrangle, as seen from its Fifth Avenue entrance. McCormick Hall is on the left, and the south wing of Holland Hall is on the right.
  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ a b "Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation: PHLF Plaques & Registries". January 27, 2007. Archived from the original on January 27, 2007. Retrieved July 10, 2009.
  3. ^ https://gis.penndot.gov/CRGISAttachments/SiteResource/H050656_01H.pdf
  4. ^ "University Times". mac10.umc.pitt.edu. Archived from the original on June 28, 2009.
  5. ^ "Browse Record". Archived from the original on August 26, 2011. Retrieved June 26, 2010.
  6. ^ Kidney, Walter C. (2005). Oakland (Images of America). Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. p. 61. ISBN 0-7385-3867-1.
  7. ^ "Schenley Apartments Opened in 1924". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh, PA. December 23, 1955. Retrieved June 25, 2010.
  8. ^ a b c 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  9. ^ http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pittmiscpubs;cc=pittmiscpubs;g=documentingpitt;xc=1;xg=1;q1=Schenley%20Apartments;rgn=full%20text;idno=00c50130m;didno=00c50130m;view=image;seq=0283. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  10. ^ http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pittyearbooks;cc=pittyearbooks;g=documentingpitt;xc=1;xg=1;q1=Schenley%20Apartments;rgn=full%20text;idno=1958e49702;didno=1958e49702;view=image;seq=0037. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  11. ^ Writer, Samuel Ruppert | Staff (April 11, 2018). "Students react to Schenley Quad renovations - The Pitt News". pittnews.com. Retrieved August 30, 2018.