Here’s a look at the history behind Point State Park’s iconic fountain

PITTSBURGH — Point State Park’s iconic fountain is a favorite spot to watch fireworks on the Fourth of July.

Many Channel 11 viewers sent in their favorite memories at the fountain, the park’s focal point.

Channel 11 took a look into the fountain’s rich history.

“The fountain is one of the most spectacular sites in Pittsburgh,” said Jack Lachendro, DCNRR Environmental Education Specialist.

Surrounded by the Allegheny River to the north and the Monongahela River to the south, The Point had its ups and downs before it became Point State Park as we know it today.

Our journey down memory lane begins in 1915 when the first roller coaster in Pittsburgh graced the edge of the Allegheny River side of the Point.

By the time the two World Wars had come and gone, Lachendro says the area was run down.

“It really wasn’t the best place to be in Pittsburgh. Railroad tracks were abandoned, there was a magnificent station that was barely ever used,” he said.

During the Renaissance of Pittsburgh, a plan came to life to demolish the buildings at the Point in 1950 and turn it into a park right where the two rivers meet to form the start of the Ohio River.

“A point of confluence, a point of conflict, and a point of revitalization,” Lachendro explained.

Different ideas were thrown around about what the Point should look like, including the idea to put a big Gateway to the West monument at the point.

But it was Frank Lloyd Wright who first suggested installing a fountain at the Point and moving bridges closer to the city.

Then on Aug. 30, 1974, a display of grandeur for all to see: the Point State Park Fountain became a reality.

“It’s a spectacle of how great Pittsburgh became from a city of ash and pollution to what we have today as a beautiful, livable city that we all know and love,” Lachendro said.

When it’s pumping at its max, it can get up to 150 to 200 feet high. Three pumps cycle through 1.2 million gallons of water every hour…

The fountain is 152 feet wide and the three smaller fountains you see next to the big one represent our three rivers.

It’s the backdrop of so many memories for many people.

“This is the crown jewel of our riverfront system,” said Matthew Galluzzo, President and CEO of Riverlife.

They did what they called a top-to-bottom renovation of the park, which included raising $11 million to fix the pumps, add the infinity pool and upgrade to LED lighting around it. They turned it back on in June 2013.

“It creates this experience that is calming, soothing, a little more aesthetically pleasing than the original fountain,” said Galluzzo.

Despite historic rain and flooding in April that left the Point and fountain under water, crews cleaned it up and got it turned on in early May as they’d planned, just in time for the 50th anniversary.

Pittsburghers and the 200,000 people who flock to Point State Park every month in the summer couldn’t live without arguably the most iconic sight in the city.

“The beauty of this park and the fountain is that generations from now people are going to be able to experience this park and love it the way we do,” Galluzzo said.

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