Edward Manning Bigelow, born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on November 6, 1850, envisioned a grand park system for Pittsburgh while serving as the city's Director of Public Works from 1888 to 1900 and again from 1903 to 1906. Much of the land that became Highland Park had been part of Alexander Negley's estate and had been sold off in portions to other farmers, but through Bigelow's considerable efforts it was reassembled as a park. Officially established in 1889 around Reservoir No. 1, the park took shape through Bigelow's meetings with about 120 landowners, which secured most of the property. Parcel by parcel, and at a cost of over $900,000, he built Highland Park. Bigelow is credited with designing the grand Victorian entry garden, shown in early photographs and postcards as Pittsburgh's finest public space and a first-rate example of municipal enrichment associated with the City Beautiful movement. He commissioned Italian sculptor Giuseppe Moretti for work in Schenley and Highland Parks, including the entry garden's gateways and sculptures of bronze and granite, as well as two bronze statues of youths taming horses at the Stanton Avenue entrance. Pittsburgh's urban parks, created during the Industrial Revolution as places of relaxation and escape from grim working conditions, formed a thriving system that began in the late 1800s and grew until World War II; after the war they suffered as automobile-driven suburban living spread, but their importance has become increasingly clear as the city revitalizes green spaces that support relaxation, recreation, social interaction, physical activity, and mental well-being for residents of all ages, abilities, and income levels.
