North Park

North Park, established in 1927 northeast of Pittsburgh, became Allegheny County’s largest park through a county effort to preserve public green space as suburbs expanded. Closely associated with Commissioner Edward V. Babcock and planned by parks director Paul B. Riis, it was designed in a naturalistic style from former farmland and homesteads, with features such as St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church remaining within the park. During the 1930s it grew into a heavily used public recreation area with trails, ball fields, a golf course, and major New Deal-era improvements, especially North Park Lake. The park later added new facilities, saw varied uses, and continues to balance recreation, conservation, and habitat protection.

Pennsylvania · United States