| 1834 | | Dr. James Ramsey Speer, Stephen Colwell and John Chislett (Third Presbyterian Church members) expanded their search for a Church burial ground into the creation of an interdenominational cemetery. |
| | | |
| 1844 | | Allegheny Cemetery was chartered as a tax free, non-profit organization on April 24th |
| | | |
| 1845 | | The farm and homestead of Colonel George Adams Bayard (Bayardstown), embracing one hundred acres, was selected in 1844 as “the most desirable locality for a rural cemetery.” The land, purchased for $50,000 by the cemetery’s 40 Corporators’ included a mansion. |
| | | |
| | | April 10th is recorded as the Great Fire that destroyed much of the Monongahela waterfront and Allegheny Cemetery’s paperwork pertaining to the first election of officers. |
| | | |
| | | On the day of the land purchase (June 10th) from Bayard, John Chislett, Sr., Allegheny’s first Superintendent, was instructed to survey and lay out the property. |
| | | |
| | | The first interment, near the old house which stood where the Greenhouses are now, was that of Margaretta Bayard Briggs (daughter of Colonel Bayard) on September 4th. |
| | | |
| 1848 | | The remains of Joshua Barney, great naval hero, were moved to Allegheny Cemetery on May 12th (died December 1, 1818 while passing through Pittsburgh). In 1880 Allegheny Cemetery commemorated the heroic deeds of Commodore Barney with a large memorial. |
| | | |
| 1849 | | Butler Street Gateway and Gothic Lodge (early account called it the Porter’s Lodge) was completed. |
| | | |
| 1856 | | The Endowment Fund was started. |
| | | |
| 1857 | | The first Receiving Vault was dedicated and was in use until 1905 |
| | | |
| 1862 | | September 17th the Allegheny Arsenal explosion was the worst accident connected with the war. |
| | | |
| 1870 | | Administration Building was constructed as the final phase of the Butler Street Entrance Complex. |
| | | |
| 1873 | | An elaborate fountain was added inside the Butler Street Gateway Entrance. |
| | | |
| 1875 | | Allegheny grew to 240 acres with approximately 18,000 dead. More than 140 acres were improved and three were pond areas. |
| | | |
| 1880 | | The cemetery dedicated the Mount Barney monument. |
| | | |
| 1882 | | The cemetery purchased land on Penn Avenue for the addition of an upper Gateway. |
| | | |
| 1888 | | A one story wing was added to the Butler Street Office building. |
| | | |
| 1889 | | The Penn Avenue Entrance Complex, designed by Henry A. Macomb, was completed. |
| | | |
| 1893 | | The original Palm House (Greenhouse) was built by Lord & Burnham of New York at the same time they were building the first part of Phipps Conservatory. |
| | | |
| 1896 | | Maintenance Complex was started with a large new stable and workshop ( Butler Street area). |
| | | |
| 1903 | | Easter Sunday, April 12th a disastrous flood overthrew the wall and fencing along Butler Street. |
| | | |
| | | William Falconer, (graduate of the Botanical Gardens at Harvard University and former superintendent
of Schenley Park), accepts the position of 4th Superintendent at Allegheny Cemetery. His
predecessors were John Chislett, Sr., John Chislett, Jr. and John Perring. |
| | | |
| 1905 | | A new Receiving Vault was built of Gothic design with 54 crypts and marble columbarium niches. |
| | | |
| 1907 | | The Board resolved to admit lot owners in automobiles (replacing the horse & carriage).
1907-1908-1909 - City water brought in all through the cemetery (3 ½ miles of water lines & 98 faucets installed)
|
| 1910 | | The cemetery had 273 acres subdivided into 39 sections with 52,931 interments. |
| | | |
| 1928 | | Superintendent Falconer retired and was succeeded by William L. Lloyd. |
| | | |
| 1931 | | Fred C. Hopton was the 6th Superintendent until 1964. |
| | | |
| 1932 | | A Resolution was adopted eliminating Sunday funerals. |
| | | |
| 1937 | | May 30, 1937 the Soldiers' Memorial was dedicated. |
| | | |
| 1943 | | New Gateways were opened alongside the Penn Avenue Complex. |
| | | |
| 1947 | | A new Lawn Plan (Sections 61 - 64) was developed for flush Bronze Memorials only. |
| | | |
| 1959 | | Board of Managers began planning for the building of an above ground mausoleum. |
| | | |
| 1961 | | December 3rd, the 5,000 crypt Temple of Memories Mausoleum was dedicated. Patterned along the lines of the Mellon Institute in Washington, D.C., the edifice exceeded 2 million dollars with 22 varieties of marble and ten sets of custom stained glass windows. Future additions included a Crematorium. |
| | | |
| 1964 | | First cremation was performed at the Allegheny Cemetery Crematory on October 22nd. |
| | | |
| | | George E. Campbell is appointed Superintendent and held the position for 21 years. |
| | | |
| 1969 | | The Christus Memorial (21 foot cast Bronze Statue of Christ made in Italy) erected in the Garden of Peace (Section 62) with supplementing side features of two spheres. |
| | | |
| 1973 | | 1000th cremation performed in the Crematory over a 9 year period. |
| | | |
| 1974 | | Butler Street Gatehouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. |
| | | |
| 1975 | | Disastrous fire occurred in the Maintenance Department at a cost over $100,000. |
| | | |
| 1979 | | Allegheny's innovative Security Intern program began. |
| | | |
| 1980 | | Allegheny Cemetery Historical Association (ACHA) was established on March 17, 1980. |
| | | |
| | | December 10, 1980, the entire cemetery was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. |
| | | |
| | | Allegheny's first Computer System installed. |
| | | |
| 1982 | | The remains of the 1873 Fountain at Butler Street were restored and rededicated. |
| | | |
| 1984 | | Thomas J. Staresinic is appointed Superintendent (eighth since 1844) |
| | | |
| 1985 | | Greenhouse #1 (last of six built in 1893) replaced with a new structure. |
| | | |
| 1987 | | Garden of Four Seasons (Section 63) 26 foot granite feature installed. |
| | | |
| 1989 | | Thomas G. Roberts appointed General Manager. |
| | | |
| | | A major storm caused extensive flood damage (road & sewers) and fallen trees. |
| | | |
| 1991 | | Pgh History & Landmarks Foundation published "Allegheny Cemetery: A Romantic Landscape in Pittsburgh" |
| | | |
| 1992 | | Introduction of first ACHA publication-the Heritage Newsletter. Mailed to 10,000 friends. |
| | | |
| 1993 | | Over 74,500 burials (from 1844 through 1934) entered into a computer data base for reference. |
| | | |
| | | Restoration of the Butler Street stone wall (2 ft thick). |
| | | |
| 1994 | | Allegheny Cemetery celebrates its 150th year (sesquicentennial) with gala celebration. |
| | | |
| 1995 | | Torrence M. Hunt, Jr. elected 2nd Chairman of the Board and Thomas G. Roberts elected President. |
| | | |
| 1996 | | ACHA completes $30,000 renovation project on the Butler Street Cloister Arches. |
| | | |
| | | Allegheny Cemetery introduces new logo. |
| | | |
| 1997 | | ACHA completes $10,000 renovation project on Penn Avenue Tower. |
| | | |
| | | Allegheny develops first website-www.alleghenycemetery.com |
| | | |
| 1998 | | 96th Private Family Mausoleum installed in Allegheny Cemetery. |
| | | |
| | | Study completed on feasibility of building or acquiring a Funeral Home for Allegheny. |
| | | |
| 2000 | | Chapel of Angels completed in Lawn Plan (outdoor mausoleum with 48 niches and 1,036 crypts in Section 64). |
| | | |
| 2001 | | Pgh History & Landmarks Foundation awards Historic Landmark plaque to the 1887 Penn Avenue Gateway Complex. |
| | | |
| 2002 | | A Macroburst hits Allegheny Cemetery on May 31st claiming 500 uprooted trees-the largest natural disaster the cemetery ever experienced in 158 years at a cost exceeding $1million dollars. |
| | | |
| 2003 | | Board of Trustees approves a major $10 million fund raising campaign for Recovery, Restoration and Renewal based on severity of macroburst storm. |
| | | |
| 2004 | | Cemetery now has all 130,000 interments computerized in a data base. |
| | | |
| 2005 | | A Land Use Master Plan is developed for future inventory, infill strategies and landscaping preservation and enrichment. |
| | | |
| | | First educational CD/DVD presented as a guide for students, historians, educators and visitors. |
| | | |
| 2006 | | On May 29th, Memorial Day, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held to Rededicate the 1937 Soldier's Memorial which had structural damage from the 2002 storm at a cost of $150,000. Special events included several marching bands, air wing fly over, 21 gun salute with 105 howitzers and much more. |
| | | |
| | | July 1st, Stephen Foster Music & Heritage Festival (DooDah Day)-was celebrated at Allegheny Cemetery with horse carriage rides, historic re-enactors, trolley tours to Foster's gravesite and folk music from his era. This will be an annual event. |
| | | |
| | | For the first time in over 60 years, functionality was restored to the 80 foot Tower Clock (1870) at the Butler Street Administration Building. A Singing Carillon unit was also installed on the 135 foot Courthouse Tower (1888) at the Penn Avenue Gateway. Both were dedicated at the July 1st DooDah Day. |
| | | |
| 2007 | | A tree inventory & management plan for reforestation and future tree maintenance is completed with 2,511 trees to be displayed graphically on cemetery maps. |
| | | |
| | | Underground electric lines installed (4,854 sq.ft.) at the Penn Avenue Entrance by Duquesne Light Company. New sidewalks also installed. |
| | | |
| | | September 26th, Allegheny hit by a significant storm causing damage from Butler Street to the Soldier's Memorial. Over two dozen trees lost and hundreds of branches strewn throughout the grounds. |
| | | |
| 2008 | | WebCemeteries.com, an innovative website project, is implemented showing the location of all cemetery inhabitants (over 130,000). This will allow the public to locate their loved ones on line. |
