Bellefield Hall is a

Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation The Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation (PHLF) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1964 to support the preservation of historic buildings and neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. In 1966, PHLF established the Revolving Fund fo ...

Historic Landmark and is a contributing property to the

Schenley Farms Historic District The Schenley Farms Historic District, also referred to as the Schenley Farms–Oakland Civic District, is a historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places that is located in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, ...

on the campus of the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the univers ...

across Bellefield Avenue from Heinz Memorial Chapel and the lawn of the university's

Cathedral of Learning The Cathedral of Learning is a 42-story skyscraper that serves as the centerpiece of the University of Pittsburgh's (Pitt) main campus in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Standing at , the 42-story Late Gothic Revival Cat ...

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

USA The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. A 1924

italianate The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style drew its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian ...

structure by architect

Benno Janssen Benno Janssen (March 12, 1874 – October 14, 1964) was an American architect. Childhood, education and career Benno Janssen was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of Oscar Janssen and Thekla Susenbeth. Janssen studied at the University of ...

, it originally served as a Young Men's and Women's Hebrew Association, but now houses rehearsal spaces, classrooms, offices, and a Digital Recording Studio for the University of Pittsburgh's Department of Music, as well as a university gymnasium, fitness center, indoor swimming pool, and a 676-seat auditorium.

History

Bellefield Hall, constructed in 1924, was designed by architect

by combining the facades of the

Italianate The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style drew its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian ...

Palzzo Piccolomini delle Papesse in

Siena Siena ( , ; lat, Sena Iulia) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena. The city is historically linked to commercial and banking activities, having been a major banking center until the 13th and 14th centur ...

with the 18th-century Lee House at Stratford in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

for the Flemish-bond brick finish and the high basement. Samuel Yellin was contracted to create the lanterns for the main entrance.Toker, Franklin; Pittsburgh: an urban portrait; 1986, Pennsylvania State University Press, pg. 89 Bellefield Hall was originally home to the Young Men's and Women's Hebrew Association (Y.M.&W.H.A.), whose patrons included Edgar Kauffman and his family, opened in 1926. Originally, the high profile of its attic hid a flat expanse of roof where Y.M.&W.H.A. patrons could sunbathe in total privacy. It also featured full sports facilities, meeting rooms, and a historic concert hall featuring Spanish stalactite ceiling and Jacobean wall moldings in which a host of musicians (including Arthur Rubinstein,

Isaac Stern Isaac Stern (July 21, 1920 – September 22, 2001) was an American violinist. Born in Poland, Stern came to the US when he was 14 months old. Stern performed both nationally and internationally, notably touring the Soviet Union and China, and ...

, and

Jean-Pierre Rampal Jean-Pierre Louis Rampal (7 January 1922 – 20 May 2000) was a French flautist. He has been personally "credited with returning to the Western concert flute, flute the popularity as a solo classical instrument it had not held since the 18th ce ...

) made their Pittsburgh debuts. The late judo great Kyu Ha Kim
Grandmaster Kyu Ha Kim
10th Degree Black Belt who taught judo at Pitt for decades use to teach judo at the Y.M.&W.H.A. where Pitt Graduate and past US Judo Association President Gary Goltz, started judo in 1966. Gary & Mr

The building was obtained by the university in a lease-purchase agreement in 1984 and reverted to the full university ownership ten years later. Today, Bellefield Hall is a facility that is home to a variety of University offices and services. For the University's Department of Music, it houses rehearsal spaces, classrooms, graduate student offices, and the William R. Robinson Digital Recording Studio. A recently renovated 676-seat auditorium holds many of the Department of Music's recitals and concerts. Bellefield Hall also houses a sports gym, fitness center, and indoor swimming pool. The second floor fitness center was renovated and expanded in 2005. A classroom specifically designed for African-drumming music was constructed in 2008. Bellefield Hall is also home to the Collegiate

YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams (philanthropist), Georg ...

at the University of Pittsburgh.

Events

Bellefield Hall has hosted a number of notable events throughout its history, including concerts by the aforementioned musicians. In addition, on April 3, 2008, Republican Presidential candidate Congressman Ron Paul was invited to speak at the University of Pittsburgh. He was the first 2008 presidential candidate to speak on Pitt campus (the second being Barack Obama) during the 2007-2008 academic year and the only Republican candidate to do so.

References

External links

Bellefield Hall on Pitt's virtual Campus TourBellefield Hall on Pitt Intramurals & Recreation
File:Bellefield2ndFlrStudy.jpg, A commons area on the second floor File:BellefieldPool.jpg, The Bellefield Hall swimming pool File:BellefieldHallGym.jpg, The Bellefield Hall gymnasium {{Pittsburgh University of Pittsburgh academic buildings Italianate architecture in Pennsylvania Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation Historic Landmarks Music venues in Pittsburgh Buildings and structures completed in 1924 Historic district contributing properties in Pennsylvania National Register of Historic Places in Pittsburgh