Herrs Island, also known as Washington's Landing, is an island in the

Allegheny River The Allegheny River ( ; ; ) is a tributary of the Ohio River that is located in western Pennsylvania and New York (state), New York in the United States. It runs from its headwaters just below the middle of Pennsylvania's northern border, nor ...

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

in the U.S. state of

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

. It is officially considered part of the Troy Hill neighborhood.

Rehabilitation

As a result of the industrial activity, Herrs Island was a

brownfield site Brownfield is previously-developed land that has been abandoned or underused, and which may carry pollution, or a risk of pollution, from industrial use. The specific definition of brownfield land varies and is decided by policy makers and l ...

. By the 1970s, most industrial activity on the island had left. During the 1980s and 1990s, a major redevelopment effort was undertaken after a long study of best uses. The island is now a showcase project of

urban redevelopment Urban renewal (sometimes called urban regeneration in the United Kingdom and urban redevelopment in the United States) is a program of land redevelopment often used to address real or perceived urban decay. Urban renewal involves the clearing ...

for the City of Pittsburgh. It is now a mixed-use community, home to

townhomes A terrace, terraced house ( UK), or townhouse ( US) is a type of medium-density housing which first started in 16th century Europe with a row of joined houses sharing side walls. In the United States and Canada these are sometimes known as row ...

and

business park A business park or office park is a designated area of land in which many office buildings are grouped together. These types of developments are often located in suburban areas where land and building costs are more affordable, and are typically ...

s, a

marina A marina (from Spanish , Portuguese and Italian : "related to the sea") is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats. A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo ...

, the Three Rivers Rowing Association, and the

Western Pennsylvania Conservancy The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC) is a private nonprofit conservation organization founded in 1932 and headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. WPC has contributed land to 12 state parks and conserved more than 290,000 acres of natural l ...

. The northern portion of Herrs Island contains a small park with

tennis court A tennis court is the venue where the sport of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the centre. The same surface can be used to play both Types of tennis match, doubles and singles matches. A variet ...

s, a public lawn, and manicured landscapes. A section of the Three Rivers Heritage Trail loops around the island, offering a crushed-gravel pedestrian path with several scenic overlooks of the Allegheny River.

Head of the Ohio

Since 1987, the island and piers have hosted the starting point for the annual

Head of the Ohio The Head of the Ohio, also known as HOTO, is a rowing head race held on the first full weekend of October of each year on the Ohio River and Allegheny River, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is the largest two-day regatta on the Inland Rivers S ...

crew race. The Three Rivers Rowing Association also maintains their

boathouse A boathouse (or a boat house) is a building especially designed for the storage of boats, normally smaller craft for sports or leisure use. describing the facilities These are typically located on open water, such as on a river. Often the boats ...

s on the island.

References

External links

Neighborhoods in Pittsburgh River islands of Pennsylvania Islands of the Allegheny River in Pennsylvania Redeveloped ports and waterfronts in the United States Islands of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Troy Hill (Pittsburgh) {{Pittsburgh-stub