Three descendants of Mary Schenley, the 19th-century Pittsburgh heiress and philanthropist, explored her legacy in a recent visit to Pittsburgh from their home in Britain.
Robert Harbord of Oxford and Jeremy Harbord of Wiltshire, brothers who are great-great-grandsons of Mary Schenley, came to Pittsburgh with Robert’s daughter, Georgie Harbord of London.
The Harbord trio’s visit in early May included a tour of the newly restored Neill Log House in Schenley Park arranged by the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy. The 1795 house is one of the few remaining 18th-century structures in Pittsburgh.
The Harbords’ ancestor was born in April 1826 as Mary Croghan. Her parents were William Croghan Jr. and Mary O’Hara, the daughter of pioneering Pittsburgh businessman and landowner Col. James O’Hara.
She became Mary Schenley in 1842 after marrying, at age 15, Edward W. Schenley, a 43-year-old British military officer who was visiting her New York boarding school. Their elopement and subsequent move to England sent shock waves through Pittsburgh society.
Inheriting the vast estate passed on from her mother, Mary Schenley spent her life between England and Pittsburgh, where she was the largest landowner in Allegheny County. Her bequests are immortalized in Pittsburgh in numerous ways — Schenley Park, Schenley Fountain, Schenley Bridge, Schenley High School.
The Harbords enjoyed digging into the life and history surrounding Mary Schenley. They praised the park legacy that she established.
While it was the first journey to Pittsburgh for Jeremy and Georgie Harbord, Robert paid a visit here 16 years ago.
“Pittsburgh is dripping in history,” he said. “Wherever you look, it’s just simply stunning.”
Tony Indovina, president of the Friends of Neill Log House, hosted a tour for the Harbords on May 2. Friends of Neill Log House is a collaboration of the Squirrel Hill Historical Society and the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition.
The first reconstruction of the home was completed in 1969 by Pittsburgh History & Landmarks after the house collapsed in 1967. The home is situated on the original site with original flagstones.
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Squirrel Hill resident Charlie Stewart, a seventh-generation Pittsburgher and fourth-great-grandson of Robert Neill, joined the tour and showed the Harbords the house and grounds. The house is surrounded by the Bob O’Connor Golf Course in Schenley Park.
Records show that Robert Neill bought the home and land, which he named “Highlands,” in 1787 for 34 pounds, 8 shillings. A natural spring likely made the house appealing to Neill. The restored home features a cedar roof, white oak logs, a loft, two fireplaces and an indoor stone chimney, a rarity of its time. The fieldstone, fireplace and chimney are all original, as is the log above the fireplace.
In 1889, Mary Schenley donated 300 acres to Pittsburgh with the stipulation that the land be “for the comfort of the people and recreation,” be named after her, and never be sold. That land — and the Neill Log House — became a part of Schenley Park.
The Neill Log House will open in July as an educational center, complete with a period garden and landscaping to recreate what life would have been like during the 1700s.
Stewart said meeting Schenley’s descendants was a treat.
“Thanks to Mary Schenley, Pittsburgh has a beautiful, amazingly large park and the log house happens to be a part of that,” he said. “It was fun to see us tied together.”
Serenity blends with scenery
The Harbords enjoyed a lengthy stroll inside Schenley Park’s 456 acres the same day of the log house tour. An encounter with a white-tailed deer was a particular highlight. The deer approached them and bedded down about 10 yards away from the trail.
“It was quite extraordinary!” Robert Harbord said. “I don’t want to get too carried away here, but for me, it was almost as if the deer represented the physical presence of the spirit of Mary Schenley. It was a very special moment in my trip to Pittsburgh.”
Georgie Harbord praised the scenic vistas in the park. “To be here is really special and it puts things in perspective,” she said. “It’s incredible seeing the legacy of my great-great-great-grandmother and seeing how everything has developed.”
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At the log house, reproduction tools and kitchen items were on display, including a 17th-century cupcake-style baking dish and skillet.
“It’s absolutely beautiful to see. It’s unique and it’s a gem,” said Jeremy Harbord.
“This gift of land by our great-great-grandmother and its flourishing park — it’s all remarkable,” said Robert Harbord. “As are the people who have worked over the years to make sure the Neill Log House survives.”
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Additionally, the Harbords attended the annual PNC Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Spring Hat Luncheon on May 4.
The hat-themed fundraiser has raised nearly $12 million since its inception in 1999.
“One of the goals for this trip was to highlight the terrific work done by the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy,” Robert Harbord said.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Schenley Park is the second largest municipal park in Pittsburgh, behind Frick Park.
Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy president and CEO Catherine Qureshi was pleased to host the Harbords.
“Pittsburgh’s parks serve as a connector for so many of us and I’m often amazed by the incredible history found within them,” Qureshi said. “It was an absolute pleasure spending time with the Harbords as they immersed themselves in their family history. The admiration they have for Schenley Park, its storied past and its ties to their family is truly remarkable.”
Joyce Hanz is a native of Charleston, S.C. and is a features reporter covering the Pittsburgh region. She majored in media arts and graduated from the University of South Carolina. She can be reached at jhanz@triblive.com