A nearly two-year project by two Quaker Valley youths to bring a public chess space to Sewickley was recently completed.
The ribbon has been cut on the renovated parklet along Walnut Street, which now has a polished stone bench and two chessboards embedded in it.
The project was initiated and funded by chess enthusiasts Sutton Hoehl of Edgeworth and Charlie Pyle of Sewickley.
Both were Quaker Valley varsity soccer players and had made a pitch to the borough in 2024.
Charlie said the strategy board game is a great way to bring people together.
“There’s so much that can come from it,” he said. “Every game is different and it’s a lot of fun to play. It’s something you can easily do with anyone of any age.”
They were able to raise a little more than $8,000 for the project.
Sutton, 18, and Charlie, 17, said fundraising efforts included soccer clinics at the Quaker Valley High School field and at Sewickley Montessori, and chess clinics at the local community center and Masonic Village.
They gave their money to the borough, and officials made the location and vendor selection. Public works crews laid the concrete foundation and installed the bench. The ribbon cutting took place on June 10.
“It feels really good,” Sutton said. “We really like it when we drive by and see people playing. It definitely feels good to see our vision come to life.”
Charlie echoed those comments, noting the effort it took to get everything approved by their local government.
“They were very easy to talk to and it’s not very hard, but government is sometimes slow,” he said. “Sometimes you have to not annoy them, but nudge them a little bit to check on your idea and see how it’s going.”
Councilwoman Bridgett Bates, parks and recreation committee member, served as a liaison between the boys and the borough once the project was underway, and provided regular updates from both sides.
“I’m very pleased for them and pleased that the whole community gets to benefit from their work,” Bates said.
It took between six and nine months to raise the money.
Bates put the onus of project delays on the borough, which took time examining locations.
The boys suggested Walnut Street, Wolcott Park or in front of The Lindsay Theater & Cultural Center. Other spots up for consideration were War Memorial Park and the parks along Chadwick Street and Maple Lane.
“We wanted to make sure there would be foot traffic and accessibility, but we don’t have endless options of public space,” Bates said. “They wanted to do something and they had a plan. When the timeline kept getting pushed out, they expanded what they were doing. They were not sitting back on their laurels.”
Borough manager Donna Kaib said the bench cost about $3,300 and was purchased from Outdoor Workout Supply.
She said the borough received a $2,000 check from the boys and the borough chipped in $1,300.
The boys also purchased a chest to store chess pieces so players did not have to bring their own sets. That has yet to be approved and installed. The remaining funds raised will be put toward other chess-related projects in the community, Sutton said.
The borough acquired the bench this past winter and waited for the weather to break for public works to install it.
“What these two students have done goes far beyond raising money,” Kaib said. “They have helped build a stronger sense of community. Their efforts will bring people together around a shared love of chess and create lasting memories in our park. This park serves as a vibrant community hub. We wanted to activate an underused space and give residents of all ages a shared space to connect.”
A giant tree provides shade to the chess bench. There are a couple of seating areas accented with large umbrellas. Flowers and mulch frame most of the site.
“We weren’t as high on this spot as we were on the others, but we’re really happy they ended up choosing it because they did a little renovation to it,” Sutton said. “I think it looks really nice. It’s a great area. There’s lots of shade here, which we love.”
The chess project was part of an experimental learning project at Quaker Valley High School, a non-graded requirement for graduation.
Experimental learning is an educational process where students develop skills, values and knowledge from direct experiences outside a traditional classroom setting.
Charlie said Bates was instrumental in getting things done.
“We wouldn’t have been able to do it without her,” Charlie said.
Bates hopes to take some chess lessons from the boys later this year.