National Register of Historic Places

Phipps Conservatory

Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Listed
November 13, 1976
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
76001598

About this property

Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is a botanical garden set in Schenley Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a City of Pittsburgh historic landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The gardens were founded in 1893 by steel and real-estate magnate Henry Phipps Jr. as a gift to the City of Pittsburgh. Its purpose is to educate and entertain the people of Pittsburgh with formal gardens (Roman, English, etc.) and various species of exotic plants (palm trees, succulents, bonsai, orchids, etc.). Currently, the facilities house elaborate gardens within the fourteen room conservatory itself and on the adjoining grounds. In addition to its primary flora exhibits, the sophisticated glass and metalwork of the Lord & Burnham conservatory offers an interesting example of Victorian greenhouse architecture. Phipps is one of the "greenest" facilities in the world. The entrance pavilion of the Phipps Conservatory has silver-level LEED certification. Its greenhouse production facility has received Platinum certification, the first and only greenhouse to be so certified. Moreover, the Center for Sustainable Landscapes, designed to be as environmentally sustainable as possible, is also LEED Platinum certified, and produces all of its own energy.

Location

Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
40.43876, -79.94759

Categories

AGRICULTURESCIENCEARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Phipps Conservatory

This page lists Phipps Conservatory. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Phipps Conservatory report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Schenley Park
Listed
0.2 mi
Carnegie Institute and Library
Industrial
0.3 mi
Main Building, U.S. Bureau of Mines
Industrial
0.4 mi
Cathedral of Learning
Industrial
0.5 mi
Fairfax Apartments
Industrial
0.6 mi

Nearby Battles

Braddock's Defeat — Battle of Monongahela
1755Colonial
1.3 mi
Battle of Fort Pitt (Pontiac's War) 1763
1763Colonial
2.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Phipps Conservatory listed on the National Register?

Phipps Conservatory was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 13, 1976.

What type of historic resource is Phipps Conservatory?

Phipps Conservatory is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Phipps Conservatory?

The period of significance for Phipps Conservatory is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Phipps Conservatory?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Phipps Conservatory will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Allegheny County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Allegheny County.

Explore AlleghenyCounty ›

More historic places in Pennsylvania

Browse all historic places in Pennsylvania.

View Pennsylvaniahistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Pennsylvania history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Pennsylvaniahistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Phipps Conservatory will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report