Panther Hollow Lake

Before Schenley Park was built and Squirrel Hill was heavily settled, there were several tributaries throughout the park and Squirrel Hill which comprised a part of the watershed. Today, the streams in Squirrel Hill are buried, and feed the city sewer system instead of the lake.[1]

The lake was constructed between the years of 1907 and 1909, at around the same time as other infrastructure projects in Schenley Park, like the Panther Hollow Bridge and the tufa bridges. The lake was constructed from an already existing, but small body of water at the site.[3]

Over the years, sediment and silt built up in the lake, raising the bottom of the lake-bed significantly. A major renovation was ordered in 1957 by then‑mayor David L. Lawrence, in which the lake was drained completely, the walls of the lake re-constructed, and the lake re-filled with small shrubs. However, after a 2-year period of shrubs, water was returned into the lake.[4]

Originally, there was a boathouse located on the lake, which provided patrons with a pastime. Ice skating was also popular on the lake up until the 70's.[4]

After many years of neglect, the boathouse was demolished in 1979,[4] and the lake gradually fell out of use with the general public. The lake sediment began to pile up again, rendering the majority of the lake less than 4 feet (1.2 m) deep. Currently, the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy has adopted a plan to bring the lake back to its original splendor; including a full restoration of the lake, a rehabilitation of the watershed, and a reconstruction of the boathouse.[5]