Bellevue Borough is richer
today because of the generosity of two sisters who planned a memorial to
their father.
Amanda Bayne Balph and Jane
Bayne Teece bequeathed the old homestead and four acres surrounding it
to the Borough to be used as a library and park. The Library was named
Andrew Bayne Memorial Library in memory of their father, Andrew Bayne
who also was a member of The Constitutional Convention of 1837-38 and
subsequently elected Sheriff of Allegheny County in 1838. Mrs. Bayne was
the former
Mary Anne Matthews, of Butler
County.
Andrew Bayne’s farm house actually sat on a rise of ground
the corner of Teece and Balph Avenues long before the grassy slope had
been cut down to lay out streets. Jane Bayne Teece, married Arthur Teece
in 1880, and widowed four years later, lived in the house now occupied
by the Lawrence Miller Funeral Home. When she died in 1896 all of her
property was left to her sister for life with the provision that after
the sister’s death it would revert to the borough for a park and
library.
The house in the park, which is now known as Andrew Bayne
Memorial Library was the home of Amanda Bayne Balph. Amanda’s husband,
James Madison Balph, a prominent architect of Allegheny County, designed
and built the beautiful Victorian home in 1875. Inside the home, there
are marble fireplaces in each room. His initials are engraved in the
glass transom over the front door. Mrs. Balph, widowed in 1899, lived on
in the big white house until her death in August, 1912, when it became
Borough property.
One of the conditions of the settlement between the
sisters and the borough was that the name of Rogers Avenue be changed to
Teece Avenue in memory of the sisters. The short street now called Bayne
was formally Locust Street. Before 1912 when people talked about Bayne
Avenue they were referring to the present Teece Avenue.
In May of 1914 a Library Committee
consisting of George F.P. Langfitt, A.E. Hummell and J.B. Arthur
announced the opening of two rooms in the old home for use as a library.
Contributes were being taken at this time. Walks were laid out as a
general plan of grading was suggested by Mr. William Faulkner. In 1916,
a swimming pool was built in the part of the park closest to Lincoln
Avenue. Borough Council opened up the old borough well located near the
pool and through the kindness of Councilman Harry Newell, who put the
pump in operation, secured enough good water to fill the pool at no cost
to the borough. Since then, the pool has been removed and a basketball
court occupied the space. The courts are no longer being used but in
time, something new will take their place.
In the early 1920’s a group of women
calling themselves the Bellevue Federation, secured permission to use
the home as a community meeting place. The upstairs rooms were cleaned
and furnished. The women also had tennis courts built. It was on May
29th, 1920, when collections were taken and turned over to the Mothers
of Democracy. With a large audience, in the most impressive manner, on a
perfect day for the ceremonies, twelve trees were dedicated in Bayne
Park as memorials to those boys whose lives were given to the cause of
our always-loved freedom. First there was a parade in which ministers of
the Borough, American Legion, Borough Council, Trustees of the park,
Nurses from the Suburban Hospital, Boy Scouts, members of the G.A.R and
Veterans of Foreign Wars marched from Borough Hall to the Park. A
soldier was stationed at each tree as a guard of honor, and the service
was held in the shade of the beautiful old elm, (The Lone Sentinel)
under whose spreading branches the boys who were to be remembered had
often played. One year later, on May 29th, 1921, tablets bearing the
names of those for whom the trees were planted, were placed at each
tree. On November 29th, 1921, with fitting ceremony, the monument that
sits on the corner on North Balph and Teece Avenue was unveiled and
dedicated to the soldiers of Bellevue. This monument symbolizes a real
manly man, an artisan, a worker (not a warrior hero), but a man of
heroic courage, who fought only when needed and then fought well and
helped bring home a just and honorable victory. It is ten feet high and
the granite pedestal if four feet high, making the monument in all
fourteen feet. The life-like bronze figure is that of a young soldier
with uniform, belt, kit, canteen, and helmet, characteristic of the
World War soldier. Standing with left foot on an anvil, the youthful
soldier appears as no regular fighting man of a military Nation, but as
a youth called from whatever his occupation was. High in his right hand
the soldier holds aloft the symbol of that for which he fought, a winged
figure representing liberty. Inscribed on the pedestal are the words
“Erected by the loyal citizens of Bellevue to their patriotic sons who
served in the World War. They loved peace, but dared to
fight.”
The monument is the work of Giuseppe
Moretti; a Pittsburgh sculptor .The purpose of the statue is to depict
the high courage and resolution that carried the American Doughboy
through the war, in terms of idealism and beauty, rather than uncouth
brutality.
On November 11, 2000, Mr. and Mrs.
Samuel Sokol contributed $10,000 to refurbish the World War I memorial
as part of the annual Veteran’s Day ceremony. Participating in the
ceremony were Mayor Paul Cusick, VFW Post #2454 Commander Michael
Benquista, the Sokols, North Boroughs American Legion Post Chaplain Norm
Sloan and Commander Robert Saracco, Bellevue Council member James
Scisiciani, a representative of the Knights of Columbus, State
Representative Fred Trello and State Senator Jack Wagner
It was on Memorial Day, 1927 that
borough officials participated in the formal dedication of the park and
library to the citizens. Borough officials entered into a contract with
the trustees whereby they will pay the difference between the income
from the fund and the amount that is necessary to operate and maintain
the library. At this time, being two months old, the library contained
approximately 3,000 books, some of which were original gifts from the
libraries of Mrs. Teece and Mrs. Balph. Mrs. W.R. Newell, the librarian,
had issued 954 cards to Bellevue residents. Two little girls were among
the first to take out cards. After Mrs. Newell’s death in 1948, Mrs.
Ruth Zimmer and Mrs. Robert McFeely carried on her work.
In the early 60’s the borough did
extensive renovating in the three library rooms but the books had never
been cataloged and by now the shelves were crowded with books no longer
in demand, many in poor condition. In December 1962, Miss Helen Studer,
Mrs. Thelma Seifert, Mrs. Jeanne Pennrod and Mrs. Harriet Whiting met to
begin the staggering task of updating the collection. Some books were
discarded, many were repaired, but best of all, the entire collection
was catalogued. Mrs. Thelma Seifert and Mrs. Ann McClain were the newest
librarians. John A. Hermann, Jr. was an 84-year-old artist, who lived on
North Harrison Avenue. At one time the upstairs of the Balph home
furnished a display of paintings, a collection of ivory and other art
objects which were left to the borough by the late Mr. Hermann Jr.
Today, there is a museum on Lincoln Avenue named after the late John A.
Hermann Jr. that houses these works of art. In June, 1997 more than 100
family members and friends joined to witness the official unveiling of a
stained glass window located in the stairwell of the library leading to
the second floor. It was in honor of Mary and Harry O’Hare who died just
nineteen days of each other just nine months before. Buck O’Hare along
with other friends and family, former director Suzie Clark, and many
contributes helped establish enough money to have the window installed.
The window features a sketch of The Lone Sentinel. It was chosen because
of its symbolic resemblance to the family name. A medallion surrounding
the tree echoed the “O” in O’Hare; the 12 leaves dotting the panels
around the border – each a little different –
represented
Mary, Harry and their 10
children.
The building, which has been recently renovated, currently
houses more than 14,000 titles, several magazine subscriptions,
reference materials, Internet access (installed in 1995), and also a new
video room including children’s and adult videos. Most of the second
floor is now open to the public. It includes a juvenile room and a
children’s room with many exclusive picture books. The video room is
also located on the second floor. The library is open seven days a week
to provide for the patrons. The newest technology and Internet access
has developed a better place for everyone.
Often the library holds public events for the whole family. For
example, they hold a Victorian Christmas Party for the holidays.
There are also times when the newest director Sharon Helfrich will
do a story time with school children. Employees at the library also
join in on the fun and activities. There is almost always something
fun to do at Andrew Bayne Memorial Library. Whether if it is playing
tennis in the past or reading best sellers now. The park outside
of the library is a great place for parents to have fun with their
children also. There are currently new slides and swings along with
a merry-go-round and lots of other playground adventures. During
the summer months the library holds a Summer Reading Program for
certain age groups.
The building, which has been
recently renovated, currently houses more than 14,000 titles, several
magazine subscriptions, reference materials, and Internet access
(installed in 1995).
The library is a member of Access
PA, the statewide library system.
Information can be found on the
Lone Sentinel, the library's historical elm tree, by clicking here.
In 1998, the O'Hare family donated
a new stained glass window to the library which depicts the tree.
More information and pictures can be found by
clicking here.