Syria Mosque
The Syria Mosque was a performance venue, located in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Constructed in 1911 and dedicated in January 1912,[1] it was designed by Huehl, Schmidt & Holmes architectural firm of Chicago.[2]
Located along Bigelow Boulevard, over the years it held numerous events, mainly highlighted by concerts of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and numerous internationally recognized music performers, as well as political rallies and speeches.
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[edit] Concert events
- February 28, 1920: Enrico Caruso performs just 18 months before his death.
- October 5, 1924: John Philip Sousa
- January 28, 1944: Symphony No. 1 by Leonard Bernstein had its premiere at the center.
- April 28, 1955: Horace Heidt performs at Syria Mosque and MC's a talent competition, all for charity.
- Buddy Holly (four times in 1957-1958)
- Sam Cooke
- Dionne Warwick and Solomon Burke in 1963.[3]
- Bob Dylan in 1966 and again in 1990
- The Who in 1969
- The Band in 1970
- The two-year-old Pittsburgh Ballet Theater opened its first season as a professional organization in 1970.
- The Allman Brothers Band in 1971
- Carly Simon in 1972
- Pink Floyd in 1972
- Frank Zappa in 1974
- Genesis in 1976
- Kansas (band) in October 1976, in a show that was recorded and later broadcast by 102.5 WDVE-FM
- June 14, 1982: The inaugural Mellon Jazz Festival (among other venues).
- August 4, 1983: Count Basie's final public concert performance.
- R.E.M. in 1985 and 1986
- The Bangles in a MTV broadcasted concert 1986[4]
- Jimmy Page in 1988,
- Winger in 1989.
[edit] Political Events
- October 24, 1923: British Prime Minister David Lloyd George.
- January 2, 1944: Harry S Truman
- November 10, 1947: Making international headlines Henry A. Wallace announces he is a candidate for president.
- October 8, 1952: Richard Nixon addressing a crowd of 3,900.
- October 22, 1952: Harry S Truman
- October 27, 1958: Dwight D. Eisenhower
- October 10, 1960: John F. Kennedy
- October 24, 1960: Richard Nixon
- November 4, 1966: The last public appearance by longtime mayor, governor and boss David L. Lawrence.
[edit] Birthplace of Network Television
On January 11, 1949, from 8:30pm to 11pm EST, KDKA-TV (then WDTV and part of the DuMont Television Network) began its initial broadcast on its "network" centered in Pittsburgh. The program began with a one-hour local show broadcast from Syria Mosque, then finished with 90 minutes from ABC, CBS, NBC, and DuMont, featuring stars such as Arthur Godfrey, Milton Berle, DuMont host Ted Steele, and many other celebrities.[5] The station also represented a milestone in the television industry, providing the first "network" of a coaxial cable feed that included Pittsburgh and 13 other cities from Boston to St. Louis.[6]
[edit] Demolition
Despite community efforts to have the building designated a historic landmark, the Syria Mosque was torn down on August 27, 1991. [7], and the site is now a parking lot for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
[edit] References
- ^ Historic Pittsburgh 1912
- ^ Internet Archive, Walter C. Kidney, Dressed for the Occasion: On Electicism, Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation, accessdate 2008-07-25
- ^ Jay Warner, On This Day in Black Music History (Hal Leonard Corporation, 2006):125.
- ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0FP0bQ3j2c
- ^ DuMont History website by Clarke Ingram
- ^ "Eyewitness: 1949 / TV makes Pittsburgh 'A New Promise'". Post-gazette.com. 2010-05-16. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10136/1058239-426.stm. Retrieved 2011-03-29.
- ^ Historic Pittsburgh 1991
[edit] External links
Coordinates: 40°26′44″N 79°57′19″W / 40.445477°N 79.955149°W
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