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The Sewickley Heights History Center Mural
- created by Richard Smith -

An expansive mural featuring key founders and vignettes of their lives was created by Richard Smith, past Sewickley Herald Man of the Year. Spanning two walls, each 10 feet wide by 9 feet high, it took him three years to complete. Smith also has created murals for Sewickley Academy, Allegheny Country Club, and the Watson Institute.

The History Center's mural, located above the arched entrance to the Wilpen Farm Theater, contains various icons of Sewickley Heights. In the right hand corner is the late G. Whitney Snyder Sr. who established the center.

The history center is built on land original to the Snyder family farm and looks across to Wilpen Hall, the estate built in 1899 for William Penn Snyder. In the mural, Mr. Snyder is pictured at age 15 with his first car, an American Austin, that is now kept at the center. Some of Mr. Snyder’s other cars are kept at the Frick Museum in Point Breeze.

Among the industrial leaders who summered in Sewickley Heights are John and Adelaide Burgwin who founded the Sewickley Hunt Club in 1921. Henry Oliver and his daughter Edith Oliver Rea are shown alongside his famous Farmhill garden. The Heeley Carriage which is shown in the mural at an Allegheny Country Club horse show is kept at the center.

A view of the club’s sporting life is also represented: The 1906 U.S. Amateur Golf Championship whose title was won by Evan Byers, the 1914 Davis Cup tennis championship, and the equestrian life as depicted with the side-saddle rider.

One can also see the Gate House of J.F. Byer's estate, Goodwood. Goodwood later became the H.J. Heinz home and was torn down in 1989. B.F. Jones' father is featured near an interior view of the Fairacres II living room. One can also see a representative water tower which was commonly in use on many of the Sewickley Heights estates. Smith also painted the Palladian poolhouse at the Hillside Farm owned by Louis Parks. He included a sphinx which today still sits on a gate column of Fairacres estate and can be seen from Blackburn Road. A ladle, pouring out liquid steel, symbolizes its importance in Pittsburgh's and Sewickley Heights Borough's history and development. Interspersed among the historic figures are paintings of many plants and animals native to the area.