PITTSBURGH, PA (May 28, 2021) Mayor William Peduto will be joining the Lawrenceville Historical Society and community on Sunday, May 30, 2021 to commemorate the centennial of the neighborhood’s iconic Doughboy statue at the intersection of Penn Avenue and Butler Street.
The Doughboy statue serves as the iconic entryway into the Lawrenceville neighborhood. The community organization at the time, the Lawrenceville Board of Trade, led community fundraising efforts throughout 1918-1919 to commission the statue. It was designed by Allen Newman and approved by the City of Pittsburgh Art Commission in 1920. It was dedicated on May 30, 1921.
Throughout its one hundred years as serving as a symbol of the Lawrenceville neighborhood, the community has worked to preserve the statue. In 1947, it was redesigned to include the names of 2,729 service men and women around the circular plinth that the Doughboy stands atop. There was also a large community effort in the 1980s led by the then-Lawrenceville Citizens Council to refurbish the Doughboy and the surrounding area they called “Doughboy Square”.
Members of the Lawrenceville community continue to promote the preservation and fundraising efforts for the Doughboy statue and work with the City on its maintenance. Mayor Peduto will be joined by the Lawrenceville Historical Society, Lawrenceville Corporation, Lawrenceville United, VFW Posts 214 and 351 and community advocates for the commemoration event.
A video will be produced by the City Channel Pittsburgh from the event with interviews about the Doughboy from key community historians and members that will be available on the City’s YouTube channel.
Motorist may experience some delays near this location during the 12:30 p.m. ceremony as there will be partial closures on Penn and Butler to safely accommodate the audience attendees.
