Not only is Eden Hall an amazing campus promoting sustainability, it also has a lot of history behind it. This history is often over looked and not as commonly mentioned in everyday conversation. Eden Hall has significance for past, present, and future generations, and is a staple for the life of Chatham University students.
The original purpose of this beautiful, 388-acre farm was to be a retreat for working women in Pittsburgh. In particular, it was founded for the Heinz factory working women. It was meant to be a place for them to escape the pollution of the city and enjoy fresh air and fun activities. Sebastian Mueller played key roles in making movements for the retreat to be formed. He holds a grand, “rags to riches” story, and has made a lasting impression on Western Pennsylvania.
Mueller and Heinz worked together to make better working conditions for their employees. Features of the original vacation spot, which still exist today, are the retro bowling alley and trails through the woods. The two-lane bowling alley is not electronic; players must re-setup their own pins each turn, and keep score by hand at the score table. This style of play gives modern bowlers a vintage twist on the game, and is pretty fun! The several trails that are still in use and restored each year for the pleasure an appreciation of the users stretch far and wide across the land. A few of them used to actually be horseback riding trails, which is an art Eden Hall would like to bring back out of retirement.
The rich past and transitional present set the future generations of users up for a real treat. Many plans are underway for this up and coming campus. As the horizons grow here, there is still a strong root in history to be proud of. The sustainability students there have a lot to live up to!