Click here for more historical photographs and click here for a video from 1941.

 

Frick Park in Pittsburgh is, for the most part, a rugged hilly area left in its original state with hiking trails and some picnic areas but with very little landscaping to change its natural appearance. However one small level portion of the land, which was given to the City by industrialist Henry Clay Frick in 1919, extends into a very nice residential area adjacent to the Frick estate. This part of the park was an ideal location for some type of recreation that might be popular and at the same time be of landscape value in beautifying and enhancing the neighborhood. It was determined that a bowling green would be ideal, and after considerable discussion and research, the Frick Park Bowling Green was planned and work was started in 1935 with the general grading, drainage and other preparatory work. In 1936 the seed bed was prepared and nurtured through 1937. No play was permitted until the following year and the first game was played on Saturday afternoon, May 15, 1938. At the time the club had 33 members and was under the leadership of John H. Elliot, the first President.

Membership quickly increased in the first year and by 1939 the club had 139 members. In 1945 the rolls showed a total of 171 members, including 53 women. This represented 31 percent of the membership. Currently, the women make up 61 percent of our club membership. Women were always an important part of the organization, although in the early years the women and men bowled in separate leagues.

The club house was added in 1940, built under a contract with the National Youth Administration, and lights for evening bowling were added in the 1950’s.

On September 8, 1940 we held our first Inter-City Tournament which was attended by teams from Ashland, East Cleveland, Lorain and New London. In 1941 the club made a trip to East Cleveland for the opening of their new greens. We continue a fine relationship with this club and exchange visits each year for friendly competition for the "Turnpike Trophy." In addition, we travel to Williamsburg, Virginia each spring to compete with their club in the Colonial Challenge Games. Starting in 1998, we initiated a home and home series with the Dupont Lawn Bowling Club in Wilmington, Delaware which has become an ongoing series of tournaments between our clubs.

Although the club was affiliated with the American Lawn Bowls Association (ALBA) from the beginning, there was a period when interest waned and for many years it was an independent club. We rejoined the then-national organizations ALBA and AWLBA (American Women's National Lawn Bowling Association) in 1988 and have enjoyed full membership in both organizations since that time. In 2000, the two organizations merged and formed the United States Lawn Bowls Association (USLBA). Many of our members compete in the tournaments sponsored by the North East Division of the USLBA as well as in the National tournaments each year. Most of our club members participate in our local bowls leagues as well as the open bowling sessions. The club sponsors many tournaments during the season and special games are held on our picnic days celebrating Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day. We have a well rounded schedule of leagues, tournaments and social events.