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Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation450 The Landmarks BuildingOne Station SquarePittsburgh, PA 15219-1 170

Address Correction Requested

Non-Pro{it Org.U.S. POSÏ{GE

PAIDPittsburgh, Pa.

Permit No. 598

No. 117 Spring l99l

Education NewsSmall History: What the BooksWill Never KnorvArtifacts Recall Industrial PastPreservation Scene

Pittsburgh ArchitectureEvents

Published for the members of the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation

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Working for the Future of Our City

n order for historic preservation toflourish, our city must be prosperous. Weneed good transportation systelns, we needrapid access to the new airport, we need newbusi¡resses, and job-creating industries. Wealso ¡reed a clean environment and goodanrenities.

The Pittsburgh Histoqr & LandmarksFounclation has ther"elore been very rnuchconcerned with the luture ol our city. Ourstall is palticipating in a uurnber ol ellortsto create growth and to improve the GreaterPittsburgh area in a variety o[ r'espects.

Landnrarks is now contributing to tl.re

Allegheny County 2001 plan. We haveworked diligently to support a high-speedconnection to the airport; wejoined theSouthwestern Pennsylvania Transit Coali-tion, and the eflort to develop the ThreeRivers Heritage Trail, a jogging and bicy-cling path from Herris Island to the WestEnd Bridge to the Sandcastle park. We havelaunched an effbrt with the Grcater Pitts-burgh Convention & Visitors Bureau topromote international travel and greater use of Pitts-burgh as a convention city, and we are participatingwith the Greater Pittsburgh Olhce of Promotion in theefforts to light Pittsburgh's bridges. We have also takenthe lead in trying to create the Pittsburgh riverlrontregional attraction rnarketing progr¿un.

At Station Square, we are creatilrg a special riverlrontpark as a lrontispiece to a newdevelopment cluster, developing ariverwal k oI industrial arti lacts,and translonrring the StationSquare Transportation Museuminto the Riverwalk Center.

For all groups we offbr toursoI the architecturally-significantbuildings and historic neighbor-hoods ofPittsburgh, and we pub-

d#l

Our work continues with the Pittsburgtr CorrrmunityReinvestr¡ent Group, an association ol 24 neighbor-hood organizations, to obtain ruore sources of lendingin order to restore housing in inner-city neighborhoods.Landurarks provides loans and small grarrts to coÍnlìru-nity groups lor their restoration ellorts, particularly lorIow-to-modemle income people, and we support local his-

torical and preservation ellortsthroughout the county, lromCollie¡ Township to BethelPark, from the Hill Districtto Woodville.

Directly and indirectly, preser-vatiou is tlre work o[nrany, manypeople and organizations. Preser-vation is as much tied to the

Som.e fou,r deca.des diuíde tbese lwo uieuls tou)ard lhe

Poitxt, tbe upþer ol lhe late '80s, the loael.fi"om aboul

1950. La.txdffiarks bas existed tnost oÍ tbß lùne, auentpt'ítxg to saLre tbe best lrom llefore tbe Rettaßsance"

"Preservation is as m.uclt

. tied to the future life

of this city as it is to

the past . ."

lish handsomely-illustrated books and brochures popular-izing tire history and architecture ofthe Pittsburgh region.

In addition, we continue to support the Steel lndus-try Heritage Task Force, whose goal is to cievelop theCarrie Furnace/ Pinkerton Landitrg Site as a nationalmonument and rnuseum, ancl the History Center pro-posed by the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania.

future lile of this city as it is tothe past; as preservationists we need to make a contrr-bution to our area, not only through our preservationwork so that our buildings themselves contribute to ahigh-quality environment but to those endeavors wlrichwill nrake our city more prosperous, lllore educated.and therelore more committed to pr-eserving the bestol our past. --Arthu' P. Ziegler. .lr.

Ph1tos 14 Cllde I'lare

Page 2 PFILF New.s Spring l99l

ffiNItrV/S

Welcome [Vetu MembersDale R. AnclersRex A. AndcrsonJohn BaxterMr. & Mrs. Willianr BirdMs. Caroline BoyccDr. & Mrs. Tirnothy Alden Brorvn

& Þ-anrilyAlbert BurgunderMr. & Mrs. Charles Chcwning

& FarnilyMs. Harrict P CoopcrCountry McadowsCarmen P. DiCiccioÂlonzo GilmoreMs. Nacline IJilvickJohn R. Hoebler

In MemoriamWe extend our deepest syrnpathies to Siclney M. Rulhn and his larnily ontlre passing of his wile Flarriet, who served as a trustee olthe PittstrurghHistory & Landmarks Foundation.

Mls. Iìulfirn was a urarvelous woman, quiet and thoughtlul, and atthe sarne tirne reacly to enjoy lile and help others experience a good lile as

well. As a tnlstee, she brought thoughtfulness and consistency to ourpolicies.

At the request ol the Rulfìn family, a rnemorial ftrnd has beenestablished at Landmarks in Mrs. Ruffin's memory. We are pleased tothank the lollowing people and organizations who have contributed tothe rnemorial hrnd: Mr. ancf Mrs. Charles R. Altrnan; The AnirnalRescue League of Western Pennsylvania; the David R. Durr Family; Mrs.Jolrn T. Galey; Denise D. Hunkele; Mr. and Mrs. Torrence M. IlunL, Sr.;Mr. ar.rd Mrs. Thomas P. Johnson; Margaret P. Joy; lra S. Lefton; GeorgeD. Lockirart; Bob and.lanet McCartney; Karl G. and Peggy McGhee;Miss Viola.l. Mercer; Mr. and Mrs. Frank Brooks Robinson; Don Rose,Jr.l Maly Jane Seanra¡rs; Mr. and Mrs. Edward H. Sipe; Square KnightsTreasury; Mr. and Mrs. Joshua C. Whetzel; Mr. and Mrs. F.B. Wirner;and Thonras D. and Vilginia P. Wright.

lYqa at Landmøt ksAlbert M. Tannler joined Landnrarks' staff on January 2nd. He willspend a lar-ee part of his time on the formidable task olputting ourIibrary and fìles in order', having lìrst set aside what we clo ¡zo¡ want andfound proper recipients. In tirne, the archival and library work now doneby Walter Kidney will be lalgely itr his hands.

Mr. Tannler holds undergladuate ancl graduate degrees from Franklinand Marshall College and the University of Chicago. He is the autl.ror o[Otte in SpirÌl: A Relrospcctit'e l/ietv o.[lhe Universillt of Chicttgo, Based ontlte Rccords of the Unit,e rsit1, Archives. His other publiðations as anarchitectural historian incltrde articles on the archilects Dwight FI.

Perkins and Frank LIoyd Wright. Prior to joining Laudtnarks, he workedlol the Chicago atchitectural-engineering firrn olSargent & Lundy, andthe Departrnerrt ol Special Collections ol the University ol ChicagoLibrar"y. He has ser"ved as president of the Chicago Chapter of theVictorian Society in Anrerica, aud on the Board of Directors of HistoricArchitectural Resources ol Illinois and the Hyde Park l-Iistorical Society.

DortationsThe Pittsburgh I-Iistory & Landmarks Foundatiot.r wishes to thank thelaw fìr'm ol Alter, Wright & Barron lor the gilt of a nine-by-six-lootenlargeurent of a photographic view ofPittsburgh, c. 1896.

PPG Industries, Inc. has clonated two plales of building glass to be

trsed witlr l.andmarks' education programs, Architedure: The BuildingArt 'at1d Portohle Pitt,sburgh. The glass will be used to delnotrstrate con-struction materials and design principles to area school children duringour in-school programs.

Mr. Dennis Kelly has donated a computer board to be iucluded in thePortable Pítt.shrrgh kit of antiques and artilacts.

PIILF Nev,s is a quarrerly puhlication ttl'theP i t t.s b u r g h I:{ i,s t o r ¡, & La nch n ar ks Fo un tl a I io tt.

Artlrur P. Ziegler. Jr. . . .PrcçidentLouise KirrgFergusou .....Editor/Exet:ttliv l)irettotDianc DeNardo Dir¿c'tor ol Edtrcotiort <Q Morkctitt.q

Mary Lu l)cnny . . . . Dircclor of A4ettrhcr'sltip Sclll¿¡'sWaltcr C. l(idney . . .Arcl¡itat;tuntl llistorianStanlcy A. Lou,e . . . Director of llrc Prescrvaliott IimclAlbert M. Tannler ... .Art'ltivistSusan K. Donley. ....Edutnliott Consttllottl

GrcgPl,tlik . '..l)csigner

Richard O. Hommel & FamilyMrs. James Pinckney KinardRichard Lohrneyer.loseph G. Ludwig, Jr'.

Mr. & Mrs. Bluce C. PetersSt. Lco SchoolJohn ShatlanSouth Side Câtholic SchoolBradlord H. ThonrasMs. Carol Tobin-LewisTowcrs, Perrirr, Forstcr

& Crosby, Inc.Mrs. Audrey K. WaiteSandra L. WillianrsMarc Zelenski & Fanrily

Aborc; ll.te Racer ltofore ll47

ri ,1:;¡i1i:.

:.:,!:.,::',.

Once Aroundthe TiackIn a recent issue of PIllFNett'.ç, we men-tioned the restoration of the entrance to theRacer, Kennywood's roller coaster ol 1921.

Now Kennywood has ler.rt us lour photo-graphs that provide an object lesson inimage-upgrading and the vicissitucles oftaste. In sequence, we have the Racer as itwas lronr 1927 to 194'i, though vr'e are unsure

that the squared-offside doorways are in the

original fonn. From 1948 to 1959 the effectwas a little tltat of a World's Fair pavilionbefore the war, with wl-tat appears to be

:"g;;di;'il;;sh';i';t;;.å;'.ni rsoo jii, I

¡ through 1988 saw somethìng a lot less I .' ì:i' Í:i.',itnrougn lyöÕ saw sulllçLrrrrrB 4 rvr rçòr .. 1., ,.'.ì1.:T

inspircd. In 1989, though, the Racer's -:iri i'ilientìance returneci, largely or wholly, to its'originai form, a light-hearted version ol the

Union Station rotunda either by chance orintention. Will this be enough lol the Racer,

or are we in, sooner or late¡ lor anotherstylistic go-arouncl?

The Hampton Housea historic landmark

less than l0 minutes from Downlown Pittsburgh102 Rockrldge road ln R68 Townshþ

The Hampton House expresses itself with eight foot French doors, largeballroom with fine French mirrors, ltalian marble fireplaces, five bed rooms,all on four acres of ground with a 3 stall barn, riding trails and pastures.

For Sale Throu

The Prudential ffi,Preferred Realty

The Nation's Fastest Growíng Real Estate Network.Lind¿ Buckart, 9401 McKnisht Road, Pittsbwßh, PA 15237 36'7-80m

in. recetxl ),ears, an.d beloto, as resþred.

Spring 1991 PHLF News

' .'1:'':

Page 3

Announcing the Portable Pittsburgh

Education f{ews

Hands-On HistoryFestivalLandmarks' fìfth Hands-On History Festivalwill take place on Saturday, May 4, l99lfrom 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Tþachers receivedtheir registration nraterials in February and

bave Lregun to coordinaf.e the stt¡dent/classpro.iects on the architecture,history, and heritage o[Pittsburgh and WesternPennsylvania. If you havenot yet received Festival in-formation but would like to,please call Diane DeNardo(471-5808). It is not too lateto involve your school inthis year's Festival.

This year's Festival will alsooffer rrany hands-on activitiesfor visitors. Old lavorites suchas antique car rides ancl design-ing gargoyle nrasks will return, whilenew activities including the construction ol'architectural columns will l¡e oflered.

Anyone intelested in receiving inlorma-tion on participating in the Festival, oradults intelested in volunteering to work attheFestival, rnay call Diane DeNardo.

wQED-PHLFTire Pittsburgh History & Landmarks For¡n-dation has lornled an excellent working rela-tionship with WQED. We began a year âgowhen WQED produced a wonderful televi-sion program on Pittsburgh churches, .É1oþPittsburgh. This was the fìrst in theirPittsburgh history documentary series. Welollowed the progranr with a guided tour,"For the Truly Devoted," to variouschurches; many people attendecl. We ofleredthe tour again with the rebroadcast o[theprogram, and continue to work on a majorbook on Pittsburgh's religious architecture.

Last lall, Landmarks lrosted a receptionand dinner lor lriends ol WQED to see thepreview oltheir excellent new lìhn onPittsburgh bridges called The Bridge ÍoNowhere. On .lanuary 23 we co-hosted areception at the Pennsylvanian lor a previewol their latest television documentary W),\¡eAvenue.Da)¡s, with live broadcasting onWAMO throughout the evening.

V/e look lorward to a continuing relation-ship with WQED, ollering research assist-ance, arranging more tours, and possiblycreating some publications in conjunctionwith their production of clocunrentariesleaturing local histoly and archilecture.

Antxe-Maríe Lubenãu, a uolulxleer in Landmarks'Architects in the Schoolsprograrn, Øorþs wíth astudenl Íronx Cþarliers Elemennry. i

i

In January, students at Wexlord ElementarySchool had the opportunity to get theirlrands on the built environment with thetraveling exhibit, Architecture: The BuildingArt. t\s part of the exhil¡it's monthJong stayat the school, volunteer architects KenDoyno, Stelani Ledewitz, Ken Nagie, andCharles Wellington spoke to fir-st, second,fourth, and fìlth grade students about theirprolession. The Arcldtects-in-tlrc-Sclnolsbrought along sketches, models, blue prints,slides, and other tools ol the trade to aid intheir presentations. Alter the prográms,students asked the darndest questions:

"Ila client likes a design and youbuìld the building and then theychange their mind and don't like it orwant it what do you do?""Wlry don't architects just find pic-tures ol buildings they like and designthe sarne thing? What is your lavoritebuilding you clesigned? Did a buildingyou design ever lall down?"

And olcourse, tlre nrore traditional ques-tions:

"How much money do you make?How old are you?"

The exhibit will be traveling to LibraryElernentary in April and Sewickley's Frank-lin Elernentary in May. Schools or groupsinterested in receiving inlon¡ation about thetraveling exhibit rnay call Diane DeNardo at471-s808.

Portable Pittsburglt is now well into its thirdyear as an in-school program. Our newestdocents, Scott Baird, Judith Belmont,Catherine Boyle, Lili Byrer, Vicki Forbes,John Jezek, Jeanne Kaufmann, Sandi Lewis,Verna McGinley, and Clare Seman havejoined returning docents Mary AnnEubanks, Bob Jacob, Betty Pakula, LindaPelan, and Nancy Stewart in presenting area

school children with the trrour-longprogrâm highlighting thehistory of Pittsburgh and

Western Pennsylvania.Docents give an aver-

age oî 25 presentationsper rnonth and have suc-cesslully adapted the

program lor adult groupsas well as for higlr schoolchildren. Among those

schools most recently participatingin the program are: Bethel Park High

School, Ben Avon Elenrenlary, HolidayPark in Plum Boro, Jeflerson Elementary

in Mt. Lebanon, South Sicle Catholic, WestView in Morningside, and William Penn inMonongahela.

Schools or groups interested in receiving abroclrure abo\tL Port(tble Pittshurglt may callDiane DeNardo at 471-5808.

Tour Docent TrainingVolunteers are now training to becomeLandmarks'newest tour docents. During theten weeks of training, the docents will beintroduced to the history and architecture ofPittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania. Theywill view historic slide shows, tour down-town Pittsburgh, many historic neighbor-hoods and landmarks, andlearn how to lead a tour lorboth adults and school chil-dren. The'All-City Tour,""Highs and Lows ol Pitts-burgh," and church tours arejust some of the rnany tours thedocents will be prepared toleac{.

Teachem or groups interestedin receiving inlormation onLandmarks' tours may callMary Lu Denny at 471-5808.

&tsan, llead, a, docet?|,

Ltolds one r{ lhe "nU,sle1'artíÍacts" itx l/.re PortâblePittsbrrrglr progranr - ali"(e prescnter.[rotn. art oldriûef sleãn.et:

ai.,:

,4lleghenyCemerery

.4 Romantic

architecture, and landscape of AlleghenyCemetery. Founded in 1844, Allegheny Cem-etery is an unexpectedly ronrantic place inPittsburgh, so long an industl"ial city.

Through this book, you will be able toexplore and enjoy the300-acre cemetery andgain a sense ofPittsburgh's history.

The 176-page hardbound book includesan historic essay and guide to 192 significantburial places and cemetery buildings. It isillustrated with 364 illustrations; 50 of those

are color photos. The majority ol the photo-graphs are by Clyde Hare, one ol Pitts-burgh's best known photographers.

If you ru\sh to order a copy, please compleleI h e o rd er .[o r nt b e lov'.

BOOK ORDER FORMAlleglrcny Cemetery: A Rontanlic Landscape

in. Pittslturglr

Please mail copies at $34.95 each.

Price l'or book(s)

Plus 6'% sales tax

Plus 52.00 per bookl'or shipping and handling $

Total Due $

Please enclose a check payable

Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation450 The Landrnarks BuildingOne Station SquarePittsburgh, PA 15219 -1170

Please reference the check"Allegheny Cemetery"

Please give us your mailing address and we

will promptly mail a copy to You.

Name

Address

$

s

to:

Thank you for your book order'

PHLF News Spring l99l

ü

Sbops as nmrzy renxanxber tbem.

Small History:\ryhat the Books Witt Never KnowWLtlter C. Kiútey

It matters nothing to Pittsburgh ingeneral that Ecldie Quong's HandLaundry occupied l12 Meyran Avenuefrom the late 1930s until a year or twoago, that the New Oakland Tailor,Kerrigan the PlumbeE and the LibertyBarber Shop were its neighbors ar"ound1940, and that the New Oakland Tailoris still at No. 116. Facts on this scale hadmeaning though to a small boy living atFifth Avenue and Lothrop Street a half-block away, since these small businessesbelonged to the scenery ofhis life; andof course they had other meaning tosuch Oaklanders as had need ol theirservices.

But most history is of this infinitesi-mal sort. Out there are billions of possi-ble perceptions that an individual mayor may not note, react to, make patternsof, and remember morc or less correctlyas elements of a personal history. Thesecurrent experiences and the resultingmemories and associations may beshared with others, friends, family,neighbors, though each will see thesame thing in a different way. Should aplace the size of a neighborhood remainstable and healthy, it grows a historyand a geography of a subtle kind, withinstitutions that are unincorporated andlandmarks imperceptible to outsiders,based largely on the continuity of thehuman element: individual people, theirpersonalities, their rcputations, their

"The lústory of a place ß like

a cable corüinuing front the past

inlo llte future, made up of,çtrands tlml vary enorntously

in lrcavùrcss and leþgth. . ."

l

jobs, where they live, where they work,etc., all creating a complexity of organi-zation and, so to speak, an invisibletexture peculiar to the neighborhood.

Things change. Oneself and others,quite visibly, and also the setting ofo¡re's life. The old Ligonier block iscovered in asphalt. The luminaires ofthe street lights go from mercury tosodium vapor, and the street changescolor at night. An old business movesout, the shop is vacant, then a newbusiness moves in. The change, thoughincessant, is usually small-scaled so thatcontinuity remains. One is still at home.

To expect much in the way ofarchitecture in any random neighbor-hood is futile. There may or may not behandsome individual buildings, isolatedwell-designed objects such as warmemorials, but in the neighborhood as

we have been considering it such things

are one possible element of experienceamong many. One may hope of coursethat new building, happening bit by bit,will be genuine architecture that in-creases the neighborhood's beauty andvisual character according to its specialpotenti4l. On the other hand, a grandurban design such as those we saw inthe 1950s and'60s can take no cog-nizance of the multitude of subtle thingsthat have evolved in the neighborhood.The history of a place is like a cablecontinuing from the past into thefuture, made up of strands that varyenormously in heaviness and length,and an Allegheny Center project cutsthe cable almost completely across -claiming, to be sure, that its fibres werehopelessly rotted. As the same work ofurban renewal witnesses, the grand plandoes not guarantee a superior architec-ture in compensation for what it hastaken away.

In reaction to such urban renewal wehave seen, in the last quarter-century,the rise olhistoric preservation of akind and to an extent hardly known be-fore. Taken to an extreme this can be avery rigid and reactionary affair, havingabout it the sad implication that therecan be no truly $ood modern architec-ture, at least ofa sort that can fitharmoniously into old neighborhoodsof considerable beauty. And, in truth,the implication seems justified if you

MEnatx Auenue itz lppl, and a lllodøtt-islic daorwat¡ on Carson Stl.eet.

Gd{Fn^æ flu\Ëll D*-.æÉv6Èræ

Spring 1991 PHLF News Page 5

.i'f

iü

Thè origína.l Alleghøt-y Town, a lbír"d oJ a ntíle square'

underwent urban renewat beginning irt 1961: almost

toMI destructionÍollowed by rtew buildíngsfor tteú

i:i

'I

ii:i' i

look at the western part of Shadyside,Murdoch Farms, and certain places ,

along East Carson Street; there, the newdiflers from the old in appearance -natural enough - but also clashes withit, which should not be necessary. Theternptation to "designate" such a neigh-borhood as historic, subjecting itsvisible buiiding history to ligorousofficial control, is powerful. Yet oddlyenough this threatens to do what urbanrenewal has also done - stop theneighbolhood's historical process,albeit only as regards what the eyecalt see.

rrlI f,. i¿.ul is to let change occur, but

by various meaÍìs ensure that thechange is for the good. Articulatingsuch a vague expression as "for thegood" leads us down a number ofpathways, not ail of them involvinglegislation. In neighborhoods wheremorale is low, where trust ancl respeatare lacking, the situation has to berernedied, and tl,is probably has to bedone mostly lrom within, lry the inhabi-tants themselves. A neighbolhoodwithout morale can hardly be said tohave a character or a history; it is achaos in which incidents occur. Asregards handsome or at least charac-teristic architecture left over from thepast, a conservative approacl't needs tobe encouraged rather tiran mandated.The public needs to be shown what theyhave, what is pleasant about the in-dividual buildings and how, together,they rnake a good streetscape: where itis possible, the neighborhood should beconvinced to be ploud of wirat it hasgrowll up with, and leplace it only whennecessary. (And yet, assuming tl-rat anybuildings oI wider geograplric impor-tance are pr"rt under some sort of pro-tection, it should be admitted that theremainder arc, after all, the neighbor-hood's own business.)

Architects and builders should besimilarly educated, and find out how tobuild lor the individual places wheretheir commissions lie; there is much tobe done here. The pr.rblic shor.rld coureto know the look of good ¿rtchitectuleand the leqnirements ol good planning,and demand these. In the case ol large

new projects, nelvcomers to theland-scape and the skyline, fashionabie formsor inteliectual exercises should not beaccepted as sufficient: the designsshould be specifìc to the locations, and,we can hope - this is a matter ofchairce as much as calculatior-r - beaccepted by the public as a genuinecontribution to tlre half-seen, half-feltquality of the community it calls home.As regards the built environment, thePittsburgh Renaissance was too purelyobjective, too exclusively committed tomatters like economics, housing, andtraffìc that its experts were trained tocomprehend, and in addition almostcommitted to a historic rootlessnessthat wanted to put the past aimostwholly behind.

There are those whose true home is a

bank account or a career, and for whomthe scene outside or even inside theliving-room window means nothing.lVhat has been said here, obviously, is

for the others who wish to live in oneplace and h¿rve an interest in its essen-tial stability everl as it changes; andespecially for those rvho note andrespond to the subtleties of its small-scale history. I

The Lou,er |lill ltefore tlse clearances begatt itt 1956,

and u¡lsal reþlaced il.

rt PHLF News Spring

Arlifacls of au,esome size are alreadl, on si¿e at StationSqtm,? au,cliring in,stallaliott along the Riuertualle.Sl¡otLtn l¡ote are: a lock gate necl.tanisn-front the DaúisIsland Lock and Danx of IBB5; tlæ CCX Bt'aebtmtAIIoyelectric sleel funxace; a 45-Ioo! uaautnt. touter shounbere irt ils original locctt¡ofl al Freedoû7; a,x itlgot mold

lor caslit|g steel; a brick press.fiont Ilarbßon-lValþerRefractories; a VeslitzBbouse Eleclríc ge,terator tþlora|ñ sla¡or sectio,t; a Ltot-,netil car. a,Id Uþo blast

firrnace belk and hoplser rhtg.

brick þress

ûacilum lnúer

blastlunøce belk and hopper ring

lock gate nzecbanßm

rotor a.nd stator seclion

irxgol mold

bot-metal car

sleel.fumace

ARTIEACTS RECALL II\IDT]STRIÁor the past several years, thePittsburgh History & LandmarksFoundation has been rescuing

i¡rdustrial artifacts from the scrap yardsand seeking artifact donations from ma-jor corporations. Quite a collection hasaccumulated at Station Square; massiveindustrial objects can be found in sever-al pockets ofvacant land, particularlyunder the Fort Pitt Bridge. While theartifacts lie waiting, G. Whitney Snydeçchainnan of Landmarks' lndustrialArtifact Riverwalk Committee, and ourstaff have been developing a masterplan to display these artilacts along a"Riverwaik" at Station Square.

The Riverwalk at Station Square willbe over a mile long, stretching from thePanhandle Railroad Bridge to belowthe Fort Pitt Bridge. Through a dramat-ic display of industrial artifacts, theRiverwalk will teil the story of Pitts-burgh's inclustrial heritage. The artilactswill be explained through text and pic-tures. Simply by being massive and curi-ous objects, they will create a river walk

Tl.te clnrd secliorr ttonl NerL, York CitJt's Hell GaleBridge

full of drama.All Pittsburgh's basic industries -oil, coal, coke, iron, steel, aluminum,

paint, glass, electrical goods, food -will be represented, as well as river andrail artifacts. Artists from CarnegieMellon University's College of FineArts are working with Mr. Snyder'scommittee and Landmarks to dramatizethe display of artifacts through speciallighting and sound techniques.

From the very inception of StationSquare in 1976, Landmarks saw inindustrial artifacts a means of holdingpublic attention and giving a vivid senseof the past of this region. One of thelast extant Bessemer converters, frotnthe A.M. Byers plant in Ambridge, wasa remarkable early donation of twoindividuals and was re-erected by theAssociation of Iron and SteelEngineers. From the Jones & LaughlinSteel Corporation came large foundrypatterns; from tlre Port Authority ofAllegheny Courrty, a railroad block sig-nal; from various individuals and foun-dations, railway rolling stock and themeans of restoring it; lrom the Pitts-burgh Engineer District, a lock gategear from the hrst Ohio River dam;from Crucible Steel, the first electric-arcsteel furnace in the United States. Sta-tion Square also acquired the wheel oflhe Jason, the last sternwheel steamtowboat built.

Recently, Alcoa donated a smeltingpot. A brick refractory press and theCrucible furnace are now along the trainplatform near the ten-ton Bess-Emer

converter. A massive steam engine, aWestinghouse turbogenerator, a rollstand, and a hot-metal car are amongother artifacts awaiting installation.

On November 28,1990, our hrstpetrolgrrm industry display, a 45-footvacuum distillation tower, arrived fromthe Ashland Oil refinery at Freedom, onthe Ohio River in Beaver County. TheFreedom Oil Company began opera-tions at Freedom in the 1850s, ancl adistillation tower o[ 1929 may seem like

a rather recent piece of equipment. Yetthis was an innovative device in its time,successor to the old batch still that wasnot much more tlran a closed kettle. Asgiven to us by tlie Ashland Oil Com-pany tlre tower is in several piçces, lorreassembly at a later date. This gift is allthe lnore welcome because it is specifirc

to this area, intended to transformPennsylvania crude into, among otherthings, Valvoline motor oil.

rt nother highly interesting petroleumla- installation will come from QuakerState: a Reid hit-and-miss gas engine of c'

1900, pump jack, and other machinery forpumping wells. These will be in workingorder.

Iüy'e have also secured a section of the

bottom chord of the Hell Gate Bridge,kept as a display at the AmericanBridge Co. plant at Ambridge' The sec-

tion is a handsome object in itself, and

Spring 1991

. I jtl*.

PHLF News P'age7

J ÏITST

gives a hi¡t of the power and mass ofthe bridge, which connected the Penn-sylvania Railroad with New England.The bridge was designed by two menwith strong Pittsburgh associations,Gustav Lindenthal and Henry Horn-bostel; a good account, "The EighthBridge," appears in the January 14Netv Yorker.

One of the largest and most impres-sive of all the artilacts thrrs lar is to be

Bæsem.er Cottrl al Sla.tion. Squa.rg uilb Lbe tenlonBessemer conuertq and lhe wbeel of tbe Jzson, ll)e laslsternuheel sleanx towboat bt.till.

installed this spring. It is a Mesta verti-cal blast-furnace blowing engine, circa1900, one ofseveral that supplied thewind for Shenango Furnace Companyblast furnaces in Sharpesville, PA. It issteam-operated, stands over four storieshigh, is equipped with two 24'f1y-wheels, and weighs approximately 600tons.

Finally, the Casey Equipment Corpo-ration has just donated an early four-strand continuous billet caster, com-plete with tundish, curved mold, extrac-tor, and table rolls. This unit is to betransported to Station Square in thenext several weeks.

The Station Square TransportationMuseum will be redesigned, renamed,and opened as the Riverwalk Center inthe East Warehouse, notv partiallyoccupiçd by the Pittsburgh Sports Gar-den. In the new center, transportationobjects will be used to explain how theraw materials created by Pittsburgh'sgreat industries were ultimately used,and the overall plan of the Riverwalkwill be interpreted. In addition, this newfacility will further serve to dramatizethe growth of the basic industries thatPittsburgh has pioneered over the years,

It will also serve as a tribute to our city,its people, and the cultural advancesthat they have made through industry.

The Riverwalk will broaden into ,

"River Plazal'funded througlr a $4.1million grant from the Scaife FamilyFoundation. Through its curvilinearwalkways and terraces, River Plaza willprovide a distinct and separate environ-ment.

The cost for the entire Riverwalkproject is approxirnately $19 million,including artifacts valued at $2 millionand the Riverwalk Center. Fund-raisinglor the remaining $13 million will beginthis year. I

nþo Schaa.rîz brass-meltingfumaceq dannîed to Land-marks b1t Sbenango Furnnce Companlt ín 1987 nowrest under the Fort Pitt Bridge, au)aílw installalionalong tbe Riuørualk.

Industrial ArtifactsRiverwalk Committee

G. Whitney Snyder, Chairmanchairntan, S henango Furnace Compan.y

Donald C. Burnhamretired president and CEO, WbstínghouseElectríc Corporation

Charles E. Halfdirector of markeltng, Telesis CornputerCorporation

Torrence M. Hunt, Sr.retired vtce-president, Ålcoa' '

James E. Leeretù'ed cÛo, Gulf oíl corporatíon

Ronald G. Madarsenior úce-president, Della Femina, WCRS,Inc.

Eugene A. Marchretired prcsitlenl, Cr¡tcible Steel Contpany ofA¡ne rica

Eugene B. Mosiergroup úce-president, PPG hldustries, Itxc.

Lawrcnce L. Smithre l.îred producliotl manager, Engineertng andCon.¡ Í ru c I ion D i vi,çi on, Koppers Company :past presidenl, Engineer's Society of llestentPennsylvania

Organizations Co-sponsoring andActively Supporting theRiverwalk and River Plaza

American Society lor Metals

Association oflron and Steel Engineers

College of Fine Arts, Carnegie MellonUniversity

Eastern States Blast Furnace and Coke OvenAssociation

Engineer's Society ol Western Pennsylvania

Partners lor Livable Places,Vr'ashington, D.C.

The Waterlront Center, V/ashington, D.C.

The Ir-75 altnninunx redLßliorx þot dondlßd W Alcoa,

heùtg tr.ssønhled, trcãr lhe GaleuaJ) Cliþþor rarnÞ.

Thís editorial appeared in låe PittsburghPost-Gazette on Monday, February 4, 1991,

and is reprinted with permission.

Steel Relics,City Backdrop

Putting Pittsburgh's industrial heritage ondisplay woulcl be an achievement in itself.But to incorporate it in a river walkway withlandscaping, outdoor eating areas and thecity skyline as a backdrop would dramatical-ly illustrate the kind of place wrought by theage ofiron and steel.

That is the $12 million plan for PittsburghHistory & Landmarks Foundation's parkalong the Monongahela River at StationSquare. It deserves the community'ssupport.

The foundation already has received a

$4.1 million grant from the Scaife FamilyFoundation to be used on the "River Plaza"section of the project, a park that wouldstretch 1,500 feet between the GatewayClipper Fleet dock and the Fort Pitt Bridge.The proposed park would feature a series ofterraces, curvilinear walkways and a restau-rant with patio dining facing the GoldenTriangle.

To both sides of the park would run the1.2-mile industrial riverwalk, dotted byexhibit "pads" containing Iarge artifactsfrom the heyday of heavy metal. Althoughits fundraising campaign is not yet under-way, Landmarks is acquiring and sitingartifacts as they become available.

Our only caution here is that these indus-trial dinosaurs, some which stand severalstories tall and weigh hundreds ol tons,

should be surrounddd by suflìcient land-scaping and lighting so that the sites looklike historic exhibits rather than selloffslrom a local scrap yard.

While visitors will be aided by inlorma-tional plaques on self-guided tours, the long-range plan is fior docents to be ava\Iable toconduçt guided visits for students and othergrourtg.

Besides the drama and aesthetics that theindustrial riverwalk and River Plaza wouldbring to one of the city's already popular at-tractions, the project would help Pittsburghtoward the goal of putting the riverbanks toinnovative use.

It also would complement another preser-

vation proposal, the Pittsburgh RegionalHistory Center, which is scheduled to openin the Strip District in 1994. While theLandmarks project would be outdoor andlocused on industry, the history centerwould cover a broader range of topicsthrough the multi-media presentations ol amodern museum. There is even the possibili-ty, given other Strip District developments,that boat service may someday link the twohistoric preserves,

But before the riverwalk and park can be

developed as a cohesive project, the Pitts-burgh History & Landmarks Foundationstill has a major fund-raising job to do -_and during a time not only of war but also

olrecession. To the extent that they can give,

corporations and individuals should lookflavorably on this unique way to showcase

the region's industrial heritage. t

Fbi

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Page 8 PHLF Neu¡s Spring I99l

PreserYation SceneT4/alter C. Kídney

Cit1, ¡¡n¡¡ ,, Il.iiladolþhid. 77.1e clocl¿ slont a,rd nt<tf oJtbe toaer arc apparenllJ) plctlad ill alwninunt.

Not the First After AllWe have seen the claim that the SrnithfieldUuited Church eurbodies the world's hrstlarge-scale use of architectnral aluminum.This proves not to be so. Henry Hornbostelwas relused pennission to make the wlrolespire of alurninurn, though the cast-alunrinunr tracery within its steel franrerernains esserrtial to the design. However,Otto Wagner's Postal Savings Bank inVienna, begun in 1904, already has twol7-loot statues rnade of- or clad in -aluminum. Worse yet, an account ol thePhiladelphia City Hall, hnished in 1894, says

tl'rat its tower has 52480 square leet olalu-nlinum plating - a figure that would beabout right for the clock story and the roolup to the bronze statue of William Penn.This rnay well be the fìrst-ever large-scaleernployr.nent ol architectural aluminum ifplating, not paint, was really used.

Calvary MethodistCalvary United Methodist Church, the largeVictorian stone church at Beech and Alle-gheny Avenues in the Allegheny West dis-trict, is making a conre-back. Through theellorts of three voluntary part-tirne lninistersand the Allegheny Ilistoric PreservationSociety, church attendance has tripled, tourshave grown, and public attention has beenlocused on tiris marvelous building.

Because it contains abundant stained-glass windows, the Society presented a slidelecture by Donald Miller, art critic lor thePitt.sburglr Posl-GazeÍre, on January l5entitled "Mr. Tiflany arld His Leaded GlassWindows." Mr. Miller gave an erudite talknot orrly on the windows of the church buton Tiffany's work around the country, thegreat now-dernolished house in which helived in New York, and the operation of his200-artisan stuclio.

HYP ImprovementsThe HYP Club on Cherry Wiry, next to theAlcoa Building, downtowtr, is located in aremarkable little building on one side ol a

luarrow court donrinated by the SmithheldUnited Church. This, belore Edward B.

Lee's remodeling ol 1930, was CentralCourt, lour bandl¡ox workman's houses ona side, with the backs of two Montour Wayhouses at the west end. The proletariancharacter ol these workman's abocles canstill be seen around the block on StrawberryWay. An economical.adaptation, plus some

Georgian detailing and some added quainttouches including an iron entrance over-throq y:elcled a graciotts little court, theclub on one side and what is now olñces [o¡retircd executives of Alcoa on the other.

Recently, nreetings were held withV/illiams-Trebilcock-Whitehead, architectslor Alcoa, the owner ol the building, HYPolficials and their president David Page, andI-andnrarks conceLuitrg required inrprove-ments lor the property. We are pleased toreport that everyorìe anticipates that thebuilcling can be updated lor life-salety codes

without disturbing its genial architecture,

Library CenterThe news ol mid-January that the old BankCenter building will house both Carnegieand Point Park College libraries came as areliefalter all the worry over the old finan-cial buildings. The Carnegie Downtown andBusiness Libraries were once grandly housedin the Frick Building, and now the setting,the Wood Street ann of the old ColonialTrust Company, pronrises something evengrander. It appears that the renrodelings ofthe 1970s, which complicated the grouud-floor plan and probably thus contributed tothe Bank Center's failure, will be cleaned outto some extent though the modern upperlevel will remain. What we once feared, thedemolition of the present buildings and thetunnelization of a block ol Smithfield Streetby an oversailing mall building, is nowreplaced by sornething hopelul.

Old Sewickley StationThe Walter Robinson Post 450 of theAmerican Legion is also the old Sewickleyrailroad station, built in 1887. It was movedto its present Iocation around 1928, whenOhio River Boulevard replaced the originalPennsylvania main line. Its use as a Post

began in 1944.In the 1950s and'60s itsballroonr was the perlormance place lorr:rany illustrious Black musicians. Thepicturesque old station has been expancledand remodeled so as to increase its uselul-ness bt¡t to its architectural detriment. Nowa $400,000 campaign is under way, part o[the money being intended lor restoration ofthe station. Inquiries to: Friends of theSewickley Train Station, 440 Division Street,

Sewickley, PA 15143, or Robert Graharn,'141-"7343.

Supreme IdolsBlast Furnaces. Bernd and Hilla Becher.M.IJ. Press, I990. 8 pp. text,54 illustrationsand233 duotone plates. $59.95.

The Bechers are photographers specializingin dramatic industrial structures, Europeanand American, and it is doubtlul that theywill ever find anything more dramatic thanblait furnaces, supreme idols of the ferrous-metal industry reducing iron ore to metalliciron at some 3,000 degrees. The Bechers'approach is not an impressionistic one, andthey attempt no consciotls artistry inhandling light, shadoq or silhouette' Theyseem to prefer gray days or days ol wan sun-shine so that their subjects defìne themselves

in full, every detail clear on the page. Thisdoes not make the anatomy of a blast fur-nace much easier for the uninitiated, ofcourse. The Belgians and the French espe-

vanished, like some ol the others - in seven.

Blast-furnace instailati ons in Johnstown,Monessen, Steubenville, Youngstown, Cleve-land, Baltimore, and several other Americanplaces also appear.

A Becher uieu) of lbe Carrie Furnaces.

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cially seem to gõ in for fiendish conrplica- . .jtion, but even the American biast furnace, ";i,, ,lits stack largely exposed contrary to' ' ' ' I l;'#ffiEuropean practice, has such a headdress ot tt$d$S

gesticulating pipes, such an abundance o[_ ': i]

ápparently arbitrary features, that a mere layacquaintance with the process, derived fromdiagrams, leaves much to puzzle out or sim-ply to give up on. The sheer drama of the

iorms, their gigantic scale, are the real point.Pittsburgh is naturally well represented,

Aliquippa in three pictures, Carrie Furnaces

in two, Duquesne in two, Edgar Thomson inthree, the National plant in McKeesport inone, Shenango Furnace in two, and as lar as

I can tell lheEliza Furnaces - now

Pittsburgh Chapter, S.I.A.The Society for Industrial Archeology isnow in its 20th year as the national organi-zation devoted to bygone and obsolescentindustrial machinery, workplaces, processes,

etc. Only in 1990, however, did the question

ola Pittsburgh chapter lead to anything. Apreliminary meeting last summer at the

Àllegheny Brewery and a lall meeting at the

Teutonia Maennerchor resulted in bylaws,

officers, and a first show-and-tell session by

local industrial archaeologists. A conditionofvoting privileges in the local chapter is

membership in the national S'I.4. (individu-al $25, couple $30; payable to Treasurer,S.I.A., Room 5020, National Museum olAmerican History, Smithsonian Institution,Washington, D.C. 20560). For inlormationcall Jack Bergstresser, acting secretary,

681-5533 (work) or 362-9448 (home), orChristine Davis, preside nt, 826-3210.

City Theater's Nerv HomeWe were interested to learn ol the CityTheater's intended move to the old BinghamStreet M.E. Church, which as a work of the1850s is one ol the very oldest churches inPittsburgh. This is a blocky but well-proportioned and crisply-detailed work ofRun dboge ns t il, a sort of industrial-gradeRomanesque popular around 1860 - cheap

but dignified. The building needs someattention and has obviously lost most ol itstower, but is a thoroughly attractive elementof the street scene. As a little (275-seat)theater it will be nicely sited, close toadequate restaurants and parking, andunlikely to be bothersorne in theneighborhood.

L.P. Perfido Associates will keep theexteriors virtually as they are, aside fromcleaning and repairs, and inside will save

spaces and details to the extent cornpatible\¡/ith the new lunctions. Three buildingsconlpose the complex, and only the churchis of much account. Here, the ground-floorSunday-school rooms will be remodeled so

as to conserve a large tin ceiling. Upstairs, inthe church space, an old plaster ceiling willbe removed, apart lrom a surrounding cove,to expose the roofstructure and a loft forsuspending lights, scenery, and a movableproscenium. Both proscenium and thrust-stage confìgurations will be possible, withsome readjustment of seats. The old sanctu-ary will be removed, making way for thestage, but is olno interest. The windows willhave to be blocked lor reasons o[soundinsulation, but a quasi-glazed look will be

used in the blind openings outside, and thearchways will still be sketched out on theinterior. The theater conversion seems, allover, a happy new phase lor this handsomeold church.

National Plant CommemoratedOn January 15, the location ol the NationalTube \Molks at McKeespot't was commemo-rated in an olfìcial State nrarker. The Works,in production lrom1872 to l98Z antedatedEdgar Thomson, Carrie, and Homestead,and was probably the first large plant foriron products up the Monongahela Riverlrom Pittsburgh.

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Spring 1991 PHLF New.s Page9

Independence National ParkThe beginning ol the year saw a situation inPhiladetphia that was hard to believe.Independence National Park was shut downin part lor lack ol lunds. Basic repairs lorIndependence Hall itselt had been sched-uled, but ol the 19 buildings of the Park,eight were shut down indeñnitely. One ofthese was William Strickland's Second Bankolthe United States, one of the rnost signifì-cant Philadelphia buildings architecturallyand now used as a portrait gallery. The bigopen area, cut northward to Arch Streetwith great loss of Victorian architecture, isnow largely ân alea o[crunrbling pavements,given over to derelicts. Another closed areawas the Venturi office's Franklin Court, justa lew years old, wilh its ingenious "ghost" olFranklin's house outlined in tubing. A, Post-Gazette editorial olJanuary ll "Pork vs.Inclependence Hall," puts the blame squarelyon Congress.

St. Luke's Burial Ground FundThe chr"rrchyard at Old St. Luke's, Wood-ville, has been used lor religious purposessince l76t and the earliest documentedburial is lrom 1795. As a final step in thelong-proceeding rehabilitation ol this histor-ic place, the old stones are to be repairedand consolidated. Money is needed tor this.Ilyou would like to contribute, send a checkpayable to "Old St. Luke's - PHLF," withthe notation "Burial Ground Fund," to usat Landnrarks.

Burtner HouseDo you, or solneone you know, have specialskills in brick pointing and stone work?Bu¡tner House in Natrona Heights needsyour talent to help thern with plans torestore the original srlmmer kitchen, springhouse, and chimneys. If you are willing tohelp please contact Pauiine Arnold at224-7999.

Rachel Carson HomesteadAssociationTire Rachel Carson Homestead Associationin Springdaie announces that they havereceived a grant lrom the PennsylvaniaHistorical and Museum Commission tocreate a detailed analysis of the Homesteadbuilding itself to determine what alterationshave been nrade to the original structur€ andwhen they may have been made. LandmarksDesign Associates is conducting this work.Additionally this project includes archivaland oral historyr research currently in pro-gress by students lrom Duquesne University.The historic structures report will result in amaster plan lor rcstoration olthe Horne-stead a¡rd a historic furnishings plan lor theinterior of the Hornestead.

On Favoring Mixed UsesWe have always lavored mixiug uses on anrocler¿rte basis, adcling housing to down-town retail streets or to tlie main streets olneighborhoods and adding shops to reside¡r-tial areas. How convenient it is to be able towalk to the dry cleaners, the neighborhoodrestaurant, or a drug store. Mixed uses alsonrix nrore people on the streets and createssaler and nrore active neighborhoocls.

The subject ol minimizing travel by meansol the mixed-use neighborlrood arose at thefìrst, "Values," session of one committee atthe Allegheny County 2001 conlerences. Forthat matter, there is a Foundation lor Tradi-tional Neighborhoods, whose premise is thatpuristic conventional zoning is undesirable,and that many diverse land uses have min-gled successlully in the past. The FT.N. hasmore detailed and positive ideas about themakeup of the good conrrnunily as well.

Orr reading The City as a l4/orlt of Arl byDonald J. Olsen, we noted that the Arch-bishop of Vienna agrees with us. Under aphotograph olhis noble and historic resi-dence, the caption reads, "The Archbishopfìnds nothing compromising in there treing aPizzaLand on the ground fìoor of his pal-ace; his dignity does not depend on suchexternal circumstarrces."

Aboue: T'ÍJe Stríp ba.s íß alon tiuel! aestbetic, tþough iß atcbiþçture amounls t'o liule

Where'sthe Aesthetic?Walter C. Kídney

You deplore certain places. You passthrough them, even use them becausethey have things to sell that you want tobuy, but you cannot imagine living inthem unless under duress. And yet, forthose who make their homes or workthere, spend iarge parts of their life insuch places, might there be somethingpositively to like? Does the chaos, asyou see it, or the deadly monotony, asyou see it, start for the inhabitants, intime, to make a sort ol sense and to feelright? Has such a piace even its specialbeauties beneath the architectural sur-.ìface? Everyone lras a personal overlayon the offìcial maps ol a place: loca-tions of family and friends, ditto ene-mies, good places to shop, the work-place, the place of worship, the housewith the eccentric Christmas displays,wlratevel they may be. No planner cankeep up with all this personal geogra-phy, design its better features into hisschémes, though he may have thethoughtfulness to give them leave tohappen.

Aboue; The Allegbe¡ry) Market on lbe Noflh Side, Sotxe

some 25 ),ears now, ba.d a þopula'rl! recognized aeslhet-

ic Arcbitecturally cohuent, il w(ß a. þlace oÍ corxcentrat-

ed, cb eerfu I materialßnz.

McKnight Roa.d looks like cbaos, parking loß Sougedout of bilkídes, cbain-restauranl desigtx Seneruted bJ)

remote people who neuer sa.a lbis Placq olber conslruc-

lion t4) local þeoþle who had qes øtxd sau nol. Or so

ue read the situatíon: the coherence ol the Srand mar'ket ba.tlÍríttered aaay, tþe líuelíness ol lbe sh'eel sbul ítx.

But whãt is tlxis place liþe to liue near 6nd ¿0orl¿ in? Is itatl expedietxE oÍ buying a.nd earni?x& or bas beín'g

there its beauties? l.e! us knou alxd urile in.

Industrial settlentenls Steta up in the Most ragled ua!,and in 1893, uben Homestea.d arú Mwthall alreadl'

bad brick buildírtgs, tlxE) tilet'e still ítx some uays ds

rcuglt as the rougltesl ,ni1xit18 cnrnþs. h¿ tbal J'edr ¿t

borse drounzed in tlJe rnud al a nxaior interseclíatx, a\ldttre Iuture Frick Park rþas a.fauorite pldce to shoot ,'aß.

Butbit W bit the adjacent bot'oughs became rnorq

tbough not îotalty, settted and sed^te A bìg Caniegie

Libraty looked ouer lhe índustrial sheds, and chuiúesgreu. Sl.ores þrospØ'ed,.front Porches ûere actuãllJl

used. Perhaps the |lomestea.d lnbrks was a casllq a

foctts oJ rasøttmerxt and anxìetJt bul al least there aas a.

sente oÍ tbere lteùry such a place as llonrcs,ieadt u)ilb íLt

oún clJdracter

Page l0 PIILF New.s Spring l99l

Fírst in a serißs by Walter C. Kirlnuy

PITTSBTJ RGH ARC HITE CTTJREiit'

Fornrs tilul texlures, ernggeraled întder a grazittg Iigltt.

Suppose that, long ago, yotl awoke tooearly. You irad floated, or had been ex-pelled, firom one of the innumerablerealms of the night into a version oFyour daily world. lt was still dark, butthe birds had begun their rhythmicchirping. Far otf, roacl trafñc whirredquietly, and perhaps a locomotive or a

towboat sounded its horn - or was it awhistie,,so long ago? Tire architecturesof the street were lnete patterns, blackand whatever color of light the lampsafforded. Tire world, such as it was, wasyours. Then there were voices on thewalk, car doors slamming, a sound ofdriving away. First light began to conte,and the distant trafltc started to giveout a richer and louder sound, a tuning-up ol úre new day. Facades began to ac-quire clefìnitiorr; moldings and brackets,brickwork and wooden siding, took ondepth and color. Chipped stone, dentedsheet metal, flaked paint exaggeratedtheir blemislles in the warm moruingiight, then dissembled them as the sunwent higher. Gradually the pomps ofthe street architecture took on their in-tendecl definition in lull daylight. Atlast, it rvas clearly time to be up and do-ing; you were no longer the solitary lordof this new morning, but one Personalllong maÏìy.

rì)u"n an experience, so told, suggests

the approacl-r to be taken here. Ill thelast 200 years architecture has been in-creasingly plagued by theories and apriorr prograrns, so that oue sotnetilneshas to reod about a building, or its ar-chitect's self-appointed mission, tornake auy sense ol it.

Here,. though, I intend to present pic-tures of buildings and other leatures ofour region, give a little explanation, addsome personal opinions, and leave therest to the reader. Themes will appear atrandom in successive issues of PlllFNerru. I hope that, in due course, thereader will know more abottt our ar-chitecture than before, wiil perhaps see

more in it than heretolore, and will be

more critical of proposed architecture,planning, and development in the futurethrough knowing what we have already.

Writing about builclings and notiringelse is inaccurate ifyou are consideringthem as things in a real community. Acity or a neighborhood is a place ex-perienced in nrany ways, and buildingsand other elements of the physical en-

vironm¿nt provide only a ferv of theways. This series cau say a little about 'what it feels like to live in this or thatplace in tire region, but no mote. So

Lemernber: I may talk about a mollu-rnent or a fine work of architecture,sometl,ing to look r¡l: but most ol wh¿rt

I shou,here is to be lived ryi¡l¡, and itsptescl'ìce in alvhole neighborhooci, oneentity among many, sltoulcl be kept inmind.

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Peler Eíset'tnm¡t ül)lained bis txou-dhandotxed clesiSn

for the C.lv.tl. þct11 òl the Piusburgh Tecltnolog' (tntø''in

ltuo tt'ajts. On tbe one hond, be unle a 550'uord ex'

ptailalion aI lhe Seonrctn) ol the conq)leÅ, hctsed on llJe'Boolean

cube hàt is basic to compuler logic; thus' ifyoil o.rc a ndtbeflaticiait, lou ca,1 inlerprel ll)e co'\t'-þløx

as "s7eaþin8 atclJilcclute" uilb a lileralislic s¡tn''ttolísnz! (jn the o¡he\'hcl\x(t, Eisennxûtx seenxs to iltx\l!etseu)bere ll.tat lhe desiBtx expresses nzodcnt aruíel1t itt

generat ãtxd ll.le bunnn ttrgenci' ol tanlittS lhe þtnul'òrtgc tlnt, under modent condiliot?s tl)rc¿tlctls lo ouer

u;behn. hi¡n.. EiLher aaJt, this is qt.t.íle a uerbal

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Spring l99l PIILF News Page 1l

Tfiß Two Pittshurglrs

I,,"",-,',, to me that, by early in tiriscentL¡ry, two Pittsburghs of differentcharacter had come into being. One wasthe "Pittsbul'gh" the world knew, thatof the river valleys and the inland val-leys the railroads traveled, where indus-try was the supreme fact. The secondPittsburgh was typifìed at various timesby western Oakland (once a villa com-munity), Hazelwood (once prized for itssplendid views and good air), the EastEnd, Sewickley, Thornburg, Dormont,Avaion, Bellevue, and Fox Chapel. Insucir places (the wind being favorable) itwas possible to ignore industry exceptas an economic fact; there were placesolescape, or periraps simply of healthy,normal living.

TI¡e Sottth IlilLs hottsas lballollowed the oþeningol thelrollEì lunnel in 1904 ate rather arlless. Builders rølberIl.ta,iàrchitects designed ttrem, and ubat porcltcofunuts, bi'lcþ í.tllals, n.nd ctrt glass cottld \1ot dqrentained uttclonè. Tlse Soutb l"lills urcre places of í/xør-

þensiue escaþe at liÍst, x?ith no call for bigh-srylearchilech tre

The "two Pittsburghs" concept couldalso be applied to architecture, thoughwith less geographic neatness. Towardthe end ofthe nineteenth century, theearlier llard, angular, soot-acceptingarchitecture was supplemented bysomething more carefully composed,rnore ventulesolne, and sensuous in itsuse of materials. Such architecturem¿rcle its horne in the "second" Pitts-burgh allucled to above, but iL alsomoved into the center of town.

Altbougb ttre nxain sbed oÍ the Oliuer Brolhers t Pbilliþs nu\attrl'bolt uorks on the

ÁileTþe\ry, c 1885 annouttces |he conxþa\\t narne úilh sometbitlS ol a decoraliue

.ftou.rish, this is t'tot a ptace high itt uisua.l amenity. The liltle u¡oodhttrning utorhs

loconl.otit)e poses near piles of zabat a.Pþeø.rs to be iß ftrel. To the tiSht is tbe shed

ubere lt sþends lhe nigbt. Tbe rou¡ ltouses to the far rígbt hatte a nxansard rool that

su&qests sociat þrelen^siolxs, bu.t tbeir laltnd1t dries llø'ilousl)¡ close to a sl^gnatxt

pool. hz lhe riuer 6. tinþer raft hraces agaít1.sl pilitlgs u.ntil it can be broken uþ

Tbis was ll.te liast En.d uilla of Datxi.al O'Neill, publisbø'af the Daily Di.spatch, in. 187(>. The elþct of both hoîtse

atd gardøt is a l¡ltle still dTxd olna.tg bt¿l lltis is one

uersiort ol the icleal lnnrc.for tubich Atnericcill.s lJcilcalruals t\oi"kcd. Ìf otry one htiltlittg ryþe meanl nt.ore lo

þeoþle of Lhe n.ineleen.llJ cen.lury ll1dtx dtx! olltet; it u)ot.ildbe lllc hou-çe.

Of course a house need nol |te

d got'geou.s uilla. "llealhsideCotlage," c 1860 ín Fineuíea,ß certãínly a dress! liuleGotbíc abodq ¿oith its uerge-

hoards aîxd tbe lillle slonelãblet tb^t giues íls nanxq bLtt

ils Lobole ex?ressiott is one olnodesl corxlenln|enl. Il ouer-

looked lhe city of Alleghøt1t

frcm ø contforlable distancqand at a heíg¡rt ol 400 feet.

Wren the AlleghetlJ, Coulxty Courtbouse and Jaíl on

Gq,txt Street uere fínished itt. j/888, lheJ) not only don\in.aîed the'lliangle but, in tbeir light Sranite nasotxry,

itxtt'oduced neu) conceptions of sbade a.nd lexture to lhe

city. Tbe oldø'matería.ls, salxdstotxg red bricb, andpaínted uood, had a hard, flat effecl, and tbe masonry,

dark fu hue, darkened stillfurtber utxdet lbe sooL

Gralxíte ten.ded to reþel lhe sool., neuu blackerúng as ir-reoø"sihlJt a.s sondslone did. Il.H. Rícl.lard.corr"'s slrongtexturelor his slonework also displalted a utlSorous,

ra.ndonz eÍJect little knoun in lhe círy erceþL lo |te stn'q

iîx íts engineerhxg nxasotxr)l. Furillermorq Rîcltardsotz

used detd.ililxg í|x .t wa.! tbat, in Victorian PiltsburSþ,

bad ceased to befanxrlíar Wiill bítlx, tbe uhole arclJílec'

tural composilio,x laok unquestíotxed prìorily, with or'nam,e,xtatí.on present but delinitelJt subordhxale; lbis

uas lo beconxe cuslomary. Mid-Victorían archi.teclure

had.Iacked tbis ræh'6títxt, so tlJat its decoratîott tmdedto destro]) lhe coherence oÍ lbe desi*tl.

The I'Ien.ry V1 Oliuer ßuilding ol 1910 l ose in Plctciddelia.nce ol lbe Snxok! CitI's dil" thanks lo ligil'colored,gla.zeíl. lerra colla.. The nxalerial þel1\liued lbe drchílccls,

D.I'\, Bunzbant 8 Co., a.lso to nzodel richly in places as a

cotxtrast lo tbe sþrlre oùerall desigrt. This postcard shouts

llJe scale: þeoþle look oúer tbe chetxeau lotuatd Libeú.y

Atp.nu.e.

Lefl: 704 Antlterson Auent.te itt Sh.l¿b)side is i,1 þeíeclcotl.h"Gsl lo the Smoklt Ciry atxd ils Mid'Viclorìand.rclJitecture. ln lplJ, Edu,arclJ. Webetcte(tled an h|x-

pression of an Erzgl.islt fannhouse itt Laeslenx Sbctd)tside,

lwo miles f'otn the nedrcsl inú,ß,l')t -.Jol|es €" Lattgb-

li¡t's coke ouens - and 300.feel aboue riuer leuel.

ITar lefl: Tltis l.tot.tse at 1424 ßennírtgî.on At)etlue uja.s

bt.till it1, t.he 1920s ítz A'Íurdocl¡ I'anns to a desigrt h.1'

Ldfi 1 ot t I IJ t ( I lon. TIrc.fo rnt.a l, bt t t tI ot co I d I.l'.for n 1 d l,

fr ottt derit:es.ft'orn ntoricnt Ert.glisls sttburltatt design.

TIte old-loohin.g brick is a .facing ort hollou' tile.

l'" ,

r'!,

ti,f'ri. !í '

'{ir

Page 12 PHLF Neu,s Spring l99l

E, VE, h{TS

Bttitdirtgs in the View Carr6 ol New ()ilearus, asrestorcd itx lbe 1960s.

lW DistinguishedLecture on[Iistoric PreservationSpeaker: Bernard Lemann

'oFlistoric Preservation inNew Orleans"

Monday, April B 7:30 p.m.

Station Square Sheraton,P&LE RoomFrce to members; $2 non-melnbers

Bernard Lemann is one of the most respect-ed regional architectr.rral historians in theUr'ìited States. He is a Louisiana native, witltdegrees ìn alchitecture fi'orn Tul:rne, Har-vard, and the Sorbonne. He has conductedarchitecturai surveys in and near NewOrleans, aud is princitrral author ol [our'volunres of the excellent and detailed Neu,Orleans Árchitecture, which now is in sevenvolumes. He has been a historic-distr"ict con-sultarit to Charleston ancl Savannah, and aparticipant in the "Edges of [-listolic Dis-trict" project of the National Tttrst.

Mr. Lemann r.vill present an illustratedlecture leaturing historic pleservation inNew Orleans. Althouglr a nìajor l¡usinesscenter and seaport, New Or^leans retains a

major arnount of its historic neighborhoodsin addition to the fanrous Vieux Carré.

Saturday,.Iune IWalking Tour of Oakmont

Sunday, June 2Sixth Annual Neville HouseAntiques Show

Wednesday, June 26-Tuesday, July 2

Exploring Architecture TeacherIn-service

Saturday, June 29

Station Square TransportafionMuseum Auto Festival

Saturday, June 29

The Highs & Lows of PittsburghFamily Program

CøII Mør¡t Lu Denny at 471-5808 forevent detøils.

JOI]\Join the Pittsburgh l{istorY& Landmarks Foundation

. Support the preservation ofarchitecturallandmarks, historic neighborhoods, and

industrial sites and artifacts in AlleghenyCounty;

. and the creation oftours, lectures, publi-cations, and educational programs featur-ing the history, architecture, and characteroI Pittsburgir and Allegheny County.

Membership Benefits. Free initial consultation on landmark

designation and preservation advice loryour historic property.

. Access to our historical and architecturallibrary.

. Free subscription to PHLF Neu,s, a quar-terly newsletter.

r Discounts on, or lree use o[, all educa-tiortal resources.

r Reduced rates oü tours, and invitationsto lectures arid special events throughoutthe year.

' F-ree admission to the Statiou SquareTransportation Museum.

. Many rewarding volunteer opportunities'

Membership Categories

Please enroll me as a member ol the Pitts-burgh History & Landnrarks Foundation.I have enclosed a tax-deductible contribu-tion in the amounl of

( check appropriate categorY ) :

ü Individual $15

! Family $25

t] Schools and Non-Profit $25

I Senior Citizen $10

n Corporate $250 and above ,'

I Life benelactor $5p00, one:tiqte gift

I enclose my check lor $

Name

Street Address

Zip

-

Telephone

Send check or moneY order to:

Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation450 The Landrnarks BuildingOne Station SquarePiusburgh, PA 15219-1 170

rl

Saturday, May 4

Hands-On History FestivalStation Square Festival Tentl0 a.m.-4 p.m.

Come ride in antique cars. Build a gargoylemask. Turn yourself into a paper-bag build-ing . . . see many creative student-madeprojects featuring Pittsburgh's history andarchitecture . . and admire thc work ofstudent engineers competing in "The GreatPittsburgh Bridge-Building Contest." Morethan 2,500 students in grades one throughtwelve lrom over 40 schools will be involved,and there are lots o[special events plannedfor everyone. See you at the Festivall

Sunday, May l2-Saturday, May l8National Preservation WeekSeveral tours and special events are bcingplanned by the Historic Review Cornrnissionand various organizations in honor of Na-tional Preselvation Week. There will be apreservation award ccremony, walking toursol Fourth Avenue, Highland Park, andAllegheny Cetnetery. Call Michael Evers-meyer (255-2243) ol Lauren Uhl (255-8953).

Thursday, May 16

and Saturday, May 18

Pittstrurgh's History &ArchitectureThrough Pitt's Inlormal plograrn, DianeDeNardo and Walter Kidney will present alecture and lead a downtowu walking tour.Call 648-2560 fior details and to register.

Saturday, May l8Allegheny Cemetery Walking Tour2 p.m.-5 p.m.

Stroll through the landscaped grounds olAllegheny Cemetery on this Saturday after-noon, see a handsome variety of monu-.ments, and learn about some of Pittsburgh'sleading families. Walter C. Kidney, authorof the recently-released publication on Al-legheny Cemetery, and Jennie O'Donnell ofAllegheny Cenretery will lead the tour.

TWENTTFIFTH

Sriwrcrr.Bv Housr TouRTuesday, ,{pril 30Pre-arranged group bus tours duringtlre day

Tuesday evening, April 30Candlelight tour

Wednesda¡ May IDay tours open to the public

Sponsored by the Child HealthAssociation of Sewickley. For ticketirrfonna tion call: 7 4l-259 3.

State

rÐ }-5-¡'^-

K&S Finishing Company

C ontplete restoratiott. & presen'atíonof cltandelíers,Iamps, and otherarchite ctural fíxtur e s.

Refinísltírtg of gotd, silver, brass,copper, and other metals.

Top qualíty workmanshíp andmøterials.25 years p.xperíence in ntetalrefínisltí ng.

Free esfimates by George L. Martz, owner3315 Ilermar DriveMurrysville, PA 15668412 / 733-8685

SIrcp locatiott:Route 22,WestDelntonl, PA 156264t2 t 468-3349

Wnlzuruc TounOp PTTTsBURGH's

Relive the Old World Charmand the vibrancy of Pittsburgh'sSouth Side! Learn what keePsthis neighborhood alive as Youtake a journey through yester-year. . .at your own pace. ., atyour own convenience.

WQED-FM's Walking Tourrecreates music, sound andstories from the past and in-troducels you to the South Sideof today. You'll receive an audio-cassette, featuring WQED-FM'sTed Sohier, along with a maP ofthe neighborhood. PlaY backthe cassette while you followthe map along Carson Street.Ted's narration guides Youthrough the entire excur-sion...with no reservalionsnecessary.

To get your copy of WQED-FM'sWalking Tour of Pittsburgh'sHistoric Southside, send $/.95plus $155 for postage andhandling to:

WQED-FM DiscoverP¡ttsburgh Tours4802 Fifth AvenuePittsburgh, PA 15213Phone: (4121622-1436

c(ts:r{cÛf.AR.CTTTTECII'R¿¡\L

IIIIILLw'()R,I<

ürilson & McCracken, Inc.5265 Butler Street Plttsburgh, PA 1ã201

14121784-L772