Wilkinsburg Borough Building & Wilkinsburg Public Library
The current Wilkinsburg Borough Building at 605 Ross Avenue was built in 1939 and officially opened and dedicated on New Years' Day 1940. It replaced the old Municipal Building located directly across the street from the current one. You can see a few pictures of that building here. At the time of opening, the building housed all the legislative and judicial agencies of the borough as well as the Wilkinsburg Public Library. You can see some of the earliest Library employees in the picture attached.On September 10, 1899, the Wilkinsburg Branch of the Carnegie Free Library of Braddock opened in the McNair School with 1,500 books. It was the first Carnegie branch. Frederick Evans was its first head librarian. In 1940, the library relocated to the municipal building.Make sure to visit the Seven Mile Stone located in front of the building. The Seven Mile Stone was one of the mile markers on the Greensburg and Pittsburgh Turnpike (now Penn Ave.) It was placed in the early 1800s to indicate the distance of 7 miles to the Point in Pittsburgh. Originally there were 30 of these markers along the Great Road, one placed every mile from Pittsburgh to Greensburg.Sources:A Brief History of WilkinsburgWilkinsburg Historical Society. (2007). Images of America: Wilkinsburg. Arcadia Publishing.Buy a copy here. More information can be found in our digital historical archives.
Rowland Theater
Opened in 1911, by Richard A. Rowland, the Rowland Theater boasted vaudeville shows, silent pictures, plays and more. The Rowland was one of the first theaters of its kind in Allegheny County and was devoted to "clean and refined popular-priced vaudeville." Fire was likely a concern of theatergoers in that era because the Rowland advertised itself as "absolutely fireproof." Luckily this claim never was put to the test.The Rowland originally featured vaudeville with movies used only to introduce the complete show. Like many silent movies in the early era of films, each piece was accompanied by a live organist hired by the theater.Like many large theaters of its kind, the upkeep became too much as attendance dwindled. The theater eventually closed in the 1960s after more than 50 years of operation. The building was eventually demolished and a parking lot occupies the site where it once stood.View an early program!More information can be found in our digital archives.
Wilkinsburg's First Skyscraper
Real estate developer Leopold Vilsack erected Wilkinsburg's first "skyscraper" on Wood St at Ross Ave in 1908. He named the seven-story Carl building after his youngest son. The post office was on the ground floor, which has housed many commercial establishments over the past century. The upper floors were offices for doctors and other professionals. Vilsack was also the founder and first president of the Pittsburgh Brewing Company.The building later became known as the Shield's building and held various offices and shops.In 1975, it became the first building in the United States opened for occupancy under the Section 8 Program of the National Housing Act of 1974 when it was converted into apartments for the elderly. Freeman Cut and Styles now occupies the ground floor of the building.More about Vilsack here.Source: Wilkinsburg Historical Society. (2007). Images of America: Wilkinsburg. Arcadia Publishing.Buy a copy here.
South Avenue Methodist Church
Methodism was one of the first organized religions to take hold in the Wilkinsburg area.The Wilkinsburg Methodist Episcopal church moved to this location after selling its original building on Wallace Ave to the Baptist Church in 1890s. As with many structures at the time, fire was a constant concern and indeed the church suffered such a disaster in 1907. Plans to rebuild began immediately and a new church was officially dedicated in 1909. The rebuilt structure still stands today more than 100 years later, although additions and renovations have been made over the years.Contributing to the War Effort:In 1859 a bell was cast in England to be used in the original Church on Wallace Avenue. After a time a crack appeared in the bell, and it was converted to a flower vase where it stood for many years until WWII broke out. A national metal drive prompted the church to donate the old bell to the war effort. More info in our digital archives!
Jane Holmes Residence
Two cousins with the same name, Jane Holmes, were among Wilkinsburg's early benefactors. One of them founded Sheltering Arms on land donated by James Kelly. The home opened its doors in 1872 as a suburban "refuge for unfortunate women and wayward girls" and later became the Home for Aged Protestant Men and Couples.The Home provided residents with their own bed and bath rooms, communal dining rooms, reading and sewing rooms, a barber shop and beauty parlor, a “little shop,” chapel, and several acres of garden-covered grounds. In 1953, the charter was amended to receive for admission single or widowed women in addition to men and couples. Many influential wives of Pittsburgh businessmen served on the board of managers and as president of the Home, including “Pittsburgh Jane” herself, Mrs. Thomas Mellon, Mrs. Samuel McKee, and Mrs. Paul J. Blum. Mrs. Mellon and Mrs. Blum, who both served for 24 years, were two of the longest serving presidents. The original home was built in 1869, and renovations were needed in the early 1970s to help modernize the facility. In 1978, the Home was rechartered as The Jane Holmes Residence, and came to be known as the Jane Holmes Residence and Gardens. The facility closed in the fall of 2007. But Jane Holmes' legacy continued when it was revitalized and reopened shortly thereafter as an assisted living facility now known as Garden View Manor.Click to read "Jane Holmes Residence: A Century of Caring"More information can be found in our digital historical archives!Sources:historicpittsburgh.orgSource: Wilkinsburg Historical Society. (2007). Images of America: Wilkinsburg. Arcadia Publishing.Buy a copy here.
Penn Lincoln Hotel site
125 business leaders of Wilkinsburg met at Dudley’s Tea Room in the Shields Building on September 24, 1925, and unanimously agreed to build a $650,000 hotel for travelers along the Lincoln Highway and the Pennsylvania Railroad. A 21-person committee was appointed to start on plans for the new 150-room hotel, tentatively called the Lincoln-Penn. The Wilkinsburg Hotel Company was formed and architect Benno Janssen of Janssen & Cocken, who was also the architect for the William Penn Hotel, Pittsburgh Athletic Club and the former Kaufmann’s Department Store in downtown Pittsburgh, was hired to design the building. When the Penn-Lincoln Hotel opened in 1927, the six-story red brick building billed itself as “Pittsburgh’s Most Modern Suburban Hotel.” The outside of the hotel was adorned with 12 iron lamps--designed by famed ornamental blacksmith Samuel Yellen--as well as various cupids, ram’s heads, and rampant lions.When the hotel was completed, it was over 70,000 square feet and had 150 rooms. It served guests who were utilizing the Wikinsburg Pennsylvania Railroad Station as well as those who were traveling along the Lincoln Highway (Route 30) as it followed Penn Avenue. The Penn-Lincoln sat at the junction of these two very important transportation routes.Eventually, the Pennsylvania Railroad stopped operating, closing the Wilkinsburg Station. Travelers started opting for Turnpike travel as opposed to taking the Lincoln Highway.This ultimately led to the hotel’s closure.In 2014 the decision was made to demolish the Penn-Lincoln Hotel.The building had deteriorated so badly that bricks were beginning to fall to the sidewalk below. Additionally, there was no market for hotels, offices, shops, or apartments in Wilkinsburg, further sealing the building’s fate.-https://www.thirdstopontheright.com/wilkinsburgs-penn-lincoln-hotel/https://abandonedonline.net/location/penn-lincoln-hotel/Click here to find more photos, newspaper articles, and programs.
Dumpling Hall
Dumpling Hall, the home built by Col. Dunning McNair in 1790, was located near what is now Hay Street and Kelly Ave. Considered a mansion in its time. The house was built of cobblestones probably taken from the Allegheny River. Legend has it that it was named by a house guest who thought the cobblestones embedded in mortar resembled apple dumplings. The house was 2 stories with a low attic. Originally,there were two rooms, hallway and stairs on the first floor and three bedrooms on the second.At the end of the property were the stables for McNair's fast horses and shelters for his hunting dogs. It is not exactly known just when an L frame of four rooms; two lower and two upper and a lower and an upper porch were added. These additions gave a more spacious look to the building.The interior of the house was decorated and furnished as the elegance of the time permitted. There were shiny oaken floors, white pine doors and window frames with window panes no doubt made in one of the glass factories along the Allegheny River. There were curiously carved old mantle pieces, high as a man's head and fireplaces with deep grates and iron-back walls, ornamented with fancy designs. There were fascinating deep window sills and small paned window sashes, thick six paneled doors.After McNair's death, James Kelly bought the house and lived there until he died in 1882. The house was torn down in 1905, more than 100 years after it had first been built.Click here for more info.Sources: Wilkinsburg Historical Society. (2007). Images of America: Wilkinsburg. Arcadia Publishing.Buy a copy here. Dumpling Hall: Then and Now. (ca. 1972). N/A, 1–2. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cwl_ttyl2yQvbKkS6IduHddnRVq18yLk/view?usp=sharing
Singer Mansion
In 1864, the Singers began to build this three-and-a-half-story stone Gothic-style mansion. The elaborate 18-room, four-bath Singer mansion was said to have cost an astonishing $75,000 (over 1 million dollars today!)The property was laid out in the 19th century Romantic fashion with a large ornamental lake and shrubberies. The property also included a private chapel. It is said that workmen were brought over from England to do the wood and marble work. The latter featured a different color for each room. Imported crystal, porcelain and brass chandeliers were also installed.Yes you can still see Singer Place, much as it was when it was first built! This 1865 Gothic Masterpiece is now known as the John F. Singer House and is a Bed & Breakfast, with several suites to choose from.Find more pictures and information here.Sources:Source: Wilkinsburg Historical Society. (2007). Images of America: Wilkinsburg. Arcadia Publishing.Buy a copy here. Fleming, J. (ca. 1990). Historic Pittsburgh, Penn. House Entered on Nat. Register of Historic Places. Unknown. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QHearVSU4u2FUsIiJ3PMRaLpRHIr-u9x/view?usp=sharing
Jacob Weinman House
In 1869, Jacob Weinman Senior--a coal mine operator--moved into this log house on Weinman Street in Wilkinsburg. The family's fortunes would later improve and they moved to an impressive mansion on the corner of Franklin Ave and Coal St.
Jacob Weinman Mansion
After moving from the log cabin on what is now Weinman Street, Jacob Weinman moved to this beautiful residence on Franklin Ave in 1889. Weinman operated a coal mine in the area and worked his way up from a small log cabin to this mansion.The Weinman Mansion was comprised of eleven rooms and a garage house on the property. The foundation of the house was built from stones taken from other properties of Mr. Weinman. The ceilings were approximately twelve feet in height. The mantels on the first floor were all of a very heavy black slate.In the dining room there was a large window fronting on Franklin Avenue. The glass of this window was a yellowish or topaz color and very finely etched. The double front doors had panes of red glass which are also etched.The stairway to the second floor was all black walnut, and the center hall was paneled to the second floor with carved wood panels which Mr. Weinman had purchased from a steamboat on the Monongahela River running from Pittsburgh to New Orleans. The stairway was eventually demolished.The front porch extended from the entrance on Franklin Avenue around the house on Coal Street to the rear of the building, but it was also demolished.At the rear of the property, there was a carriage house in which the driving horses were kept and, of course, the carriages and two sleighs with quarters for the driver and coachman on the second floor of the building. The carriage house was eventually torn down.This property was sewered to the Nine Mile Run down to what is now Mill Street. Mr. Weinman claimed that his was the first house in Wilkinsburg to have a private bath therein and sewered as above stated.Mrs. Anna Barbara Weinman, the wife of Jacob Weinman Sr., died therein in June of 1925, and Mr. Weinman died in the premises in July of 1926.The house was later sold to Wolfe Funeral Home and a daycare currently occupies the site where you can still get an idea of what the original structure looked like.Source:Cratty, J. W. (1970). N/A. Meeting of the Historical Society, 1–3. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vBGv_8vE_5BEWkjKzVUm5YnVcrWVSmxF/view?usp=sharing
Approximate Location of Rippey's Tavern
The hub of activity in Wilkinsburg's early days was Rippey's Tavern, run by Samuel A. Rippey and his wife Sutia. Rippey was the brother-in-law of another prominent Wilkinsburg citizen, Dunning McNair. Samuel Rippey died in 1812, but Sutia continued to run the tavern prosperously from 1812 to 1820.Some historical accounts place the arrival of the Rippeys in Wilkinsburg as early 1788, which would make them the first settlers in the area. That timing is unlikely, however, since records show Sutia’s date of birth as October 1777, and Sutia and Samuel’s wedding date as May 1797.Pictured is one of the later iterations of the tavern as the original was built of wood and no illustrations or pictures are known to have survived.From The Wilkinsburg Gazette, 1958Rippey's and other local taverns were the nearest approach to a hotel that the village had until 1907 when a building on Todd street, was erected and named the Wilkinsburg Hotel. As were all taverns in that era, Rippey's was void of all luxuries and was rough and unpretentious in appearance.The sleeping quarters for men usually contained two or three beds and the guests were quite often forced to double up, for the taverns were not large and did not have many rooms.The female guests were boarded up in a cell-like structure that heralded neither wallpaper nor sanitary comfort. If a young lady and her chaperon desired a cup of cold water in the middle of the night...[they] had to venture out to the backyard...Tallow candles and later oil lamps provided the only illumination and quite often to obtain these was an extra charge.The largest room in the tavern was usually the dining room, with the exception of the bar. A table was always on reserve for the ladies and aristocracy. About 1871, a strong resentment toward intoxicating beverages arose among the church goers. As a result, through the efforts of James Kelly, the sale of liquor was stopped and the tavern business became unprofitable.The Naming of a Town:Rippey's tavern's location on the Great Road (now Penn Avenue) attracted not only travelers but new settlers to the valley, and thus the settlement was unofficially named "Rippeyville" in the late 1700s. The town was later named McNairstown by the aforementioned Dunning McNair. It wasn't until 1812 that McNair sold a parcel of land and the official deed was in the "Village of Wilkinsburgh." McNair then named the village after his Revolutionary War friend, John Wilkins, Jr.Sources:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oSSSoV4OTafYrs-YnboE938hrgWzX7gc/view?usp=sharinghttps://www.wilkinsburgpa.gov/about-wilkinsburg/history/a-detailed-history/More info in our digital archives!
First Public School House
In the early stages of Wilkinsburg's development children were usually educated in private homes. Parents would hire a teacher and then invite other children to attend such classes. The first public school in Wilkinsburg was built in 1840 at Wallace and Center.As the number of students increased, this building was abandoned and another built on Center Ave. in 1850. In 1875 the first building was torn down and school #3 was erected on the same sight. By 1880 the school population had so increased that the School Board rented the old Academy Building and by 1882 had built a 15-room, three story brick building on lots adjoining the Academy. It burned down in 1890. Another school was built in 1895 on what became the site of the Horner School. More info in our digital archives!
Horner School
The school board purchased three lots on Wallace Ave to build this modern three-story, 15-room school. Horner School, named for Squire John Horner, opened in September 1882. The building was set on spacious grounds and had a 400-seat assembly hall. The school was completely destroyed by fire in 1890.The school was later rebuilt and burned down for a second time in 1916.The third time was the charm and the third Horner School opened in 1918. Classes were held here until 1985 when it was closed down and sold to Covenant Church of Pittsburgh, which remodeled the building for use as a community center, Hosanna House which recently celebrated 30 years of serving the Wilkinsburg Community.More info in our digital archives!Source: Wilkinsburg Historical Society. (2007). Images of America: Wilkinsburg. Arcadia Publishing.Buy a copy here.
Wilkinsburg's First & Second Railroad Stations
The first railroad station in Wilkinsburg was built here in 1860 and later burned down in 1883. A second railroad station was immediately erected on the same site in 1884, where the gazebo/pavilion is today. The second station served Wilkinsburg until 1916 when the tracks were elevated and a beautiful brick and limestone station was built alongside the tracks a few blocks down the rail line on Hay Street. By 1870 twenty-eight local trains were running daily between Wilkinsburg, East Liberty and Pittsburgh. Wilkinsburg was at that time surrounded by a rich agricultural area, with market-gardening a leading activity. Coal mining had become important near the town, also, and over three hundred men were employed in the coal industry.The railroad crossing at Rebecca and Wood was known as the "Bloody crossing". Children, older people, and horses were often badly hurt or killed.Trains at the time of Wilkinsburg's early stations were designated either as Express or Accommodation, all depending on the number of stops. If one took an Express Train from Wilkinsburg to Pittsburgh, there was usually only one intermediate stop, that being East Liberty, and the trip was accomplished in 15 minutes. The Accommodatlon Train made the following stops from Wilkinsburg to downtown: Brushton, Homewood, Shadyside, Roup, Ben Venue and sometimes Twenty-eighth Street. Conductors walking through the cars always alerted passengers by calling the next stopA terrible accident about 1910 at the multi-track Penn Avenue crossing was the decisive factor in elevating the tracks prior to World War I. In this fatal accident, five members of one family were struck by an oncoming train, leaving one survivor, a small girl.More info in our digital archives!Sources:Stotler, I., & Anderson, J. (1972). The Pennsylvania Railroad, its stations and coach accommodations from Greensburg to Pittsburgh: 1866-1914. Wilkinsburg Historical Society. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jvxeCcNYbNMRg4wGyLNw-tKybtXS6coq/view?usp=sharingThe Railroad Comes to Pittsburgh. (1960). Western Penn. Historical Magazine, Unknown. https://drive.google.com/file/d/18ArkIaBRfv2pOx3l7RMFvnCJS5J_Sga8/view?usp=sharingWilkinsburg Historical Society, & Taylor, Jr., E. R. (1998). WILKINSBURG’S RAILROAD GRADE CROSSING ELIMINATION 1911 to the Celebration June 1916. https://drive.google.com/file/d/18ArkIaBRfv2pOx3l7RMFvnCJS5J_Sga8/view?usp=sharing
Dream City Amusement Park
Owner and designer W.F. Hamilton opened Dream City amusement park in May 1906. The entrance was located at the intersection of Laketon Road, Montier Street, and Verona Road (now Robinson Blvd).This park along with Luna Park in Oakland (no longer in existence) and Kennywood were known as "trolley parks" built in part to boost trolley ridership. While the park did feature a wooden roller coaster, it was not a tall one like Kennywood had. It did have some other rides including a carousel, a large dance hall, five acres of picnic grounds, evening fireworks and 150,000 electrical lights.A contemporary description of Dream City when it opened:"Dream City is absolutely beyond the line of smoke and grime that falls over all the countrysides near Pittsburgh. The park occupies probably the only location where exquisite rural cleanliness may be assured, and at the same time be within close proximity to the residence section of the city and to enjoy street car service from everywhere in Greater Pittsburgh."Sources: Wilkinsburg Historical Society. (2007). Images of America: Wilkinsburg. Arcadia Publishing.Buy a copy here. http://coastertalknobszone.blogspot.com/2014/04/a-look-into-past-dream-city-wilkinsburg.htmlMore info in our digital archives!
Rebecca Residence
Believe it or not, Wilkinsburg boasts two retirement homes founded by two women of the same name, Jane Holmes. The two Janes were cousins and were dedicated to philanthropic undertakings in the area. This particular site was founded in part by Jane Holmes in 1871 around the same time as her cousin Jane Holmes opened her site at Swissvale Ave (point 6). It was originally known as the Protestant Home for Aged Women. The home was built for $2,500 on land donated by James Kelly. In 1881 a 32-room annex was added. Residents assigned their income and assets to the home in exchange for "life care." They also had a vegetable garden behind the building which can be seen in picture #7.The campus later became the 3 Rivers Center for Independent Livng (TRCIL), but closed in 2016 to relocate their operation. It was sold in late 2016 and is now a nursing home.From History of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania"At a meeting of the Women's Christian Association of Pittsburgh, in 1869, Miss Jane B. Holmes...suggested the establishment of the [Protestant Home for Aged Women]. The proposition was favorably considered, and measures were at once instituted for the accomplishment of this benevolent object. A bazar was held from which the sum of eight thousand dollars was realized, and Miss Jane Holmes and others procured subscriptions to a large amount."More info in our digital archives!
United Presbyterian Home for Aged People
Located at the current location of the Pyramid Health rehabilitation facility, the United Presbyterian Home for Aged People was founded in 1892 by the United Presbyterian Women's Association of North America (UPWANA).UPWANA raised money for the maintenance of the Home by hosting an annual "Lawn Fete" starting in 1892. The fete lasted from down until dusk and featured decorated booths and picnic tables brimming with food. Pounds and pounds of candy, which had been made in the basement kitchen of the Home, were sold at the candy booth. While some of the streets in the vicinity of the Home were yet unpaved, pony rides for the children were a big attraction. When automobiles became more popular, automobile rides through Wilkinsburg were offered. WWII put an end to the fetes in 1942.The association purchased the five-acre Bissell homestead (formerly the Woodwell and the Horback homestead). The home formed the center of the new facility, opened in 1892. Over time, three wings and an annex for men were added. The home closed in 2000.More info in our digital archives!Source: Wilkinsburg Historical Society. (2007). Images of America: Wilkinsburg. Arcadia Publishing.Buy a copy here. History....1892-1971 United Presbyterian Home for Aged People
Post Office, Lacock's Blacksmith Shop
This distinctive building at the south east corner of Penn Avenue and Hay Street was built in 1912 to be Wilkinsburg's first stand-alone post office. Since 1840 the Wilkinsburg post office had occupied spaces in various general stores, and by 1908 it had a dedicated first floor in the 7 story Carl Building at the corner of Wood Street and Ross Avenue. The Post Office soon outgrew the Wood/Ross location and this Penn Avenue building was constructed to be solely for postal business. Twenty-four years later, in 1936, the post office moved to Ross Avenue at Hay Street. The building was bought by Peoples Gas for customers to arrange service or to purchase gas stoves and other appliances. In 1966 it became a Goodwill store and in 1999 it was sold again. It is currently the headquarters for Flynn Construction. Prior to the erection of this building, it was the site of Lacock's blacksmith shop. John Lacock, one of the early blacksmiths of Wilkinsburg, set up this shop near the southeast corner of Penn Ave and Hay St about 1850. John and his wife raised 15 children in the brick home behind the shop. To feed their family, the Lacocks grew their own vegetables in a long garden behind the home. Pictured here, workers take a break from the anvil and bellows of their trade.Source: Wilkinsburg Historical Society. (2007). Images of America: Wilkinsburg. Arcadia Publishing.Buy a copy here.
Caldwell and Graham Building
This is the location of the Caldwell and Graham Building. Opened in the 1880s the store sold primarily women's clothing and accessories. Many of today's older residents remember shopping at Caldwell & Graham's to get fabric, sewing patterns, thread, buttons and zippers. This shop was known for having a vast selection to choose from.More info in our digital archives!
Beulah Church and Cemetery
The historic Beulah Cemetery was established in 1784 and many of Wilkinsburg's early founders are buried here including Col. Dunning McNair (1762-1825) who laid out the grid-style street plan and named the village Wilkinsburgh. (Yes Wilkinsburg had an "h" on the end until 1891).Another grave is that of James Kelly (1794-1882). Kelly was Wilkinsburg's greatest benefactor, donating much land to schools and churches. Many of Wilkinsburg's founding members are buried here at Beulah Cemetery behind the Beulah Church once known as the Church at Bullock Pens. Beulah Church is one of the oldest west of the Alleghenies with its origins dating back to pre-revolution times. Built in 1837 from bricks made on the site, the small church now know as the Beulah Chapel once served a pioneer congregation. The church was originally known as the Church at Bullock Pens due to its location which was near cattle pens. The adjoining graveyard is the last resting place for many pioneer settlers, among them more than 30 soldiers who saw service in the Revolutionary War era.Source: http://www.schaeffersite.com/beulah/cemetery/cemetery.htmVisit: http://www.schaeffersite.com/beulah/cemetery/cemetery.htm for a historical walking tour of the cemetery.More info in our digital archives:CemeteryChurch
Frank Conrad House
At this location in 1916, Frank Conrad transmitted one of the first radio broadcasts from his garage. The station that Conrad started would later become KDKA, the very first radio station. Frank Conrad died in 1941 and the home was sold to the Wilkinsburg Elks.This property straddled the Wilkinsbug/Pittburgh boundary. After a lengthy battle to save the Conrad home and garage as a National Museum of Broadcasting, the funding was not forthcoming. The garage was dismantled and stored, the home was demolished and a fast-food restaurant was built.A PA Historic marker was placed in 2014 to honor Conrad about one block down from the home/garage site. The restaurant parking lot and corporate rules prevented placing the marker at the exact site. There is still hope that the National Museum of Broadcasting can become a reality. More info in our digital archives!
WTAE TV Station
Located on an 11 acre hilly parcel on Ardmore Blvd, WTAE (Channel 4) began broadcasting from this location in 1958.More info in our digital archives!
Wilkinsburg's First Church
In the "Holy City" it means something to be the first.Methodism in Wilkinsburg began in 1832 as part of the Braddock Field Circuit. The 24-member congregation of Wilkinsburg Methodist Episcopal Church built Wilkinsburg's first Church on a Wallace Ave lot donated by James Kelly. The property was later sold to the Baptists in 1892 and the Methodists moved to their present site on South Ave.In 1955, flames broke out in the furnace room of the Baptist Church on Wallace Avenue and destroyed the entire Church which was rebuilt.More info in our digital archives!Source: Wilkinsburg Historical Society. (2007). Images of America: Wilkinsburg. Arcadia Publishing.Buy a copy here.
Covenant Fellowship Reformed Presbyterian (formerly Calvary Presbyterian Church)
At the present day site of Covenant Fellowship Reformed Presbyterian Church, at the corner of Hill and Swissvale Avenue, the Calvary Presbyterian Church was founded in 1903. In 1904 Calvary built a yellow brick church, but when Swissvale Avenue was widened in 1927 the church building had no set-back from the street. The congregation continued to worship in the old church while the new one was being built. The current red brick building was then erected in 1928 and the 1903 structure was deconstructed. The bricks, doors and stained glass windows were sold to the nearby St. Mark AME congregation so that they could finish building their church. The St. Mark AME church had built a usable foundation to worship in until the right opportunity arose to re-purpose the Calvary components into a church of their own design.Covenant Fellowship has their roots at the Reformed Presbyterian Church where a church building was erected in 1845 at the corner of South Ave. and Center Street. The Reformed Presbyterian's historical roots are from the16th Century Covenanters in Scotland who were persecuted and killed by the thousands because they opposed the King being head of the church. Their fervent belief was that Christ is King over the Church, not a governmental official. The Reformed Presbyterian denomination was strongly abolitionist. Slaveholders were excommunicated and early members of the church at South and Center were active in the underground railroad.In 1972 a group of the Reformed Presbyterian congregation planted another RP Church in Point Breeze. It was called Covenant Fellowship RP Church and met at the RP Theological Seminary on Penn Avenue. When the Wilkinsburg RP Church closed in 1979 or 1980 the Presbytery transferred the building to the Covenant Fellowship RP congregation which by then, had outgrown the chapel of the Theological Seminary. In the summer of 1983 Covenant Fellowship RP outgrew the South Ave/Center St. building and begin to rent from the Presbyterian Church at 1300 Swissvale Avenue. Within a few years they bought the building. Covenant Fellowship has worshipped and held extensive Bible study classes at this location for over 35 years. More info in our digital archives!
Christian Church of Wilkinsburg
The Christian Church of Wilkinsburg traces its origins back to 1901. Originally located in a 1866 steepled structure on Wood Street at South Avenue, (the former home of the First Presbyterian Church). The church burned down in 1915 and by 1916 the Disciples of Christ congregation had moved to Wallace Avenue where it has remained for over a century.More info in our digital archives!
Reformed Presbyterian Church
On the present day site of El-bethel Temple Church, stood the Reformed Presbyterian Church. This religious group was known as "Covenanters", though the name of the church did not contain the word "Covenant". The church traces its origins back to the mid 1800s, making it the second oldest church in Wilkinsburg. The original church for Wilkinsburg's Covananters was built in 1845 on land donated by James Kelly. Kelly donated land for many of Wilkinsburg's churches and this is the church he attended until his death in 1882. In 1892 the old church was torn down because coal had been taken out of the land around the building and the structure was in danger of falling down. The present structure was then erected. More info in our digital archives!
First Church of Christ, Scientist
Located at the present day site of the Wilkinsburg Art and Cultural Center/Eastridge Branch of the Wilkinsburg Public Library, the First Church of Christ, Scientist opened its doors on March 23, 1952.This distinctive building has a large circular entrance and the Greek key theme incorporated throughout. The Greek key pattern is a rectilinear meander often seen in ancient Greek art and represents infinity or the eternal flow of things. This pattern can be seen on railings, lighting sconces, crown molding, end sections of the theater seating and various other locations. The building is now used as a library and venue for concerts, dance performances, block watch meetings, block parties, voting and other community events.More info in our digital archives!
First Presbyterian Church of Wilkinsburg
The First Presbyterian Church of Wilkinsburg is one of the oldest in the Borough being organized in 1866. The congregation built its first church in 1866 on South Ave at Wood Street before the area became a business district. By 1899, the growing congregation moved to Wood St at Wallace Ave and sold their South Ave structure to the Christian Church. In 1983, the Presbyterians sold the Wallace Ave building to the Covenant Church of Pittsburgh. It is now headquarters for Bishop Joseph Garlington ministries.More info in our digital archives!
First United Presbyterian Church
The First United Presbyterian Church was built at what is now the site of Pittsburgh Ethnan Temple Seventh-day Adventist Church.The first meeting of the congregation was held in 1882. At this meeting, 50 members united with the church and the first service was held in the old Reformed Presbyterian Church. Steps were taken to build a church shortly after this. A lot at the corner of North Ave and Wood Street was purchased for $600. A building was erected costing around $3,200 dollars and was dedicated in 1883. That structure was destroyed by fire in 1885 and the present brick church was built and dedicated in 1886.Also like many churches in Wilkinsburg it again suffered severe damage from fire. In 1941, fire broke out within the church organ, burned through to the air shaft behind the organ and swept toward the roof. Within moments, the fire was shooting through the roof going 30 to 40 feet into the air. The fire caused tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage.More info in our digital archives!
Mulberry Community Church (formerly Grace Evangelical United Brethren Church)
Grace Evangelical United Brethren Church was once located at the present day site of Mulberry Community Full Gospel Church. The Church traces its origins back to 1898 when congregants first organized and found a temporary place to gather. After acquiring this property at the corner of Wallace Avenue and Hay Street, this beautiful stone edifice was built in 1915 and appears just as it did a century ago.More info in our digital archives!
James Street Methodist Church
Tracing its origins back to the early 20th, century the James Street Methodist Church was built on the present day site of Mt Calvary Baptist Church.The first service was held in 1904. This was a Sunday school service and was held in the old hose house, a landmark at the top of the hill above Maplewood Ave. The church was first called Vincent's Chapel, which was later changed to Swissvale Avenue Methodist Episcopal church. Still later, this was changed to James Street Methodist Episcopal church to avoid being confused with the Methodist church in Swissvale.The Sunday school grew from week to week and the church slowly began to form around it. In 1905, the James Street church at the corner of James and Swissvale was finally dedicated.In 1925, an annex and and new front part of the building comprising 12 rooms and a gymnasium were added to the main building.More info in our digital archives!
Mifflin Avenue United Methodist Church
The first Methodist Church in the Wilkinsburg area was established in 1832 on Braddock Ave in Swissvale. In 1843, the congregation built a small brick building on Wallace Ave in Wilkinsburg. The church was later enlarged and in 1865 became known as Wilkinsburg Methodist Episcopal Church.As Wilkinsburg grew, so did the church and in 1892 a new church was erected on South Ave.The Pennsylvania Railroad laid tracks through the town in 1852 and this played a great role in the need of a Methodist church on the west side of town. This part of the borough, along with the adjacent plans in Pittsburgh and Swissvale, was rapidly developing into what is now known as Regent Square. Originally, this land had been the site of a famous cricket grounds along with many large estates.In 1895, the Methodist Church Union donated three lots at the corner of Mifflin Ave and Henrietta St with the blessing of the South Ave church. A brick mission chapel was built and in 1896 the Mifflin Methodist Episcopal Church was dedicated. The present stone church was built in 1911.More info in our digital archives!Source:Piper, J. H. (1996). Mifflin Avenue United Methodist Church. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vRkBSud9FlDc_-2rcn19wsRymWDigwsU/view?usp=sharing
Wilkinsburg Church of the Nazarene
The Wilkinsburg Church of the Nazarene was built in 1927. It was originally built to be the worship center for Waverly Presbyterian. By 1937 the Waverly congregation had moved out and the church became Union Gospel. For over half a century the Union Gospel congregation worshipped in this building at the corner of Waverly Street and Peebles Street. Then about 1992 Wilkinsburg Church of the Nazarene relocated their ministry to this location. It was 2012 when the building was bought by Refuge Church of God in Christ. This structure, 300 Peebles Street, formerly had a peaked top which was removed from their bell tower. The church is actually across the borough line line in the City of Pittsburgh.. Although this church is not in Wilkinsburg, many Borough residents have worshiped here and it has been included the City of Churches directories for over 80 years.More info in our digital archives!
Ross Avenue Methodist
Located on the present day site of Deliverance Baptist Church, the Ross Avenue Methodist Church was first dedicated in 1906. In 1927 Swissvale Avenue was widened, which removed over 20 feet of frontage. The church leaders then purchased two lots fronting Ross Avenue and moved the entire structure back more than seventy-five feet. Later, the Ross Avenue Methodist congregation rejoined the South Avenue United Methodist Church and the building was sold in 1991 to Deliverance Baptist Church. More info in our digital archives!
Second United Presbyterian Church
A small group of Presbyterians gathered in the Lohr Building on Wood Street in June 1891 and planned their future worship space at Hay Street at Biddle Avenue. They worshiped in the Lohr Building for three years until the church building was completed in 1895. Soon their membership had outgrown the church space and a large addition was completed in 1902. By 1914 they needed much more space so a temporary "tabernacle" was constructed nearby while a huge new stone edifice was built on the Hay/Biddle site. It was dedicated in 1916. Although it has gone through many structural changes in its over 100-year history, the Second United Presbyterian Church still stands at this location today.More info in our digital archives!https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1YbMUClKp1o2w4Rb8QGz-QncPJN_jtc9u?usp=sharing
St. James Catholic Church
In 1869 St. James Catholic Church erected a frame church on a lot fronting Franklin Avenue near the railroad tracks. On Christmas Eve 1888 the church was destroyed by fire. Soon after, a larger brick church and school was built to replace the burned one. It was dedicated just one year later, in December 1889, The large Catholic membership kept increasing so the Diocese purchased additional lots on Mulberry Street between Franklin Avenue and Rebecca Avenue. There a magnificent stone Gothic-style cathedral was built in 1929 and dedicated in 1930. In 1961 the old brick church, which had served as part of the St. James School, was torn down and a 10 classroom educational wing was built. St. James still occupies this site today although it is now part of St. Mary Magdalene Parish. The St. James School has been restructured and renamed, Sister Thea Bowman Catholic school. More info in our digital archives!
St Mark A.M.E Church
St Mark A.M.E Church built the foundation of their worship center in 1918. After a decade, in 1928, the members themselves used their own wheelbarrows and muscles to move the bricks, windows and doors from the dismantled neighboring church and built their own architect-designed church. St. Mark A.M.E. Church was Wilkinsburg's first primarily African-American congregation.
St. Stephens Episcopal
St. Stephen's Episcopal began as a mission in 1878. Due to lack of funds and membership, parishioners originally met at the Brace Brother's Steam Laundry and worshiped amidst the hiss of natural gas from the furnace and the squeak of the water pump outside. The cornerstone of the building which can be seen today was laid in 1903. One of St. Stephen's most unique features is its beautiful stained glass windows. The windows we first envisioned by Dr. William Porkess, rector of the church in the 1920s. Dr. Porkess wanted the windows to tell the story of Christianity. He consulted with craftsman as far away as London. Work began on the windows in the 1940s.More info in our digtial archives!
Trinity Reformed Church (now Arc of the Covenant)
Trinity Reformed Church built a small frame structure on this lot in 1871. By the mid-1890s the growing congregation needed a larger worship space and hired E. Milligan as the architect to design the "lantern" style buff brick church in 1897. Andrew Carnegie was a friend of one of the parishioners and thus donated a pipe organ to the church.Over the years the church became Trinity Evangelical Reformed Church, New Birth Worship Center, Ark Ministries, and now Arc of the Covenant Church. In 1955 a large red brick educational building was erected. This is where the congregation meets today, as the buff brick building has roof leakage problems.More info in our digtial archives!
United Brethren in Christ
Located near the old Jacob Weinman mansion, the United Brethren in Christ Church was founded in 1850 with twenty-five members. The first house of worship was a small lot on the north side of Ross Avenue between Coal Street and Swissvale Avenue. In 1890 the growing congregation purchased a lot on the corner of South Avenue and Coal Street, and erected a much larger church. It was built in 1892, with a larger Sanctuary renovation in 1903. Finally, in 1926 the large educational building facing Coal Street was built and the Sanctuary was enlarged 20 feet to the north. In 1927 the church building was then refaced with new brick to match the new educational building. The building still stands although it is no longer active.More info in our digital archives!
First Phone Exchange in Wilkinsburg
The first phone exchange in Wilkinsburg was built in 1899 and located in a one room structure. The building was equipped with six switchboards, four enuncitators and two lockout boards as well as the terminal rack, public pay station booth and one forncer partitioned off cloak cupboard. The batteries were located in the cellar. The number of subscribers at this time was approximately 400.Telephone users at the time were advised to "turn the crank with a brisk, steady motion; central and branch offies will answer by voice. When conversation ends, hang the receiving telephone on the hook turn the 'crank call' to notify central that you are through"As demand for telephones rapidly grew, the telephone exchange moved to a larger facility on South Ave. (point 66).
Wilkinsburg Hotel
The very first hotel dedicated solely for the purpose of housing overnight guests was erected here in 1907. Previously visitors to Wilkinsburg had to stay in one of the local taverns.
Johnston Elementary (now Community Forge)
Johnston School was built in 1906 at the corner of Franklin Avenue and Ardmore Boulevard. It was built on land donated by the grandsons of General John Johnston who had a large farm in the area. In 1920 the building was destroyed by fire, leaving only the foundation and first floor. In 1922 the school was rebuilt, adding two new stories to the old first floor. In the 1930s aerial photo the old soot-discolored brick can be seen, topped with two floors of the newer, cleaner light brick. The school served the Wilkinsburg community until 2012 when declining enrollment caused school closure. It has now been repurposed as Community Forge which leases the classrooms to various small businesses. It also is the venue for special community events. Community Forge was and is a boon to the Wilkinsburg Community handing out free meals to Wilkinsburg residents. This has been especially needed and welcomed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Semple School
In 1902, the School Board met in special meeting and adopted plans and specifications for the new First Ward school building. Until that time all children in the First Ward attended Horner School. Due to growing population and overcrowded conditions in Horner School, it was necessary to ereact another building in the First Ward.At this time all the school buildings had been named for the ward in which they were located. With the erection of a second building in the first ward, this method was inadequate. The new building was named for Dr. John Semple, a physician who practiced his profession in Wilkinsburg for approximately 50 years. The building was dedicated in 1904 and its first principal was a Miss Floda McComb who was paid an annual salary of $90.Semple School was last used in 1974 and later torn down.Sources: Wilkinsburg Historical Society. (2007). Images of America: Wilkinsburg. Arcadia Publishing.Buy a copy here. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gejuFu5kXOZH6x3UfwVPENwwy7DtRP2p/view?usp=sharing
Wilkinsburg's First Fire Department
In 1903, a paid fire department replaced the volunteer department begun in December 1889. The department included 10 firemen and four hourses. The horse-drawn fire equipment was kept in the Municipal Building on Ross Avenue (directly across the street from the current Borough building.) The horses were stabled there with hay bins on the wall for feeding them. Gradually the Borough replaced the horse-drawn equipment with motorized vehicles. The old building was torn down in 1941 after the new Borough building was erected in 1939 and dedicated January 1, 1940.More info in our digital archives!Source: Wilkinsburg Historical Society. (2007). Images of America: Wilkinsburg. Arcadia Publishing.Buy a copy here.
Seven Mile House
Seven Mile House, built in the 1840s on land first purchased by Abram Horback in 1835, was a well-known tavern. Located on the sourth side of the Pike, at Kelly's Lane (now Penn Ave at Hay St.), it was diagonally across the street from the Seven Mile Stone. The house was a popular stopping place for turnpike travelers and a favorite resort for city families during the summer.Read more about its history here.Source: Wilkinsburg Historical Society. (2007). Images of America: Wilkinsburg. Arcadia Publishing.Buy a copy here.
Old Grist Mill
This brick gristmill was located on Penn Ave near Coal Street. Brothers Edward Moore Thompson built it in 1825 as a water mill powered by Nine Mile Run. It was later converted to a steam-powered mill owned and managed by Levi Ludwick from 1866 to 1887. Local farmers brought their grain to the mill to have it ground. The mill stood for over 100 years.The fourth image is an 1878 image of Penn Avenue (Main Street at that time) looking west from up on the hill. On the far left side you can see two important things. One is the toll booth that Jacob Weinman operated at the corner of Main (Penn). Since this was the primary way to get to Pittsburgh, Weinman decided to take advantage and charge a toll. Wilkinsburg was not incorporated yet, so he could do it. He probably fixed the mud road with the money, so that he too could get his loads of coal down to Pittsburgh for the steel mills. The hooves of horses and the narrow carriage wagons did a lot of damage to mud roads. The other important thing to note is the large building on the left with a little protrusion in the top front of the building is the grist (flour) mill. It was near Weinmans coal operation, but a little further down Main Street towards Mill Street. (The name "Coal" Street had already been taken by Weinman, so the next street up became Mill Street.)Source: Wilkinsburg Historical Society. (2007). Images of America: Wilkinsburg. Arcadia Publishing.Buy a copy here.
First Brick House in Wilkinsburg
Alexander Hamilton (no not THAT Alexander Hamilton, but a distant relation) built Wilkinsburg's first brick house here in 1839. It took, Hamilton, who had learned brick making from his father, over a year to make enough bricks. The Hamiltons raised seven children in this house before it was torn down in 1899.
Columbia Hospital
In 1889 a charter was granted to the United Presbyterian Women's Association of North America for the "establishment and maintenance of a hospital for the medical and surgical treatment and the nursing of the sick and disabled and conducting a school for the training of nurses." After many years of planning and hard work, the Columbia Hospital opened its doors in 1906.A bronze tablet was placed on the wall of the vestibule inscribed with the name of Dr. Jane Vincent, the first president of the hospital board. A small street opened through the rear of the property, was named Vincent Way, and a minor operating room also was set apart as a memorial to Dr. Vincent.Facing the main entrance of the handsomely vestibuled hospital building was a new beautiful stained glass window, presented by the Board of Managers as a tribute to Mrs. Sara McWhinney Burchfeld, the first Vice President of the hospital.Wilkinsburg was justly proud of this new addition to the town, this fireproof building with its white glass operating room and perfect ventilating system.More info in our digital archives!https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lHNZXRfsd5L3NIbe7OYySK3Lf3WWKIX7/view?usp=sharing
Hampton Coal Mine
Hampton Mine had their workings along the William Penn Highway. The pit mouth opening was just east of where the Lincoln Statue stood between the William Penn Highway and Ardmore Blvd. The Hampton Coal Company also owned a piece of land of about 90 acres on the northwest side of Beulah Church. Some pit mouths were located where the Woodlawn Cemetary is now located.The mine seems to have opened in the mid 1800s.It was not until railroads began operating locally in the early 1850s that the coal industry became firmly established. Early mines were all Dog Mines, so-called because dogs were used to draw out the cars loaded by the miners.Sources:Richard, J. (1997, May 1). HiWays/ByWays...The Wilkinsburg Scene. Wilkinsburg Historical Society Archives. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uAYKBOjIHQKSh-hedYtQugLbHXw2tgsl/view?usp=sharing
Wilkinsburg Train Station
One of the most recognizable landmarks in Wilkinsburg is its historic Pennsylvania train station built in 1916. The station was opened to huge celebrations across the Borough which can be read about in detail here.The Pennsylvania station was designed by architect Walter H. Cookson and built as part of a railroad program to get rid of dangerous street-level crossings.From Wikipedia:"The 1916 station was built of brick and stone in the current B Beaux-Arts architecture style with a vitrified tile waiting room and monumental wooden benches. It served three 12-car-length island platforms with enclosed seating areas situated between three pairs of tracks (main and yard leads). Originally the platform surfaces were level with the floors of the railroad passenger cars, but they were later lowered to the level of the track, reportedly due to substandard lateral clearances between the platforms and carbodies caused by the tracks' partially curved alignment when lengthier cars came into use; the change further spared train crews the inconvenience of having to lower and raise trap doors over the coach stairwells for this single station alone when platform levels of the other stations on this commuter route were not elevated to match. One of the platforms was removed altogether. Access to the platforms was available by stairways at the Penn Avenue, South Avenue, and Franklin Avenue underpasses, in addition to the station tunnel which also served as the Ross Avenue pedestrian underpass. There was also a separate tunnel at the station to deliver mail, express, and baggage to the platforms (a U.S. post office was later constructed across the street from the station, forming a sort of civic center in conjunction with the municipal building/public library, also across the street). The station's strategic location visible down Ross Ave. was negated when that street's motor traffic was made one-way in the opposite direction."The building eventually closed in 1967 because of decreased ridership. The Borough of Wilkinsburg took control of the property in 1969. Thanks in part to efforts from the Wilkinsburg Historical Society and thier "Save the Station" campaign, in 1977, the station was officially declared a historic landmark, saving it from demolition.Although it fell into disrepair and left vacant for many years, it is now being revived and rebuilt thanks to the efforts of the WCDC and others. Learn more about this renovation by visiting: http://wilkinsburgcdc.org/wilkinsburg-train-station/More info in our digital archives!Sources:Belser, A. (2001, September 5). Train station waiting for salvation. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LmfNJKrr2PGgxmTc61XzvYBV3gedzXC3/view?usp=sharingWikipedia contributors. (2020, March 23). Wilkinsburg station. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilkinsburg_station
Horner house (later First National Bank)
This large, rambling frame house, built in 1807 by contractor David Little, was situated at the northeast corner of what is now Penn Ave and Wood St. Its owner, James Horner II, was Justice of the Peace and had his office attached to the house. The Horner house was torn down in 1893 when the First National Bank purchased the property and erected a large stone building for its expanding business.The bank originally had a hardware store on the first floor as seen in the photo. Interior images from 1909 are included. PNC Bank purchased the property in 1954.Source: Wilkinsburg Historical Society. (2007). Images of America: Wilkinsburg. Arcadia Publishing.Buy a copy here.
Johnston's Farmhouse
George Johnston's brick farmhouse, shown in this 1885 photograph, was located on the Pike where Graham Field is today. George in herited the farm from his father, Gen. John Johnston, who had received 620 acres as a grant for his service in the Revolution. The farm, later owned by George's sons James and Jonas occupied most of the land west of Woodlawn Cemetery down to Water Street (later Swissvale Ave).Source: Wilkinsburg Historical Society. (2007). Images of America: Wilkinsburg. Arcadia Publishing.Buy a copy here.
First Post Office
The first United States post office in Wilkinsburg was established in May 1840 under the name of Wilkinsburgh. Pres. Martin Van Buren named Abraham Stoner as postmaster. The post office was located in the storeroom of Stoner's dry goods store. After 50 years, in 1891, the final h was dropped, and the name of the post office became Wilkinsburg.Source: Wilkinsburg Historical Society. (2007). Images of America: Wilkinsburg. Arcadia Publishing.Buy a copy here.
Sleeping Octopus (formerly Yingling Mansion)
The Yingling Mansion has a history which stretches back over 100-years and can still be seen today, primarily in its original form as The Sleeping Octopus.The mansion was built in 1907 by Roswell Gardner Yingling, the owner of a Kittaning brick company. The land was part of the Singer Estate which originally owned about 30-acres of land in the area before it was divided up into parcels and sold. The Yingling Mansion was built near the small lake that was originally on the Singer Estate. You can view the Singer Mansion on the high side of Singer Place around the corner from the Yingling home.In 1927, the Yingling family sold the mansion to a group of doctors who created the Wilkinsburg Private Hospital. After the hospital closed the building housed the Miller Nursing Home and later the Gibbs Personal Care Home.The Sleeping Octopus, which currently occupies the site was opened in 2018 by Nicole Santella and Brian Sieffert who beautifully restored and renovated it. It is now just one of many examples of Wilkinsburg's rebirth. Santella and Siefert currently live in the residence and open it for tours, exhibits and other community events.Sources:https://triblive.com/local/pittsburgh-allegheny/old-yingling-mansion-in-wilkinsburg-renovated-into-the-sleeping-octopus/
Woodlawn Cemetery
From the Wilkinsburg Historical Society Archives: July 2016:Woodlawn Cemetery was officially established February 28, 1903 at 1460 Penn Avenue in Wilkinsburg. However, there are some grave stones that date from 1878 and 1882. There are 37 acres of rolling hills. There are thousands of graves there, some with gravestones and some are unmarked.One of the very first monuments placed in Woodlawn Cemetery is the statue of a Civil War soldier. It was placed about 1905 and originally had two cannons and a pyramid of cannon balls in front.Many notable people are in Woodlawn Cemetery as their final resting place. Among them are:Vernon Covell - a Wilkinsburg engineer who designed the George Westinghouse bridge and was chief engineer in the design of the 6th, 7th and 9th Street bridges over the Allegheny RiverJohn Ralph McDowell - Representative in Congress and editor of the Wilkinsburg GazetteFrank E. Bingaman - News photographer who started his career in a studio on Wilkinsburg’s Wood Street. In the early 1900s Bingaman captured images of Honus Wagner, Andrew Carnegie, President Taft, the 1936 flood in Pittsburgh, and innumerable Pittsburgh events.Dr. Frank Conrad - Wilkinsburg electrical engineer whose early radio experiments led to the first commercial broadcasting and the establishment of the first radio station, KDKA.Note that in 1938 the Lincoln Cemetery of Bedford Avenue in Pittsburgh’s Hill district was to be the site for the new Bedford Dwellings housing. This cemetery served the African American people of the Hill, and was relatively small, measuring 250 feet by 700 feet. The Lincoln Cemetery was dismantled and the interred burials were moved to the Woodlawn Cemetery in Wilkinsburg, with a marker stating “In Memoriam - Dedicated in honor of the persons who were buried in the Lincoln Memorial Cemetery - Bedford Ave. Pgh and whose remains were reinterred in this cemetery 1938”Sources:https://wilkinsburghistory.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/archives-july-2016.pdf
McNair School and Original Site of Wilkinsburg Public Library
On the site currently occupied by Ferguson Playground, was once a school named after one of Wilkinsburg's founders, Dunning McNair. McNair School was built in 1895.In 1899, Professor Shives of the Wilkinsburg Schools, had a far sighted vision of the future needs of Wilkinsburg, and asked Walter Crane, librarian of the Braddock Carnegie Library, to open a branch library in Wilkinsburg.On September 11, 1899, Fred S. Evans, opened a branch in one room in the McNair School with about 1,500 books. The response was instantaneous. Despite the small collection, 58,225 books circulated in the first year.The McNair school building was later torn down in 1950.
Original site of First Presbyterian Church
In 1866 the Presbyterian congregation in Wilkinsburg built this large steepled edifice on Wood Street at South Avenue. Later, about 1902, as the Wood Street corridor became a bustling business District, the East wing was removed from the church and the corner property was sold to Central National Bank. The bank building still stands, and has been a bank, Powers food store, Mercury Press Printing, and is now being renovated for another new use. In the 1906 second image shown, the Central Bank is in operation and the steeple of the church is visible. The church building was bought by the Disciples of Christ in 1901 and used by them until the church burned in 1915.
St. Mark AME Zion
This church at the corner of Ross Avenue and Center Street (807 Ross Avenue) was built in 1901 to be the home for St. Paul's Lutheran congregation. In 1913 the congregation of St. Paul's worshiped in the nearby Calvary Lutheran Church while St. Paul's raised their entire building to install a usable basement space. The two congregations tried to merge in 1915 but were hampered by a clause in their by-laws which prohibited the sale of the Ross Avenue structure. In 1919, when the entire Lutheran Synod effected a merger St. Paul's was able to merge with Calvary Lutheran and this building was sold to the YWCA. In 1946 the YWCA had moved to another location on Ross Avenue and the church structure was sold to the Wesleyan Methodist church. In 1988 it was purchased by St. Mark AME Zion Church.
Mulberry Presbyterian Church
From "Our History"Mulberry Presbyterian Church had its beginning from a group associated with little Beulah, a small church on William Penn Highway that started a Sunday School in Wilkinsburg Village in 1839. The Sunday School developed into the Wilkinsburg First Presbyterian Church. In 1898 Wilkinsburg was rapidly growing so one church could not manage so many people, so another was organized known as the Second Presbyterian Church and later called Mulberry Presbyterian Church.In 1904 three lots were purchased at the corner of South and Mulberry and a small chapel was erected. Membership grew so fast that a large sanctuary was added. In 1912 a much larger sanctuary with a square tower was added. In 1928 a three-story educational wing was added which fronted Franklin Avenue. In 1971 Northwood United Presbyterian Church merged with Mulberry and many improvements were made to the building.A unique feature of the sanctuary is the stained glass windows. They are made in one large piece rather than small pieces. Mulberry is one of the few churches in Pennsylvania to claim this feature.By 2006 the Presbyterian congregation had relocated and the massive block-long building was sold. The roof needed repairs and the new owner subsequently abandoned it. In recent years, 2019-2020 it has been acquired by a non-profit Center for Civic Arts to be repurposed as a community center and home to various artistic and creative endeavors. Sources:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RnHNJgICzTU8CJkF5pclv74DTDCII9EK/view?usp=sharingMore info in our digital historical archives
Lohr Building
The arched glass windows of the landmark Lohr Building have overlooked the intersection of Wood Street and South Avenue since those roads were teeming with horse-and-buggy traffic. Built in the late 1800s by Alexander Lohr, this three-story red brick building has at various times in its life served as the first home of the Second United Methodist Church, a newspaper office, a sewing machine store, a law firm, and a bank.From the Wilkinsburg Historical Society Archives: July 2020Alexander Lohr was born in 1835 in Somerset County working the fields on the family farm. In 1858 at the age of 23 he moved to Ligonier to learn the carpentry trade. In 1862 Lohr moved to Pittsburgh and operated as a carpenter, contractor and builder.All over Pittsburgh’s East End he built many fine houses and business places but he chose Wilkinsburg to build his own residence. In 1871 he married Caroline Lacock, a local Wilkinsburg woman and built a 10 room Victorian on South Avenue. Sadly, the Lohrs had two baby girls who both died at a very young age.Then in 1893 after working in construction for 35 years he built this multi-use high-quality masterpiece, and he built it to last. He fashioned seven large arched windows facing Wood Street on the third floor, and seven semi-arched windows on the second floor. It had a large roofline cupola at the corner of Wood Street and South Avenue, with the name Lohr on both edges. This is the only building that bore his name, the Lohr Building.The first floor originally contained a dry goods store that sold carpets and furnishings, while the upper floors were offices for lawyers, accountants, physicians and real estate offices. Many longtime residents remember the decades of this building being the Singer Sewing Machine business. The upper floors at one time served as classrooms before the High School was built in 1911. The top floor with its expansive space was the worship area for the Second United Presbyterian Church while that congregation built a church. In recent years the first floor had a Wheelchair Exchange business and later a pawn shop. * * *After two years of an extensive, $2.5-million renovation, the Lohr Building was officially reopened on June 30, 2020. The WCDC hosted a ribboncutting ceremony and open house to celebrate the end of the renovation and beginning of new life for the 130-year-old Lohr Building.Sources:http://wilkinsburgcdc.org/lohr-building-project/https://wilkinsburglibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Archives-July-2020a.pdf
Lincoln statue site
In 1916 the Borough planned a great celebration for the opening of the new train station and the raising of the railroad tracks. To add to the event the Wilkinsburg school children were encouraged to donate money to purchase a statue of Abraham Lincoln to be placed at the intersection of the newly constructed Lincoln Highway and the William Penn Hwy. The sheet copper statue was purchased and the grand unveiling took place on June 9 1916. This was the same weekend as the train station opening was celebrated.After a century of standing on the Penn Ave./Lincoln Highway (Ardmore) hill, the thin sheet copper has deteriorated and distorted. The 100 year old statue has been removed and is displayed inside the Municipal Building. A new Abraham Lincoln statue made of bronze will be placed in the exact same location. The Wilkinsburg Historical Society is raising funds to pay for a handsome new memorial to Lincoln. Donate here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/lincoln-statue-for-wilkinsburg
Wilkinsburg Bank
The Wilkinsburg Bank opened for business in the Borough in June 1896 at 901 Wood Street. About ten years later, they bought the lot behind the bank and moved their small structure to the back of the Wood Street lot.The smaller building was used during construction of the new bank. This impressive stone-exterior bank was built in 1908 at the corner of Ross Avenue and Wood Street. In 1910 the impressive Rowland Theatre was erected next door, in matching architectural style. In November 1947 it became Mellon Bank and finally became Citizens Bank in May 2005 before It closed in late 2019.
Second Telephone Exchange
Once it became evident that the first telephone exchange in Wilkinsburg on Franklin Ave (point 43) was nowhere near adequate to handle the rapidly growing telephone system in the area, a second more permanent building was built on this site at the beginning of the 20th century.This was a very long structure which was necessary because of the batteries that were held in the basement. The alley next-door was named Telephone Way and is still named the same.The building served its purpose as a telephone exchange for about 30 years and then moved yet again to Hay Street. The building was bought by the Boys Club of Wilkinsburg and later became the Boys and Girls club for the next 75 years, and then was purchased by the Pittsburgh Urban Christian School and dedicated as their middle school for a whole new life of re-purposing.
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