Lawrenceville Historical Society - Resources[Articles]

Articles

Historical Sites and Lost Landmarks
Of Lawrenceville

This article was written by James Wudarczyk. It was copyrighted in 2002/2008 and posted on this site April 19, 2009.

DEDICATED
TO THE LATE
JOSEPH A. BORKOWSKI
WHO SERVED AS THE
HONORARY PRESIDENT
OF
THE LAWRENCEVILLE HISTORICAL SOCIETY,
FOR LAYING THE FOUNDATION
OF INTEREST IN LAWRENCEVILLE HISTORY
AND
FOR HIS EFFORTS IN PERSERVING OUR HERITAGE

Introduction

In 1985 the Lawrenceville Historical Society sponsored the first of its many walking tours. The tour examined part of Lawrenceville’s 6th and 9th Wards. At the time, the volunteer tour guides identified approximately forty sites of historical interest. I had the privilege of being one of the persons responsible for developing the first tour. With each tour of Lawrenceville, we discovered new facets of the community’s history, architecture, and storied past.

Over the years, the Lawrenceville Historical Society explored other sections of our community. We walked the streets of the Sixth Ward, Ninth Ward, and the Tenth Ward; toured both Allegheny Cemetery and Saint Mary’s R. C. Cemetery; examined our industrial region along the Allegheny River; and gave special attention to the Allegheny Arsenal and the uniqueness of Fisk Street. Thus, by 2008 we were successful in identifying nearly 130 historical sites and lost landmarks of our neighborhood.

Incredibly there seems to be no shortage to the wealth of historical wealth constantly being mined. The LHS published three books, numerous newsletters, a large number of lectures, and, in more recent years, developed a website that contains even more articles, reviews, and data relating to Lawrenceville’s historical past. When we think there is no more history to research, we are pleased to find that new veins of subject matter become uncovered, and still more lies beneath the surface of the past, waiting for us to discover it.

Over the years, there have been a number of books, designed basically as walking tours of Pittsburgh and surrounding vicinities. Most notable of these studies is Franklin Toker’s Pittsburgh: An Urban Portrait. What makes the “Historical Sites and Lost Landmarks” project unique is that it is the only one dedicated exclusively to one Pittsburgh neighborhood.

While this little study is hardly comprehensive, it is a major attempt to document the sites—both past and present—and is intended to serve as a survey of the landmarks mentioned, with a brief historical narrative of each. Based on personal notes from past walking tours, scattered lectures, and assorted writings, this study organizes more than 20 years of LHS sponsored walking tours for anyone who wishes to explore Lawrenceville on his own.

So for the adventurous of heart, start at the junction of Penn Avenue and Butler Streets, climb the hills of our community, and walk the paths of history.

Doughboy Statue

In 1918 patriotic fervor swept through the area as the Lawrenceville Board of Trade sponsored a carnival at Arsenal Park with the object of raising money for the soldiers of the fifth zone. Since the armistice ending World War I was signed before many of the troops reached the front, it was decided that the money should be used to erect a monument at the junction of Penn Avenue and Butler Street.

Allen George Newman, the celebrated New York sculptor, was commissioned to design the bronze statue. Cost of the project was $10,000 and took one year to complete.

The names of the men from the area who served during World War II were added to the statue following the end of that conflict.

The statue was sorely neglected for many years and turned green with age. In the 1980’s a project was undertaken to clean the monument to prevent further oxidation. The statue was painted a dark brown at this time.

Pennsylvania National Bank

The Pennsylvania National Bank stood at the junction of Penn Avenue and Butler Street. Organized in 1890, this bank in 1913 showed a capital of $200,000. Architecture of the building is neo-classical or academic in character. This institution was a victim of the Great Depression of the 1930’s.

Recently the interior and exterior were renovated to restore much of the original beauty of the building.

Lawrenceville Theater

Located at 3407 Butler Street, this was an early nickelodeon.

McKee Elementary

Opened in 1868, this school was one of the earliest educational facilities in Lawrenceville. Located on Ligonier Street near 34th Street, it was named in honor of a prominent school contractor. The establishment also opened an open-air class in 1931 to accommodate students with tuberculosis. While records indicate that the school closed in 1932, it appears that the special class continued until 1938. The building was later dismantled.

Penn Theater

Located at 3414-3416 Penn Avenue, the theater was once owned by Israel Roth, and was regarded as “a high class movie house as it carried only the best of the day.” Older residents of Lawrenceville recall that it was one of the few movie houses frequented by blacks, although the seating was segregated.

The Pittsburgh Brewing Company

Brewing has been one of the historical Lawrenceville industries. Some buildings in the complex date to 1860. Above the main entrance at 3340 Liberty Avenue is an interesting motif of the “goddess of grain.”

The history of the Pittsburgh Brewing Company dates back to 1899 when 21 independent breweries were united. Originally, it was proposed that the combination of these capabilities would be to produce one standard of purity and excellence, offer the public the best beer, ale and porter under one general name, and to better the “various plants” through scientific and mechanical improvements.

Several of the breweries were closed after the merger. By 1913 there were 14 breweries with capacity to produce 14,500,000 barrels of beer, ale and porter. Of the facilities, the Iron City Brewing Company was the largest facility with annual production capacity of 400,000 barrels. Interesting to note is the fact that in 1913 the federal excise tax was $1.00 per barrel.

In 1986 Pittsburgh Brewing Company merged with Swan Brewing Company LTD of Australia, after the Australian firm paid $22.50 per share or $28 million. A few years later in 1991, the brewing company was purchased by a Pittsburgh man, and again changed hands in the late 1990’s.

While the Pittsburgh Brewing Company captured the financial papers in 1991, an earlier newspaper called The Clipper, which was published in Lawrenceville in the late 1890’s, carried the following advertisement: “Iron City Beer is the purest and the most wholesome brewed in this state. The assertion is a broad one but it is a fact. Being the most wholesome makes it the ideal beer for home consumption. It is pleasant to the taste, tones up the stomach and makes sickly people strong and robust when used with judgment and regularity.”

In 2007, after a long reorganization battle, Pittsburgh Brewing was dissolved and a new company—Iron City Brewing—was formed.

Former Stables

The present facilities at 3441 Butler Street were originally stables built in 1888. Of particular note is the interesting carved stone horse’s head over the entrance to the building.

3549 Butler Street In 1901 this address housed the Junior Order United American Mechanics, Lawrence, 61.

The Clipper

H. C. Knapp, a distinguished Lawrenceville printer, in his shop at 3521 Butler Street, published this newspaper in the 1890’s every Friday.

This eight-page newspaper sold for once cent locally and advertised that for an extra penny it could be mailed anywhere in the United States.

Saint John the Baptist R. C. Church

The eminent architectural historian James Van Trump described the Pittsburgh phenomena of the “the transient church,” as a parish that erects a church in one spot and somewhere in its history erects a new structure at another location. Saint John the Baptist R. C. Church is one example of the “transient church.”

The large influx of Irish immigrants into Lawrenceville in the 1870’s led to the creation of a new parish. Land was purchased from the Denny family at 32nd and Liberty Avenue, and on June 8, 1879, the first edifice was erected. A school was opened in 1880 on the first floor of the church, with five Sisters of Charity commuting from Sacred Heart convent in East Liberty. It was not until 1881 that a convent was purchased at 2943 Penn Avenue for the sisters.

In 1891 the Reverend Edward McKeever assumed the pastorate of the church and under his direction a new edifice at 3600 Liberty Avenue was erected. He also built a school and convent in 1907. John Comes designed the church in the grand style of Italian Romanesque architecture. One of McKeever’s ideas was to connect the parish facilities by intercom, which was quite revolutionary for those days.

The parish operated a high school for both boys and girls from 1924 until 1931, when Central Catholic in Oakland was opened. The girl’s high school was continued until the 1960’s. In 1950 the elementary school had 400 students and the girl’s high school had 250 students. Because of changing demographics, both schools were closed.

In 1993 Saint John’s was merged with three other parishes to form the newly created Our Lady of the Angels parish, and the church building was closed. As of this writing, the site serves as The Church Brew Works, a microbrewery and restaurant.

Site of Stephen Foster’s Birthplace

William Barclay Foster founded Lawrenceville in 1814 as a real estate venture. He build a White Cottage on what is now 3600 Penn Avenue, and it was here in 1826 that that America’s most famous composer, Stephen Collins Foster, was born. Part of the original White Cottage burned in 1865 and industrialist Andrew Kloman erected the present structure.

In 1934 there arose a great controversy about the exact location of the Foster birthplace. When the Henry Ford Foundation wanted to purchase a building believed to be the Foster birthplace for the Greenfield Village at Dearborn, Michigan, there was a great protest. Mayor McNair told the protesters, “Let them take it. They got the wrong building.” In recent years, Mrs. Dorothy Malady, a great granddaughter of Stephen Foster, made public an 1817 map which clearly showed the site of the Foster birthplace as being 3600 Penn Avenue, and not 3414 Penn Avenue as previously believed. History proved McNair correct. The house at the Greenfield Village was built by a carpenter named Toman in 1828, two years after the birth of Stephen Foster.

For a number of years in more recent history, 3600 Penn Avenue was run as the Lutz’s Funeral Home. Eventually, the property reverted to the city, where it entered into a period of decay. The house was vandalized; the beautiful property surrounding it was overgrown with trees and shrubs; and people used the grounds as a garbage dump.

Fortunately, for Lawrenceville, Robert Boudreau of the American Wind Symphony, who put $300,000 into the property to restore it to its former grandeur, saved this landmark.

Lafayette Hotel

Located at 3519 Butler Street, this hotel was advertised in the late 1890’s as a respectable place, which offered rooms for $2.00 a day. Scheduled meals were served as follows: breakfast 6:00 till 9:00; dinner 12:00 till 2:00; and supper from 6:00 till 8:00. Mr. A. Schohn was proprietor of the bar attached to the hotel. Advertised were 32 spacious, commodious and well-ventilated rooms.

Lawrenceville Neighborhood House

Mrs. Gertrude Thompson, wife of the rector of Saint James Episcopal Church, took the initiative to accommodate the dire need of baths is the area. Plans were laid in 1895, but the institution was not opened until 1898. Originally called “A Public Bath,” the name of the establishment was changed to the Lawrenceville Neighborhood House in 1928. Located at 3445 Butler Street, the first funds for the institution were advanced by industrialist Henry Phipps. It was closed on December 7, 1961.

36th and Butler Streets

In 1901 two societies were housed in this vicinity: namely, the Ancient Order of United Workmen and the National Slavic Society, Springfield Council, 213. Exact location of said meeting places was not given in the city directories.

Kins House

The Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania purchased the Kins House at 190 36th Street for the purpose of establishing a historical house museum. The Lawrenceville house museum was to depict the lifestyle, goals and aspirations of an ethnic family in the early 1900’s through the middle of the twentieth century.

Gertrude Kins donated total contents of the ten-room house to the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania. These donations included 500 large artifacts and 350 boxes of archival material and smaller artifacts.

The house dates back to 1852 and was owned for 78 years by the Hines (Hinds) Family. It was sold in 1920 to Anthony and Frances Kins (Kozioziemski). Gertrude Kins donation is believed to be the largest family collection of artifacts from 1920-1940 in the country.

However, shortly before the end of the twentieth century the project was abandoned when the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania deemed that a house museum was no longer a feasible option.

Pittsburczanin

Victor Alski founded the Pittsburczanin, a Polish newspaper, in 1920. Originally it appeared as a daily, but between 1933 and 1975, it ran as a weekly, being published by Dora Alski, following the death of her husband in 1957. Publication was scaled back to bimonthly from May 1975, until it ultimately closed in 1976. The newspaper originally had its home on Penn Avenue, but in 1962, it moved to 3513-3515 Butler Street. Moving ceremonies included a blessing by the Most Reverend John Wright, Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh.

Black Lead and Crucible Works

Reference to this firm may be found in The Manufactories and Manufacturers of Pennsylvania of the Nineteenth Century, published in 1875. Located on 36th Street below the Railroad yards, the firm was established in 1872 by M. McCullough, Jr., J. H. Dalzell, C. C. Arensberg and H. E. Dubarry. It occupied one and one-half acres and boasted of the largest trade in the line in the state. The crucibles made by the firm were made with a higher heat than any other establishment and, therefore, had a smooth surface, which made them preferred by the smelters of brass and steel.

Site of the Joseph Wainwright Brewery

Little information exists on this brewery, but it was one of the earliest breweries in the area. Located at 36th and Charlotte Street, it was a viable business establishment from 1818 until 1852.

Site of the Eintracht

Following the Civil War, a number of German American veterans began to meet and soon organized a German singing society. It was not long, thereafter, that the popularity of such music spread. The old Heyl mansion, in the vicinity of 36th and Bandera, served for many years as home to the Eintracht Music Society. The term “Eintracht loosely translated means “Harmony of Thought,” “Good Fellowship,” or “A Union of Fair Minded Men.” Over the years the group won numerous awards. In 1937 they performed at the Cleveland Exposition at the invitation of Mayor Scully. Founded in 1866, they continued in existence until the 1960’s when they had to disband because of dwindling membership and rising financial costs that made it impossible to maintain the building.

Saint Augustine Plaza, 230 36th Street, a seven-story, 88 units building, which was opened in the 1970’s to house for senior citizens, presently occupies the site.

Cinderella Apartments

One of the more curious pieces of architecture in the city is the apartment at 3701 Penn Avenue. The structure looks like an abode structure of the Southwest. In 1903, brick masons went on strike, so owner John Fink hired unskilled laborers at $1.75 a day to mix cement and coal ashes. It took a crew of ten men eight weeks to erect the apartment building, which was approximately the same amount of time that it would have taken the bricklayers being paid 60 cents per hour. The figures above the door of 1903 denote the year in which the apartment was erected. Mr. Fink named the apartment complex Cinderella because it was of a mixture of coal cinders.

Filming of “Gung Ho”

A house at the corner of 37th Street and Sardis Way (260 37th Street) was used in the 1986 movie “Gung Ho,” which starred Michael Keaton and was directed by Ron Howard. The comedy film illustrated the difference between the Japanese and American management systems. In the movie, the story is set in the fictional town of Hadleyville. Suffering from the economic disaster of the closing of the local automobile plant, star Michael Keaton is sent to Japan to encourage the Japanese to invest in America and save the town. Although the film did not do as well as the producers had hoped, the movie inspired a short-lived 1987 television series by the same name.

Site of the First St. Francis Hospital

Dr. Philip Weisenberger and two nuns of the Third Order of Saint Francis founded Saint Francis Hospital in 1865. It is widely held that the residences at 250, 252, and 254 37th Street served as the first hospital. However, the late Sister Adele Meiser, who served the Lawrenceville community since 1926 and was for many years the chief hospital administrator, contended that Saint Francis was originally located in rental property in the vicinity of 37th Street and Bandera Way. Sister Adele believed that the structure was razed to make way for the present Saint Augustine Church. Shortly after the founding, the hospital moved to 44th Street. At one time it was one of the largest medical institutions in the state.

Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church

The history of this congregation dates back to 1868 when nine Lutheran men purchased a lot and began to lay the foundation of a Lutheran church in the community. In 1874 a new brick church was erected on the northeast corner of 37th and Bandera Streets, with the beautiful stained-glass windows being added in 1918 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the parish. Around 1880 a day school was opened with an enrollment of 60 pupils. In 1886 a special building was constructed to house the school and by 1897 there were 155 students enrolled. This Christian day school continued for 53 years.

Saint Augustine R. C. Church Complex

Now part of Our Lady of the Angels parish, the present edifice on the northwest corner of 37th and Bandera Streets was completed in 1901, replacing a smaller church constructed in 1863. Modeled after Saint Benno Church in Munich, the present structure was built by the sacrifices of German immigrants and a donation of $100,000 in land and money from the Frauheim family, pioneer brewers affiliated with the Pittsburgh Brewing Company. The twin towers reach a height of 148 feet. Four bells- named in honor of Saints Raphael, Mary, Joseph and George - are housed in the towers. Built in the form of a cross, the face of the church is trimmed with terra cotta with a cast of Christ, as King and Judge of mankind, with the Blessed Virgin and Saint Francis kneeling at each side. Of particular note in the church is the Saint Anthony chapel, with the walls and ceiling frescoed in 1913 depicting the life of Saint Francis.

The original edifice was on Butler Street, having been organized as an ethnic German church.

Below the church are the monastery and former high school building. The second monastery was completed in 1899 at a cost of $35,000. It was demolished and a new monastery was erected in 1991. On the corner of 37th and Butler Streets stands the former Saint Augustine High School, which as built in 1952 as an all-girls school. In 1966 the school went co-educational and was eventually known as Lawrenceville Catholic High School. The high school eventually moved its home to Garfield. The structure is currently owned by the Capuchin Franciscan friars and is used as a community ministry center.

Across the street from the church, one sees the rectory, which was originally a convent, constructed in 1896. This structure was once home to the Sisters of the Third Order of Saint Francis. The rounded portion served as a chapel.

Down the street from the former convent once stood a grade school, erected in 1888 at a cost of $45,000. Moeser was the architect and George Nickel was the contractor. The structure was demolished in the late 1990’s to make a parking lot.

Antioch Baptist Church

Very little information exists on this church and its congregation. A 1901 city directory indicated that it was located on 37th Street below Butler Street. Period references frequently segregated the denominations by race. For many years the facility housed the Friendship Baptist Church on 37th and Charlotte Street but by the late 1990’s the building was a warehouse before being demolished in 2001.

Lawrence School

First built in 1871 as Lawrence Elementary at 37th and Charlotte Streets, the structure was rebuilt in 1908 and served the educational needs of the community until 1939. The school was named in honor of Captain James Lawrence, a naval hero in the War of 1812. The structure was greatly damaged by a fire in the late 1980’s and the upper levels of the building were removed.

Round Corner Tavern

Standing at the corner of 38th and Butler Streets, this is the oldest continuous business establishment in Lawrenceville, having been founded in 1862. The top floor of the building was added around 1880.

Lawrenceville Presbyterian Church

Located on 39th Street, midway between Butler Street and Penn Avenue, it was one of the oldest religious institutions in the neighborhood. Work began on the church in 1832, with completion of the structure in 1834. The first pastor was Reverend Richard Lea, who was installed on June 15, 1836. Reverend Lea had a long affiliation with the Lawrenceville Presbyterian Church. His advice to the congregation was, “Stay out of debt. Stay out of the way of the law, and you should not have much trouble at all.”

During the disastrous Arsenal explosion of 1862, all of the windows of the church were shattered. Reverend Lea gave the funeral oration at Allegheny Cemetery for those who were killed in the explosion.

The church continued to serve the community until approximately 1940 when it was razed to make way for houses.

Shannopintown Marker

This Delaware Indian village was probably located above the Two Mile Run near the present 31st Street. The village appears on many colonial maps. It contained 20 dwelling houses and was populated by eighty persons. Early visitors to the area included Conrad Wesier, a German pietist missionary, Celeron de Bienville and Christopher Gist. Although the present marker is at 40th Street, not far from the entrance to the Washington Crossing Bridge, the exact location of the Indian village was never determined.

Allegheny Arsenal

While the Allegheny Arsenal was of the major military importance, its role has been sadly neglected in the annals of local history. Equally sad is the fact that today only a few vestiges of its former glory remain to remind us of our heritage.

With the closing of Fort Lafayette, the government recognized the need to establish a new base of supplies. It was decided that the Arsenal should be near the foundries of Pittsburgh. Hence, Colonel Abram R. Woolley was appointed by the government to choose a site for an arsenal. An initial purchase of thirty acres was made on April 9, 1814, for the sum of $12,000 from William B. Foster.

The Arsenal was established in Lawrenceville. With subsequent purchases in 1831, 1833, 1837 and 1867 the Arsenal covered approximately 38 acres. The present Penn Avenue, 39th Street, 40th Street, and the Allegheny River bound it.

Benjamin Latrobe, one of the most talented architects in the country, was commissioned to design the great United States Arsenal. Six of Latrobe’s elaborate drawings are housed in the Library of Congress, but differences between the proposed and actual structures reveal that many of his designs were altered. Talbot Hamlin, in reviewing Latrobe’s preliminary drawings, finds them to be “among the most brilliant of the architect’s designs; they are original, admirably fitted to their purpose, with clear, simple, and distinguished details. In these drawing, more than anywhere else, is embodied the most perfect expression of his later style, which so wonderfully combines austerity with grace and in spite of its simplicity avoids the mean or merely stark.”

One of the earliest descriptions of the facilities is found in Israel Rupp’s 1846 Early History of Western Pennsylvania in which the author contends that “of three or four principal points that were fixed upon for establishing large arsenals of constructions, at which munitions appertaining to the ordnance department might be collected by purchase and fabrication on the position occupied by the Allegheny Arsenal was deemed to be second to no other, in its convenience of location, for communicating with, and supplying large and important sections of exposed inland and maritime frontier. “ The source went on to way that “the superior means it possesses of selecting from the numerous manufacturing establishments in its immediate vicinity, artisans of every description and of great skill, of procuring all the various materials required in the construction of arms and military equipment of all kinds, renders it one of the most important arsenals of construction in the United States.”

By 1825 the Allegheny Arsenal had established its position of economic and social importance in Pittsburgh. Among the most important early visitors to the Arsenal was the Marquis de Lafayette, who toured the grounds on June 2, 1825. Lafayette had breakfast with Major Churchill, inspected the grounds, and then proceeded to Pittsburgh in a grand parade.

Another important visitor to the facilities was U. S. Senator and former President John Quincy Adams, who toured the grounds on November 18, 1843, where he was “received and temperately entertained by Captain and Mrs. Harding.

Attention was turned to the Allegheny Arsenal on December 23, 1860, when Secretary of War John Floyd ordered Colonel John Symington to ship over a hundred cannon and a large number of small arms from Pittsburgh to Southern ports. Symington was only acting on orders but soapbox orators and local publications were very critical of the commander. Evidence of the discontent of local residents was probably best shown by the Pittsburgh Gazette of December 25, 1860, which wrote, “The traitors of the South are being furnished by a government in league with them with all the ammunitions of war.” Two days later the same publication was encouraging the citizens to arm themselves, because the government was no longer to be trusted to act in their defense. A protest by residents of the city was instrumental in stopping the shipment of the weapons.

At 2 p.m. on September 17, 1862, three disastrous explosions ripped through the laboratory where cartridges were being loaded. The explosion claimed the lives of 78 persons, most of whom were young girls, and was the worst civilian disaster in the history of the Civil War.

A coroner’s inquest was impaneled to investigate the explosion, but the jury after days of testimony was split and, therefore, no charges could be pressed. Colonel Symington felt that he did not receive fair treatment and requested a military investigation, which was conducted in October of 1862. This investigation absolved Symington and the other officers of any wrongdoing.

Although no one knows the reason for the explosion, one common theory is that the workers were lax in dealing safely with gunpowder and a spark from a mule’s hoof set off the first of three explosions. This was never proven but the negligence theory may have some validity. Charles Puder, in his “Memories of Lawrenceville,” points out that his great-grandfather worked at the Allegheny Arsenal, and his grandfather, John P. Driesch, would carry a noon meal in a lunch box each day to his father. According to Mr. Puder, his grandfather, upon leaving, would fill up the lunch bucket with gunpowder and take it home. Charles Puder wrote, “He and the other boys would then wet it and roll it into a candle about 2” diameter and about 12” high. This they would put on the hill where the retirement apartment building is behind Saint Augustine Church on 36th Street and light it. It would burn slowly with a bright light and light up that portion of Lawrenceville with a spreading glow.”

Principal figures in the explosion were Colonel John Symington, Second Lieutenant John R. Edie, Second Lieutenant Jasper Myers, and Alexander McBride.

John Symington was born in Delaware and was a graduate of West Point Academy in 1815. He served the U. S. Army for almost 50 years before being relieved of his command at the Allegheny Arsenal on November 1, 1862. From then until June 1, 1863, he was on a sick leave of absence before retiring from the military. Symington was unemployed until his death on April 4, 1864, in Hartford County, Maryland. He most likely died a broken man.

Symington was a victim of his times. A stern disciplinarian, he dismissed some 200 boys working at the arsenal when matches were found around the gunpowder shortly before the Civil War and replaced them with girls, whom he felt were more reliable. In the opinion of many Lawrenceville residents, Symington was disliked because of the dismissals and for his role in the removal of the cannon in December, 1860. Furthermore, suspicion grew against the commander when his son ran away from home to join the Southern army and his daughter appeared for church services wearing a Confederate rosette.

Second Lieutenant John R. Edie, a native of Pennsylvania, was a graduate of the West Point class of 1846, and served as an aide-de-camp of Colonel Orlando B. Wilcox at the First Bull Run battle. He came to the Allegheny Arsenal in October, 1861, and served here until December, 1862, when he transferred to the ordnance department of the Army of the Potomac and later served with General George G. Meade’s staff. After the Civil War, he served at various arsenals throughout the country. Therefore, it seems safe to assume that the tragedy at the Allegheny Arsenal did not hinder his career. Edie, however, had a short-lived life, dying in a government asylum at the age of 35.

Second Lieutenant Jasper Myers came to the Allegheny Arsenal immediately after graduation from West Point in June, 1862, but remained at the arsenal for only six or seven months. Like Edie, Myers held other positions of authority during the war and later served at other arsenals. He left the army in 1870 and took up the practice of law in San Francisco, prospering in that profession until his death in 1918 at the age of 80.

Alexander McBride first arrived at the Allegheny Arsenal on September 10, 1844, and served for five consecutive years in military service. He re-enlisted at the Arsenal until 1854, and then was employed until 1865 at the Allegheny Arsenal as a civilian employee. After the first explosion, McBride rushed to one of the magazines where he closed an open door, thus preventing another disaster by stopping flying fragment from penetrating the magazine. McBride was thrown some 30 feet by a second explosion, but that did not deter him from helping the injured and fighting the fires. Among the victims of the explosion was his daughter, Katie. At the age of 82, McBride was still active with trying to obtain compensation from the government for the families of the victims of the explosion.

In July, 1877, its employees take the railroads demanded wage cuts. When the workers refused, a strike ensued. When a Philadelphia militia unit attempted to break the strike, Pittsburgh became the scene of the bloodiest riot in its history. Starting at 28th Street, the battles continued until the militia crossed to safety in Sharpsburg. At one point they attempted to secure safety at the Allegheny Arsenal but the commander did not wish to become involved in what he considered to be a local matter and therefore denied the militia sanctuary at the Arsenal.

As late as 1901 numerous historical artifacts were housed at the Allegheny Arsenal. Historical cannon included five bronze guns of about three-inch caliber. It was widely believed that four were captured from the English, and Count and Filed Marshall Rochambeau, commander of the French forces in the United States during the American Revolutionary War, presented the fifth to the government. Other inventory included 20,000 sabers, 4,500 Springfield rifles, carbines, samples of guns from the Napoleonic Wars, and weapons from the Harpers Ferry Arsenal from 1811.

The last clash between federal officials and local authorities occurred in 1903 when William Henry Cowley, 19, was shot by a guard in the vicinity of the Arsenal. When Cowley died the following day, local authorities demanded that the guard, Private John Dowd, be turned over to them to be tried for manslaughter. The commanding officer refused, contending that Dowd was under arrest and would be tried by court-martial. Dowd was found innocent after arguing that a few weeks prior to the tragic incident vandals had been stealing copper from the Arsenal. He maintained that he mistakenly thought Cowley was a vandal.

By the turn of the twentieth century, the necessity of maintaining an arsenal in Pittsburgh was seriously questioned. Local sentiment, however, was instrumental in persuading the government to maintain the facilities. In 1906 the name of the Arsenal was changed to the Pittsburgh Storage and Supply Depot. Shortly thereafter, the government began to parcel out portions of the upper grounds of the Arsenal.

Demolition of structures on the lower grounds began in December, 1917, when the army formulated plans to build new warehouse facilities. There were such fears of sabotage during this period that Robert Gray, former inspector of the Pittsburgh’s Police Bureau, organized a quad of twelve men to preserve order among the workers and to be alert for German spies.

In 1926 the government divested itself of all the Arsenal properties and an era came to an end. Today only a few remnants of walls and other structures exist. The once proud powder magazine was reduced to a park comfort station. As last as the early 1960’s the commander’s house was still standing, but, alas, this too succumbed to urban modernization.

There were some successful efforts to obtain plaques for the area to note its historical significance. Today the southern portion above Butler Street is used as a public school, park, and health center, while the northern section is primarily a health care facility, drug store, and industrial complex.

While the Allegheny Arsenal is beyond restoration, the area deserves additional study as one of Pittsburgh’s most important historical and military sites.

United States Marine Hospital

The history of the United States Marine Hospital in Lawrenceville can be traced to October 15, 1902, when a commission was appointed to examine various sites offered for a merchant marine hospital. This commission finally recommended the transfer to the Treasury Department of about five acres of the old Arsenal Reservation at 40th and Penn Avenue as a site for the hospital. An Act of Congress transferred the property in March of 1903. However, it was not until May 7, 1904, that Secretary of War William H. Taft actually consummated the transfer of the property.

Interest in such medical facilities went back to March 3, 1837, when a board of Army medical officers was designated by the Secretary of War to select and recommend locations for Marine Hospitals. Earliest recommendation for the site was to be Wheeling, West Virginia, but for some reason Pittsburgh was chosen instead. Land was purchased in 1842 along the Ohio River below Allegheny City. Although building of the facility began in 1845, a problem with the appropriation of funds interrupted work until 1849. Completion of the project took place in 1851.

In 1875 this property was sold. The building had become dilapidated, and industrial development, with its noise and air pollution in the near proximity of the hospital, made the facility unfit for medical purposes.

The Marine Hospital faced a series of problems. Although the sale price of the former facility was $57,544.57 and a new site was purchased for $30,000, the Comptroller of the Treasury ruled that the sale revenues could not be used for construction purposes. Congress was petitioned for the necessary funds, but only $7,000 was appropriated in 1881. Hence, the building was never constructed and Mercy Hospital continued to care for service patients. Other patients were cared for under contract with the Pittsburgh Infirmary, while an outpatient office was rented at Sixth and Smithfield Streets. In 1884 the care of service patients was transferred to mercy Hospital at a cost of 94 cents a day.

In 1891 a fire destroyed the Germania Bank. Thus, the outpatient offices were moved to the Federal Building.

When the Arsenal lands along Penn Avenue were established for the purposes of a marine Hospital. Congress appropriated $125,000. Secretary of the Treasury Leslie M. Shaw, however, delayed the building of the hospital on the argument that a Marine Hospital was not needed in Pittsburgh. By August 20, 1908, the differences were resolved and bids were opened. Contract for the building was awarded at $91,188. A cornerstone was laid on December 16, 1908.

The new hospital was opened on October 22, 1910. Four patients were transferred from mercy Hospital. Between August 1, 1915, and November 1, 1916, the Marine Hospital served as a research laboratory for the investigation of occupational diseases. During this period, the patients were moved to Saint Francis Hospital. The hospital was reopened and occupied until circa 1950. Today the facilities are maintained by the Allegheny County Department of Health.

The curious combination of Colonial Revival architecture and the hipped roof give the facility an appearance of being much older than it really is.

Arsenal Family and Children Center

For a number of years, one of the former Marine Hospital buildings served as a preschool, known as The Arsenal Family and Children Center. The concept of the school grew from the research of the noted child psychologist Dr. Benjamin Spock, who developed the premise for his best selling book while he was on the staff of the University of Pittsburgh. Inside were rooms with mirrors, which allowed one to observe the children without their knowing that they are being watched. Although this unique school continues as a viable Pittsburgh educational institution, it no longer has its home in Lawrenceville.

Powder Magazine

Converted around 1950 into washrooms and storage facilities, the “hut,” located in present day Arsenal Park, originally served the Allegheny Arsenal as a gunpowder magazine that was capable of storing 1,300 barrels of gunpowder. This structure was originally underground. However, after a fire around 1850, the earthen cover was removed and the room was then covered with slate shingles.

Arsenal Park

It was under the initiative of James Francis Burke that a move was made to secure the Arsenal grounds for a park. Mr. Burke received a promise from Robert Shaw, Secretary of the United States Treasury, to obtain a lease for a period of five years at a nominal fee of one dollar per year. Provisions of the lease between the City of Pittsburgh and the U. S. Treasury Department, signed March 12, 1907, were (1) the grounds must be used for park purposes, (2) that the use by the City should not interfere with the erection of a marine hospital by the Government, and (3) that the lease could be revoked by the Secretary of the Treasury at any time.

George W. Gunthrie, Mayor of the City of Pittsburgh, and Robert Shaw, Secretary of the U. S. Treasury, signed the lease. On July 4, 1907, Mayor Gunthrie formally dedicated the park, and a loving cup was presented to James Burke for his efforts in securing the lease.

Upon expiration of the lease, a second lease was arranged between the City and the Secretary of War for five years. The term of the extension was from February 6, 1912, to February 6, 1917, with a yearly rental of five dollars. Mayor Magee and R. Shaw Oliver, Assistant Secretary of War, signed the lease. This lease was revoked on June 26, 1913, by an ordinance of Council that transferred some City lands to the government in exchange for the Arsenal grounds.

No major improvements were attempted until the period of 1934-1941, when the City with the Works Public Administration completely rehabilitated the park.

From the Autumn of 1993 until the Spring of 1994, a second major overhauling of the park took place with the addition of trees, benches, a street hockey court, new playground equipment and other physical improvements.

Perhaps the most important event in the life of the park was the May 29, 1909, visit of President William Howard Taft. Taft’s schedule was hectic. He gave a brief address at a Jewish synagogue on Fifth Avenue before returning to his car to dedicate the Arsenal fountain. “All the way from the synagogue the presidential party passed through the avenues of gaily decorated homes and business houses, with thousands of people lined along the streets cheering wildly and waving handkerchiefs.”

According to the Pittsburgh Post of Sunday, May 30, 1909, “At the park fully 10,000 people were on hand to greet the President and Secretary of State. As they embarked from their autos and mounted the speaker’s platform, the band struck up ‘hail the Conquering Hero Comes’ and the crowd broke loose with cheers and applause. Thousands of women and children were present and they cheered just as lustily as the men.

“After the drinking fountain presented to the city by the Dolly Madison Chapter of the Daughters of 1812 had been dedicated, the party hurriedly entered the machines again and the parade to the Fort Pitt Hotel was begun.”

Arsenal Tablet

The Veterans of the Arsenal Post #897 felt that some of the relics of the Arsenal should be saved and preserved for posterity. One such relic was the original tablet that graced the Allegheny Arsenal Main Building. The tablet shows two crossed cannons and seventeen stars representing the original states of the Union and also Vermont, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Maine. The tablet is 3 X 6 feet and weighs more than 700 pounds, and is made of cast iron. The letters ‘A.R.W’ stand for Abram R. Woolley, the first commander of the Allegheny Arsenal. In 1918 the tablet found a resting place in the basement of the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania until 1961, when it was given to the Arsenal Post. With financial assistance from the members of the Dolly Madison Chapter, Daughters of 1812, the tablet found a permanent resting place on the wall of the powder magazine where the visiting public can readily see it. It was dedicated on Sunday, July 22, 1962, with all of the local patriotic and civic organizations participating.

Arsenal School

One of the great structures constructed in the 1930’s was Arsenal Memorial School (located between 39th and 40th Streets and running parallel to Butler Street). Today it is used as a Middle School, but over the years it had a number of educational purposes. Arsenal Trade School was opened in 1925 and operated until 1930 when the students were moved to the new Washington Trade School (40th and Eden Way). Arsenal Junior High was built in 1930. It closed as a junior high school in 1957 and opened as a Girls’ Vocational School. An elementary school was opened on the site in 1938. In that year it operated an Open Air Class to aid students with tuberculosis. The structure is reminiscent of the great government monumental facilities of the 1930’s. Inside the lobby is a beautiful memorial listing the names of those killed in the disastrous Allegheny Arsenal explosion of September 17, 1862.

It should be noted that Arsenal School was one of the test sites for Dr. Jonas Salk’s experimental polio vaccination. As a result, the school was the subject of much national attention.

Bloomfield Bridge

The present structure replaced a 1914 bridge. At the time of construction of the original 1914 bridge, it was the longest, highest and most expensive bridge constructed in the city. In 1979 Mayor Richard Caliguiri closed the 1,750-foot span for safety reasons. Demolition of the massive structure was not an easy affair when one considers that the bridge consisted of 265,000 pounds of structural steel, 74,000 pounds of reinforcing steel, 6,200 pounds of mesh steel, 6,000 cubic yards of concrete, and 8,400 lineal feet of concrete piling. Designed by T. K. Wilkerson, division engineer of the city’s bureau of bridges, the original Bloomfield Bridge was constructed at a cost of $435,000. Most interesting was the fact that the bridge was completed in eight month without a serious injury.

Woolslair School

Woolslair Elementary School at 40th and Liberty Avenue was built in 1897 and named in honor of the Woolslayer family, early landholders in the area. Between 1908 and 1916 Woolslair High was operated on the premises. For a period of time in the 1990’s it was served as a center for gifted children. In September of 1997, the facility reverted to being an elementary school.

Saint John Lutheran Church

Standing at the corner of 40th and Howley Streets, the congregation of Saint John’s traced their history back to March 28, 1859, when a parish was formed with thirty-two charter members. The original name of the church was the German United Protestant Congregation of Lawrenceville.

Services were originally conducted in German at the old Lawrenceville Academy on Fisk Street near Butler. The first church built by the congregation was a plain frame building on 40th Street near the south end of the present Washington Crossing Bridge. Dedication of the 40th and Howley Street edifice took place on April 25, 1897, and cost of construction was $24,000.

Over the years, this Lutheran congregation has undergone various name changes. On May 23, 1869, the name was changed to the German United Protestant Saint John’s Church, 17th Ward, Pittsburgh. Again, in 1878 a new charter and constitution resulted in the name being changed to The German Evangelical Lutheran St. John’s Congregation.

Between 1865 and 1894 the church offered a day school with classes conducted in both German and English. The use of the German language in services was discontinued in 1945.

In the spring of 2001 the congregation closed its doors because of declining membership.

Clarence Johns Residence

The renowned artist Clarence Johns (1843-1925) resided at 309 40th Street. A friend of George Hetzel and Henri Joseph Harpignies, Johns was the only Western Pennsylvania artist to exhibit at the Philadelphia Centennial Art Gallery in 1876. Although he was most noted for his sympathetic animal pictures, especially with horses as central subjects, Johns also painted landscapes, portraits, genre scenes, and early in his career, a few biblical themes.

Loan and Reference Library

Prior to the opening of the Carnegie Library on Fisk Street, Lawrenceville residents had available to them a loan and reference library on Butler Street near 40th. Books were leased for 10 cents a day, 25 cents a week, and 75 cents a month. Periodicals and books were also sold at the facility, which boasted in the 1890’s of liberal daily hours from 7:30 a.m. till 10 p.m. The facility, however, was closed on Sundays.

Butler Street Methodist Episcopal Church

The history of the Methodist Church dates back to 1832 when adherents of that denomination established a house of worship at 3535 Butler Street. Later the congregation moved to 41st and Butler, but they were unable to retain the property and, therefore, moved to 40th and Butler. The edifice on this site was started in 1865 and completed in 1868. By the mid-1880’s it was regarded as one of the leading Methodist churches in Pittsburgh. In 1883 one of its branches became known as the McCandless Avenue Methodist Church, which continued to survive in the tenth ward until 1949 when it merged with the Butler Street Church. The Butler Street Church was merged with the 43rd Street Presbyterian Church in 1961 to form a community church. The congregation remained in tact until the 1970’s when the 43rd Street property was sold to a black congregation, and the edifice was renamed as the New Bethel Baptist Church.

Lawrenceville New Century Club

This literary society apparently was organized in 1901 and may have lasted past 1903, but, unfortunately, most traces of this organization vanished after a few years. It periodically met at the Butler Street M. E. Church at 40th and Butler Street, and later at the Carnegie Library. Programs centered on art, scientific publications, literature, and musical recitals.

Second German M.E. Church

The Second German M.E. church on 40th Street was founded in 1867 as a mission church. As early as 1892 the congregation was debt free and early in 1894 had approximately 160 members. The Refuge Church of God in Christ currently occupies the 1899 edifice at 167 40th Street.

Washington Vocational School

On the site of the former Washington Polytec Academy at the corner of 40th Street and Eden Way once stood Washington Elementary School with a history that spanned from 1868 until 1935. Originally named Washington Number One, the school was renamed to commemorate the crossing of the Allegheny River by George Washington and Christopher Gist. A marker on the school notes the event. In 1936 Washington Trade School was erected on the site. From 1936 until the early days of the 21st century, the facility served the public education system in a variety of capacities.

40th Street or Washington Crossing Bridge

Constructed in the classical style, this bridge opened in 1924. Built of steel and concrete, the structure is Roman in design and bears the seals of the first thirteen states as well as the national seal. In December of 1753 George Washington and Christopher Gist attempted to cross the Allegheny River about two miles above Shannopinstown. A cake of floating ice bumped their crude raft bumped, and Washington was thrown into the water. He would have lost his life had it not been for Gist, who saved him. The two men made it to an island where they spent a cold night. The next morning they found the river to be frozen enough to cross.

While the bridge is a memorial to the event of Washington’s crossing the Allegheny, there is no historical evidence to indicate that this was the exact spot where the crossing took place.

Industries Along the Allegheny River

Although a large number of small boats were probably manufactured in the vicinity, most records were destroyed. We do know, however, that the “Lawrence,” a small boat of nine tons, was built in 1845, and the steamboat, “Western Engineer,” was launched in 1819.

In 1930 the Engineer’s Society, in honor of the 50th anniversary of their organization, published a book on Pittsburgh. Among the companies listed were a number located in Lawrenceville. These included Crucible Steel, Pittsburgh Engineering, Heppenstall Forge and Knife, Carnegie Steel, Waverly Oil Works, Hunter Machine and Company, Union Steel Casting, and Hubbard and Company.

Other noted industries were Pittsburgh Piping, Phoenix Rolls, Neer Engineering, and McConway and Torley.

PNC

Located at 41st and Butler Streets, this fine example of classical revival architecture was erected in 1903 and originally was the Metropolitan National Bank. It was organized in 1878 and reorganized in 1895. In 1910 the bank issued $400,000 in capital stock and showed a surplus of $300,000. Of particular note are the stained glass windows that depict the industrial heritage of the city.

Arsenal Theater

Once located at 4109 Butler Street on property adjoining PNC Bank, the facility was renovated in 1941 and a marquee was added. This showed served the entertainment needs of the community until the mid1960’s when it was razed for a parking lot.

First Holy Family R. C. Parish Complex

This church, which was later relocated to 44th Street, was founded on 41st and Foster Streets in 1902, with the Reverend Anthony Smelsz being assigned as the first pastor. The church-school complex was completed in 1904, a rectory was purchased in 1907, and a convent was bought in 1914. By 1928 the parish had 1,050 families and a school with 1,000 students. Founded as an ethnic Polish parish, Holy Family was often host to important clergy, Polish diplomats, and military hero General Haller. Today, with the exception of the former church-school building, all other structures in the complex have been demolished. As of this writing, there are plans to convert the building into condominiums.

Fisk Street

Fisk Street was named for Alba Fisk, an early landholder. Little exists on the life of Fisk, but we know that he was Lawrenceville’s first magistrate and served as judge of elections when Lawrenceville was incorporated as a borough in 1837. Fisk worked at the Allegheny Arsenal and was active in the short-lived Workingman’s Party. He is buried in Allegheny Cemetery.

Episcopal Home Complex

Locust Grove Female Seminary
The original home grounds were part of the Alba Fisk estate. In 1853, a boarding and day school for girls was established and was known as the Locust Grove Female Seminary.

Episcopal Church Home
Incorporated on March 28, 1859, the first home was located in a rented house in downtown Pittsburgh on Penn Avenue. Iron magnate John Shoenberger purchased the Lawrenceville grounds along Penn Avenue and bounded by 40th and Fisk Streets, and the facilities were moved to its present location in 1861 just prior to the outbreak of the Civil War. In 1893 the grounds and buildings were renovated. Originally the facility housed an orphanage and home for the aged.

Lambeth Apartments
Financed by the Department of Urban Development, the Lambeth Apartments were completed in 1973. Containing 199 units, the apartments may house 235 senior citizens when filled to capacity.

Canterbury Place
A two story building houses 60 nursing patients, while a seven-story structure can serve 170 personal-care residents. Plans for the building of the facility started in 1985.

Government Way

A series of small tracts were purchased by the government to connect the arsenal (40th Street) first with the Lawrenceville or Washington Burial Grounds (Main Street) and were later extended to connect the arsenal with its well in the vicinity of the present Saint Francis Medical Center. To this day, these ways still bear the name of Government Way.

Belgium Block Streets

As of this writing, Government Way, between Fisk and Main Streets, is one of several streets paved with a blue tint stone that once was a popular building material. Once six hundred streets in the city were paved with this material, but today only a handful remain.

Lawrenceville Burial Ground

The present Foster Community Center, 286 Main Street, sits on the site of the original Lawrenceville Burial Ground. William Barclay Foster donated approximately one and one-half acres for the purpose of a cemetery for soldiers. Records indicate that in 1835 lots were offered to community members. Also known as the Washington Burial Ground, this cemetery was rarely used following the opening of Allegheny Cemetery. There were approximately five hundred interments. Following litigation in 1881 and mid-1882 when the Washington School Board of the City of Pittsburgh elected to build a school on the site, a compromise was reached and a marker honoring the soldiers was erected.

Stephen C. Foster School

Erected in 1885 at 286 Main Street and known as the Washington Sub-District Number Two, the school underwent a name change in 1912 and became known as the Stephen C. Foster School. It served the community until 1939 when it was closed and the students were transferred to the new and more modern Arsenal Elementary. Today the site is known as the Stephen C. Foster Community Center.

Carnegie Library

The Lawrenceville branch of the Carnegie Library was important in the development of the concept of neighborhood libraries. Built to house 20,000 volumes, this facility was the first branch library to open in the city of Pittsburgh. Designed so that every part of the floor is visible from a central delivery desk, the library has facilities for a children’s reading room, as well an adult reading area. The basement contains a study room, an auditorium, a workroom and boiler room. This branch was opened on May 11, 1898, and is said to be the first library in the nation with a special reading room for children.

YWCA

Like so much of the heritage of the community, records of this institution have likewise been lost. The facility was located on Fisk Street and ran to 40th Street. It was located midway between Davison and Saint John Way, and was noted for its tennis courts. According to oral tradition, the facility was razed in the 1930’s or shortly thereafter.

Site of the Old Town Hall

On a hill in the vicinity of the present Polish National Alliance Hall (near Fisk Street and Saint John’s Way), there once stood a structure known as “Old Town Hall,” which served as a meeting place for various political and religious groups. For a short-lived period, the hall was home to the Lawrenceville Academy, a school for German Catholics.

Polish Army War Veteran’s Hall

Following the resurrection of the Polish state after World War I, a number of American servicemen enlisted in the Polish armed services and some participated in the Polish-Russian War of 1920-1921. The Polish victory in that war halted early Bolshevik infiltration of Europe. At first membership in this organization at 4016 Butler Street was restricted only to those Americans who served in the Polish army but was later opened to any Polish veteran.

Independent

Little information exists on this newspaper but we know that it was published between 1946 until at least 1952. It was published every Thursday at 4108 Penn Avenue. Caye Obringer was the publisher and Betty H. Donahue was the advertising manager. The newspaper was established in 1946 and had a one-year subscription rate of $2.00. It was a member of the National women’s Press, the Newspaper Publishers Association, and the Western Pennsylvania Weekly Newspaper Association.

Independent Order of Good Templars

In 1887 two chapters of the Independent Order of Good Templars met in Lawrenceville. On Mondays Cedar, 1305, met at Main and Penn, while the Arsenal, 291, met on Fridays at 43rd and Butler.

Site of Saint John Episcopal Church

In 1833, thirty-four officers and personnel met at the Allegheny Arsenal and formulated plans for an Episcopal Church. Although one of the smallest congregations in Lawrenceville, the 1837 Harris Business Directory informs us that they erected one of the largest churches. This church, however, was sold to the Methodists for $1,450 sometime after 1837. The congregation fell on hard times, both from the standpoint of finances and administration. It was not until 1856 that the congregation would again be prosperous enough to consider erecting a new edifice. The church, which many Lawrenceville residents recall that stood at the corner of Main and Butler Street, was consecrated on December 27, 1901, and stood until the early 1960’s. Citizens Bank currently occupies the site.

Improved Order Heptasophs

An advertisement in the 1887 City Directory noted that the Lawrence Conclave of the Improved Order Heptasophs met in Fetzer’s Hall near Butler and Main Streets, between 41st and 42nd Streets, every second and fourth Wednesdays.

Site of the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children

Following the death of Miss Jane Holmes in 1888, a bequest in the amount of $40,000 was left for the establishing of a school for the blind. In accord with the wishes of Jane Holmes, a board of directors was established, and on September 17, 1891, the Irwin property at 333 42nd Street was purchased for $12,250. Miss Irwin donated the furniture, carpets, piano, etc., to the school, which had a value of $2,500. The school was later moved to Oakland where it continues to serve persons who are visually impaired.

Soloc Home

The Society of Our Lady of Czestochowa operated a social club in a mansion at 401 42nd Street. This society was originally founded in 1900 at a private residence at 3508 Butler Street with the primary purpose of promoting mutual aid to all its members in case of illness, misfortune, or in need, as well as to propagate the tenants of the Catholic faith and promote the cause of Polish freedom. The facility was demolished in the 1960’s.

Isaly’s

Located at 4209 Butler Street, this ice cream store and deli was one of a large number of stores in a chain. Regarded as a Pittsburgh legend, the Isaly Company once sold unique ice cream flavors like maracopa and rainbow. The company was also noted for its pointed ice cream cones called skyscrapers. The store was closed in the mid1990’s.

Arsenal Post 897, Veterans of Foreign Wars

Upon returning home from World War II, servicemen organized Veterans’ of Foreign Wars, Arsenal Post 897. With its headquarters at 174 42nd Street, the Post’s Americanism Committee was instrumental in 1955 in dedicating the monument in honor of the soldiers buried in the Lawrenceville burial Ground (presently Stephen C. Foster Community Center, 286 Main Street.) The Post was also successful in obtaining a plaque on 40th Street in honor of the Allegheny Arsenal, as well as a plaque in Arsenal Park at the site of the former powder magazine. In addition, through the efforts of the Post, the 700-pound cast iron tablet honoring the Ordnance Department was returned to Arsenal Park, and stones from the historic Allegheny Arsenal gatehouse were saved. In 1952 the “Independent,” a Lawrenceville newspaper, reported that the Arsenal Post led the traditional November 11th Armistice Day Parade. Some 20,000 marchers participated in the North Side event.

The Polish Falcons Nest 176 later occupied the site.

Police Station

On January 31, 1889, a new police station was opened on 43rd Street in the vicinity of Summit Street. Considered to be the best in the city, local residents were permitted to tour the new facility at the time of opening. Connecting stables for the police wagon and horses were also opened for the tour.

Bethel Baptist Church

Situated at the corner of 43rd and Summit Streets, the Bethel Baptist Church occupies the former 43rd Street Presbyterian Church. In the 1880’s the structure was erected to serve the Presbyterian community. In 1961 the 43rd Street Presbyterian Church and the Butler Street Methodist Church merged to form a community church. Membership in 1968 stood at 274. In the mid-1970’s the facilities were sold to a black congregation and renamed the Bethel Baptist Church.

Rippey G.A.R. Post

The Colonel O. H. Rippey Grand Army of the Republic Post #41 held its meetings at the corner of 43rd and Butler Streets from 1878 until 1931. Fortunately membership rosters and membership data such as names, rank, occupation, date and cause of discharge from Civil War service were microfilmed by the Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society and are available for viewing at Hillman Library’s special collection in the Archives of an Industrial Society.

Arsenal Bank

The Arsenal Bank at 4300 Butler Street was organized in 1872, with reorganization taking place in 1892. By 1913 the bank showed total resources of nearly 1.2 million dollars. It survived the Great Depression of the 1930’s and eventually was merged into what is today PNC. It was here that on March 18, 1888, the Mount Zion English Evangelical Church was organized.

Klopfer Hall

In the late 1880’s, this facility was located on 43rd and Butler Streets and was used as a meeting place for various fraternal organizations.

J.O.U.A.M. Council

In 1887 two councils of the J.O.U.A.M. met at 43rd and Butler Streets. On Tuesday evenings the Bainbridge, 128, met, while Wednesday evenings were designated for the meetings of the Lincoln, 175.

Royal Arcanum

In 1887 a chapter of the Royal Arcanum, Everett Council, 854, met at Arsenal Hall, 123 43rd Street.

Ancient Order of the Knights of the Mystic Chain

A chapter of the Ancient Order of the Knights of the Mystic Chain, Lawrence, 26, met in the 1880’s at the corner of Butler and 43rd Streets on Thursday nights.

Willow Club

This home of amateur boxing champions started in 1916 in the basement of Frank Fox’s barbershop at 79 43rd Street. It soon acquired a reputation for excellence in boxing circles. Sometime after World War I, the organization moved to Leslie Park’s recreational center. In 1920 three of the eight national amateur boxing champs hailed from the Willow Club.

Consolidated Ice House

Once situated on the northwestern corner of 43rd Street immediately below the railroad tracks in the industrial park, the Consolidated Ice House once boated of a horse and wagon on every street corner.

Ewalt (43rd) Street Bridge

Erected in 1870, this bridge, which spanned the Allegheny River connecting Lawrenceville and Millvale, was a covered bridge, designed by Felician Slataper. The stone piers on which the bridge set came from the old Freeport Aqueduct when the Pennsylvania Canal was abandoned.

The Ewalt Bridge Company was formed on March 22, 1869, with a capital of $100,000, raised by selling 2,000 shares of stock at a par value of $50. Huge timbers and planks spanned the stone piers with a cobblestone approach to the bridge. On the eastern side was a walk with a handrail for pedestrians, which was open so they could look down the river, while the Pittsburgh side was completely enclosed. Inside the bridge was sufficient room for a wagon, a horse and a man to walk. A roll was payable on the Lawrenceville side.

In June 1912, the county purchased the bridge for $120,000. Upon the completion of the Washington Crossing Bridge in December 1924, the Ewalt Bridge was sold to the Diamond Match Company to be converted into matches.

Saint Francis Medical Complex

Once regarded as one of the finest hospitals in the country, Saint Francis medical Center was a sprawling complex of buildings between 42nd and 45th Streets. Founded by two nuns of the Third Order of Saint Francis in 1865 in a frame house on 37th Street, the original hospital consisted of fifteen rooms.

In May 1866, Dr. Philip Weisenberger, a Lawrenceville physician, assumed the financial responsibilities of purchasing a frame house and six acres of land on 44th Street for the purposes of an expanded hospital.

A new three-story building was completed in 1871. This was part of a large structure facing 44th Street and could be seen until the early 1980’s when it was razed to make room for Saint Francis Plaza, a high-rise for the elderly.

This was one of the first hospitals to treat the mentally ill. First treatment of patients suffering from mental illness dates back to 1873.

In 1901 a school of nursing was established, with the first commencement three years later.

In 1910 facilities facing 45th Street were constructed at a cost of $900,000. Designed in the Renaissance style and built of red brick, concrete, and Indiana limestone, the building has undergone many changes but has maintained its unique style.

Saint Francis was the first in a number of medical fields, including the first to have an electrocardiograph (1915).

This medical ceased operations and the property was sold to Children’s Hospital. The earlier structures have since been demolished.

Mount Zion English Evangelical Church

Organized on March18, 1888, at a meeting conducted at the Arsenal Bank Hall at the corner of 43rd and Butler Streets, the congregation had 23 charter members. In October 1892, the cornerstone of a new church at 44th and Sherrod Streets was laid.

Originally known as the Lawrenceville English Evangelical Church, the congregation changed its name to the Mount Zion English Evangelical Church on April 29, 1900. By 1904 membership numbered 400, with a Sunday school enrollment of 300 and a missionary society of 40. The church continued until 1925.

Holy Family Roman Catholic Church

Built in 1940, this 44th Street edifice earned the reputation as the “Polish Cathedral” because it was executed in style and fashion similar to those churches in Poland.

Of particular note are approximately 53 stained-glass windows, including massive ones in the wings of the cruciform church that depict events in the life of the Virgin Mary.

Among the artworks are three distinctive portraits of Mary above the main body of the church, a magnificent painting over the sanctuary called “The Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary as Queen of Heaven,” an icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa, and a massive mural titled “Poland Always Faithful,” by Henry de Rosen, which depicts religious and historical events in the life of Poland.

Belfonte Street School

This school was on 44th Street and apparently served the educational needs of the community during the borough years prior to 1868.

Saint John Neumann School

In March 1989, a group of Roman Catholic parishes formed a new merger, thus changing the name of the school from Lawrenceville Catholic to Saint John Neumann. Named for a pioneer priest, who served the Pittsburgh area, the merger was an outgrowth of an agreement among Holy Family, Saint Mary, Saint Augustine, Saint Kieran, Saint Joseph, and Saint Lawrence O’Toole parishes. Originally the school was built as Holy Family Elementary in 1964 and had undergone a series of mergers over the years. When built, the facility at 250 44th Street was the first school in the city to be heated and cooled with electricity.

Seventh United Presbyterian Church

Once located on the corner of 44th Street and Cessna Way, the church was founded in 1860 as the First United Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville. However, following Lawrenceville’s incorporation into the city in 1868, it became the Seventh United Presbyterian Church. Organized in 1860 with 15 members, the first home of the church was a one-story frame structure on 43rd Street. In 1873 the congregation erected a one-story Victorian Empire brick church on 44th and Cessna Way at a cost of $40,000. Dedication of the edifice took place in 1874.

Other Churches

A number of religious institutions were located in the vicinity, but unfortunately disappeared with little or no trace. Among these churches were the Lawrenceville Christian Disciples of Christ (43rd and Butler), Saint Paul’s Reformed Church of America (44th near Butler), Swedish Evangelical Lutheran (Plummer and Cotton Way), Lawrenceville Baptist (44th near Butler), and the First Spiritualists of Lawrenceville (49th and Butler).

Boys’ and Girls’ Club

The Boys’ Club purchased the YMCA building, at 45th and Butler Streets, in 1928. Originally organized in 1922 in the Franklin Bank Building in the 2800 block of Penn Avenue, the concept of a Boys’ Club was to provide recreational activities for the neighborhood youths. Charles D. Armstrong, President of Armstrong Cork Company, and Robert B. Heppenstall directed the purchasing fundraising drive and were successful in securing the Lawrenceville facility. Because of changing demographics, the club was restructured in 1983 to allow girls to become members.

YMCA

Prior to 1928 the YMCA had its facilities at 45th and Butler Streets in the building currently occupied by the Boys’ and Girls’ Club. Its initial organizational meeting took place on September 23, 1879, in the Butler Street M.E. Church. For a number of years the organization occupied four rooms in the Arsenal Bank Building. At one point, it had the only public library in the area, although circulation of books was restricted to members.

Metropolitan Savings

In 1993 this financial savings and loan, located at 4415 Butler Street, celebrated its 100th anniversary as a Lawrenceville institution, thus making it one of the oldest continuous financial establishments in the neighborhood. In 2007 the bank ceased operation, and Allegheny Valley Bank acquired its assets.

Lawrenceville Amusement Hall

In the late 1890’s, the community boasted of a new amusement hall at the corner of 45th and Butler Streets. It was said to have had an indoor racetrack one-tenth of a mile long and seats to accommodate 10,000 people. According to an article in The Clipper, a local newspaper, the hall also rented skates and bicycles. Today the hall no longer stands.

Model Theater

One of several movie houses that served to entertain Lawrenceville residents, the Model Theater was located at 4515 Butler Street. The building has long since been demolished.

Saint Mary Roman Catholic Cemetery

Bounded by Allegheny Cemetery, 45th Street, Penn Avenue and Bancroft Street, Saint Mary Cemetery is an irregular tract of ground encompassing 44 acres. Opened in 1849, Saint Mary’s is one of the earliest Roman Catholic cemeteries in the city.

Buried within these hallowed grounds are State Supreme Justice James Drew, poet-playwright Bartley Campbell, Vera Cruz veteran Francis P. DeLowrie, Iron City Brewery founders Vilsack and Frauenheim, the parents of artist John Kane, Mayor Joseph Barr, and Thomas Enright, one of the first Americans killed in World War I.

Three Roman Catholic bishops are also buried there: Right Reverend Richard Phelan, Right Reverend John Francis Regis Canevin, and Most Reverend Hugh C. Boyle.

Saint Mary Roman Catholic Complex

Now part of Our Lady of the Angels Parish, Saint Mary Church is one of the oldest Roman Catholic institutions in the city, with a history that dates back to September 1853, when Reverend Andrew Gibbs organized a parish for Irish Catholics living in the suburb of Lawrenceville. The original edifice was a 50 feet by 40 feet brick church dedicated in 1854 at a cost of $4,800.

James Sylvester Devlin executed the present church in the Victorian Gothic style. Dedication of the edifice took place on June 23, 1873. This structure measures 156 feet long and 56 feet wide. It was not until 1914 that the beautiful stained-glass windows depicting the Mysteries of the Rosary were added.

In recent years the school was converted into housing for senior citizens. Built in 1881, the former school is Italianate in architecture and reflects one of the later styles popular in the late Victorian era.

A lyceum is modern in character. In 1997 the parish sold the former rectory to Saint Mary Cemetery, and the Greek Revival structure - that had been modified many times over the years - was razed a few years after the sale in order to make room for additional cemetery space.

Likewise, a quaint academy building is also Greek Revival in style, and its elegant wrought iron railings remind one of the French Quarters in New Orleans.

In more recent years the church and academy building were sold to St. Mary’s R.C. Cemetery. As of this writing, there are plans to convert the former church structure into a mausoleum.

Saint Margaret Memorial Hospital

For many years, Saint Margaret Memorial Hospital was a local landmark. Situated on 46th Street just below Davison Street on the site of the present Davison Square Apartments, the hospital is probably the greatest memorial to a woman in the city. Although it was dedicated in 1895, it was not opened until October 1, 1910, since the trustees felt the endowment did not provide sufficient funds for the operating of the facilities.

Ernest Flagg designed the original structure in the Baroque style with accommodations for 75 to 100 patients.

Carved in cement at the entrance of the hospital were the words that summarized the history and philosophy of the facility:

To the Glory of God
For the benefit of Man
In loving memory of a Woman.

Leslie Park

Leslie Park, originally known as Lawrence Park, covers approximately 4.71 acres of land. The property was acquired from the Shoenberger estate at a cost of $45,516.00 in 1903. In 1908 the city constructed a swimming pool. The original bathhouse was a fine example of park architecture and was added to the park shortly after the opening of the pool. Additions were made in more recent years. The Shoenbergers were iron magnates. These grounds were part of their summer estate. The estate grounds extended from part of Allegheny Cemetery to the former Saint Margaret Memorial Hospital.

Park Theater

Once located at 4611 Butler Street, the theater was known for silent films, as well as stage shows.

Radiant Hall

At one point the Polish National Alliance, a social club, operated a facility in the 4600 block of Plummer Street. In the late 1940’s the club was said to have a nightclub atmosphere. Sometime in the early 1970’s the lodge moved to the 6200 block of Butler Street, where it continued to operate as a social club until the late 1980’s.

Heppenstall Company

In 1885 the Samuel Tretheway Company, Ltd., began as a manufacturer of steam hammers and rolling mill machinery in a building about 25 feet by 50 feet on 49th Street. By 1890 the company had grown substantially. Thus, it was moved to a larger facility of 50 feet by 130 feet on 47th Street. The name was changed to Tretheway Manufacturing Company. Six years later, in 1896, the board of directors elected to change the name of the company to the Pittsburgh Shear Knife and Machine Company since Samuel Tretheway had left the firm to start a competitor company. It was not until 1903 that the company divested itself of its steam hammer and rolling mill machinery and devoted itself to the manufacture of forging and shear knives. At that time the name of the company was changed to the Heppenstall Forge and Knife Company. It remained so until 1930 when the firm changed its name for the final time to the Heppenstall Company. At one point the company produced razor blades. The first blade cost the Heppenstall’s $225,000. In the early 1970’s during the energy crisis, the company produced high alloy wheels and other components for big turbines. In 1979 the Heppenstall Company was no longer a viable operation.

Smith’s Hall

Said to have been located at 47th and Butler Streets, Smith’s hall was the meeting place for the Emerald Beneficial and Literary Association, Number 43. In 1887, this lodge met on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month at 2 p.m.

Shoenberger Estate

John Hopson Shoenberger, a 19th century industrialist and co-owner of the Juniata Iron Works, that spanned the Allegheny River from 14th to 16th streets from 1824 until 1900, established a summer residence in Lawrenceville. The estate encompassed Davison Street to Butler Street along 46th Street, and included what is today part of Allegheny Cemetery, Leslie Park, Davison Square Apartments, and part of St. Mary’s Cemetery.

Allegheny Cemetery

Opened in 1844, Allegheny Cemetery is a classical example of the rural cemetery of the Romantic era with its winding roads, wooded areas, glades and lakes.

John Chislett was appointed its first superintendent. One of Pittsburgh’s most popular architects, Chislett, laid out the grounds in a fashionable Romantic English landscape style, and he designed the Butler Street gate and lodge in 1848. These structures were augmented with a towered chapel designed by Barr and Moses and constructed between 1870 and 1873.

Today the cemetery encompasses approximately 267 acres.

The Penn Avenue entrance is also an area landmark with its tower that ascends 135 feet. Designed by Macomb and Dull in the Richardson Romanesque style between 1886 and 1887, the entrance consists of an arched gateway flanked by a tower on the left and a group of buildings on the right, containing a reception area, and a dwelling for the gatekeeper.

The cemetery is the final resting place for a number of Revolutionary War veterans whose graves were moved from other burial grounds.

Among the 302 marble headstones in the Civil War plat on section 33, lot 66, near Butler Street are five slightly pointed headstones that mark the graves of Confederate veterans who died while in route to prison.

Also, there is a monument commemorating the dead of the Allegheny Arsenal explosion of 1862.

A series of beautiful vaults are in memory of such prominent industrialists as A. M. Byers, the Singer family, Lockhart, French, Fulton and Armstrong.

Mount Barney with its monument of a carved ship and eagle was erected in 1880 to honor Revolutionary and War of 1812 hero Joshua Barney.

Among the numerous graves in the picturesque cemetery are those of Lieutenant James Lawrence Parker of the Mexican War, General Alexander Hays, Captain Hampton, Captain Galbraith, Perry Rodgers, Stephen foster, actress Lillian Russell Moore, Pittsburgh’s first mayor Ebenezer Denny, historian William Darlington, Episcopal Bishop Cortland Whitehead, as well as members of the Mellon, Scaife, Vandergrift, Wilkins, Hunt, and Oliver families.

Also of note is the 21-foot cast bronze statue of Christ with a dove in His hand in the Valley of Peace section of Allegheny Cemetery.

The mausoleum near Penn Avenue is one of the largest in the nation, constructed of granite, reinforced concrete, steel, statuary bronze, many marvelous imported and domestic marbles, and glass.

First German School

Located in the Helbing butcher at 4807-4809 Butler Street, the first German school was started in 1854. The school later continued at “Squire Nickel’s Mansion” under the pretentious title of “the Lawrenceville Academy.” The school struggled for various intervals until Saint Augustine R. C. School was opened.

Bayard School

Located on Hatfield Street between 48th and 49th Streets, this educational institution served the community from 1874 until 1939. It was originally named Washington Number 2 and was one of several schools in the Washington Sub-District. A special committee of the Board of Public Education later renamed the school in honor of Colonel Bayard, a Revolutionary officer and several times acting commander of Fort Pitt.

Lucy Furnace

Once located between 47th and 52nd Streets below Butler, the Carnegie, Kloman & Company built a massive iron works. Named for Lucy Carnegie, wife of Thomas Carnegie and sister-in-law of Andrew Carnegie, the mill was built in 1877. It captured the imagination of trade journals because of its record setting production. Iron production continued at these facilities until the early 1930’s.

McConway and Torley

Originally known as Olnhausen and Crawford, this firm made malleable iron castings. With the death of Olnhausen sometime after 1865, the firm became known as the John Crawford Company. On January 1, 1869, the firm of Lewis and Company was organized and was comprised of Samuel Lewis, William McConway, and John Torley. Shortly afterwards, Lewis left the company, and firm became known as McConway, Torley and Company. It was not until 1887, however, that the company incorporated under the name of McConway and Torley. This firm abandoned the saddlery hardware in 1873 and devoted its attention to the manufacturing of Janney car couplers, buffers, and malleable iron and steel castings. Employment peaked in 1904 with a workforce in excess of 1,500.

H. K. Porter Company

H. K. Porter Locomotive Works was perhaps the earliest colossal mill in Lawrenceville, when it opened in 1866 on Harrison Street and Hemlock Alley between 49th and 50th Streets. Pittsburgh Commercial Heat Treating Company and the McConway-Torley Corporation later used some of the buildings.

Croghan Plantation

The earliest settler of note in the Lawrenceville area was George Croghan, who earned the title “King of the Traders.” One dwelling was Croghan Hall or Croghan Plantation, which was said to have been located in the vicinity of the present McCandless Avenue between 51st and 52nd Streets.

A Deputy Indian Agent for the British Crown, George Croghan was first licensed as a trader in 1746. A land speculator, Croghan had massive land holdings. Locally, it was said that Croghan owned what now comprises Lawrenceville, Bloomfield, Garfield, East Liberty, Squirrel Hill, Oakland, Hazelwood and all of the eastern suburbs as far as Turtle Creek and Plum Creek.

In 1762 George Croghan erected his first house and buildings in the area, but raiding Indians burned them during the Pontiac uprising. Loses sustained by Croghan were said to amount to 2,000 pounds. This proved to be a short-lived setback for the ambitious Croghan who erected a larger and finer residence, which became known throughout the colonies as Croghan Hall. Although Croghan referred to it as a “hut,” Croghan Hall was known to be a center of social, military, and political importance. It was here on October 8, 1770, that George Washington came to discuss land sales but Washington declined to enter into any agreement.

On August 28, 1777, Wyandotts and Chippewas attacked his estate, but the raiders were beaten back by Croghan’s workmen.

The American Revolution was the downfall of Croghan. The Continental Congress stripped him of his position as local Indian agent. In addition, his massive land holdings, which were purchased largely on credit, fell apart. These setbacks prompted Croghan to leave for Philadelphia on October 4, 1777. He never returned to his Lawrenceville estate.

Stanton Federal Savings and Loan

Founded in 1890, Stanton Federal Savings and Loan at 5200 Butler Street, was one of the oldest continuous financial institutions to serve the Lawrenceville community. The Stanton Federal Savings and Loan is no longer a financial institution; its assets have been taken over by another firm.

First Primitive Methodist Church

As early as 1880, nine persons began organizing efforts to establish a church in Lawrenceville. It was, however, not until December 4, 1881, that their dreams were fulfilled, and the First Primitive Methodist Church of Pittsburgh was organized and incorporated.

The first site for worship, following incorporation, was Centennial Hall, once located on 47th and Butler Streets. By August 1886, dedication services of a new church were conducted. While the cost of the land and building was only $3,078, the congregation had to struggle to secure a mortgage and make payments. As church records indicate, one creditor had even threatened to sell the land and turn it into a soap factory. Fortunately friends of the church donated the necessary funds to save the facility.

A disastrous fire in January of 1918 destroyed the original edifice. A much larger church was erected at 5227 Holmes Street at a cost of $50,000. Of particular note in the church is the stained-glass window depicting the Dove of Peace. When the church was dedicated, the Board of Trustees presented the window in honor of the men of the congregation who served in World War I.

Although still a Primitive Methodist Church, it is now known as the Door of Hope Church.

Wilson McCandless Estate

The estate of the Honorable Wilson McCandless was said to be located four miles above the Point on the east bank of the Allegheny River. McCandless (1810-1882) distinguished himself as an attorney from 1831 until 1859. For the next seventeen years, he served as a judge for the United States Court for the District of Western Pennsylvania. The career of McCandless also included inspector and president of the board of inspectors of the Western Penitentiary, director of the Old Manufacturers and Mechanics Bank, trustee of the Western University, one of the managers of the Allegheny Cemetery, first president of the Hameopathic Hospital, and member of the vestry of Trinity Episcopal Church. In 1848 he also served as chairman of the Pennsylvania delegation in the National Democratic Convention at Baltimore.

McCandless Avenue Methodist Church

A survey of churches in 1887 showed a Methodist Protestant congregation on McCandless Avenue above Butler Street, with the Reverend W. Long, D.D., serving as pastor.

Fire Station

Engine Company 9 was placed in service on November 8, 1885. The building may still be seen on the corner of McCandless and Butler Streets. In the rear of the building is still the sign that shows the stable entrance. To the side is a horse trough.

McCandless Elementary

Opened in 1881, McCandless Elementary was located at McCandless Avenue and Butler Street. Apparently it was a small building of four rooms. The school was named to honor Judge Wilson McCandless, whose home was along the Allegheny River in the Lawrenceville area.

McCleary Elementary

Opened in 1900 at McCandless Avenue and Holmes Street, this public school was closed in the 1980’s, but reopened in the 1990’s.

Dome Theater

Once located at 5133 ½ Butler Street, the Dome Theater was one of several shows located in Lawrenceville.

Carl Heinzen Camp

A turn of the century directory indicated that the Fraternal Legion, Carl Heinzen Camp 77, was headquartered at 5137 Holmes Street .

Allegheny Valley Bank

Today this financial institution boasts of having several locations with its headquarters in a classical revival building at 5137 Butler Street. Allegheny Valley Bank was organized on October 11, 1900, with a capital stock of $50,000. Interesting to note is a description from a 1910 financial directory, which showed that Allegheny Valley Bank had a surplus capital amounting to $26,000, with unpaid profits of $1,800. A dividend rate of three percent was paid semi-annually. Dividends paid in the course of the year amounted to $13,500.

Saint Kieran Church

Although this parish was founded in 1886, there is no indication that it was to be named in honor of a sixth century Irish month. Property for a new parish was purchased between 53rd and 54th Streets for a consideration of $12,000, and was transferred to the Right Reverend John Tuigg, Bishop of Pittsburgh, as trustee for a parish known as Saint Vincent de Paul Roman Catholic Church. Apparently Reverend Pollard, pastor of Saint Mary’s 46th Street, bestowed the name of Saint Kieran upon the parish.

Like many other Roman Catholic parishes, the first church and school, erected in 1888, shared the same facilities. The present church deserves note. Completed in 1908, the edifice is Gothic in style and is noted for its sturdy pillars and high-buttressed ceiling. Also of particular interest in the church at the time of dedication was alight hanging in front of the altar, which was designed in the style of those found in the famous cathedrals in Rheims and Chartres, France. This gave the church a touch of twelfth century romantic charm.

Today the church is part of the parish of Saint Matthew. In recent years the artistic beauty of the church was enhanced by three panels, painted by Richard Bogacz, which depict the lives of Saints John Neumann, Elizabeth Seton, and Mother Cabrini.

Salem Evangelical Association

In 1901 the Salem Evangelical Association was a religious institution located at 52nd and Carnegie Street. Reverend E. W. Yaecker was pastor.

Holmes House

The generosity of Miss Jane Holmes was legendary in the city. One of her most known acts of charity was the endowment of land and funds for the Protestant Home for Incurables. The home was incorporated on December 31, 1883, and was opened for the admission of patients in June of 1885.

Killikelly’s History of Pittsburgh, published in 1906, noted that “the building is large, thoroughly equipped and is surrounded by 17 acres of ground. There are 18 attendants; the annual expenses amount to $15,000. This is met by income from the endowment, fees, and donations. It is removed from the obloquy of being purely a charitable institution, as an admission fee of $200 is required.”

By-law IX specifically state, “In accordance with the Charter name of the institution, none but Protestants shall be admitted as beneficiaries of the Home.”

The home was located along the 5500 block of Butler Street.

In May 1906, a new men’s building was opened.

The home was located on the grounds of the summer residence of Jane Holmes, but the original estate burned in 1885. In 1965 the name was changed to the Holmes House to honor its founder.

As late as 1967 the home did not receive any support from federal or local agencies, and consequently it faced mounting financial problems. The board of managers reported that the cost of operating one day in 1967 was equal to the entire budget in 1888.

Although Lawrenceville residents protested the closing of the Holmes House, the institution was closed in December 1980. For nearly a century, however, the home was a testimony to Jane Holmes, who devoted her life and substance “that the condition of the needy and suffering should be made better.” In the summer of 1997 the grounds were graded and a shopping complex was eventually built on the site of the facility.

City Streets

A pair of steps near 56th Street on the south side of Butler is simply known as a “city street.” There were once 1,200 pairs of steps that ascended the hilly Pittsburgh terrain. Approximately one-half of these “city streets” were made of wood. It has been said that during the Works Public Administration of the Roosevelt administration during the Great Depression of the 1930’s, everything made of wood or stone in Pittsburgh was either built or rebuilt. The city steps were no exception. People relieved very heavily on these steps to save them from walking the long winding public avenues. With the popularity of the automobile, these links became less and less important. Thus, as they fell into disrepair, the city closed access to many. In many respects, these “city streets,” like the mom and pop grocery stores and the inclines, are part of the vanishing urban Americana.

Wainwright Brewery

One of a number of Pittsburgh breweries, the Wainwright Brewing Company was located at 56th and Butler Streets from 1893 until 1899.

Saint Mary Assumption Church

As early as December of 1894, Slovene immigrants, under the direction of Reverend Joseph Zalokar, began organizing efforts for the creation of a new ethnic Roman Catholic church in Lawrenceville. Three lots were purchased in 1894 on 57th Street at a cost of 1,820, but it was two and one-half years before the dreams of a church materialized. Named Saint Mary Assumption church, the first Mass was celebrated on August 15, 1897, at the 57th Street property.

Growth in the early years of the church was exceptional, and in 1905 sixty-eight persons were confirmed into the church and the first vocation from Saint Mary Assumption was ordained to the priesthood.

In 1912 a school was erected and staffed by the Sisters of Notre Dame. This educational facility served the Lawrenceville community until June 1971.

On December 12, 1934, Father Matthew Kebe, a vocation from the parish, was named fifth pastor of Saint Mary Assumption. Under Father Kebe’s long tenure, which ended June 6, 1966, the parish engaged in two major building campaigns. The Most Reverend John F. Dearden, Bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, dedicated the new church on May 14, 1955. A new convent was erected in 1964.

The edifice was the last Roman Catholic church built in Lawrenceville.

In 1993 Saint Mary Assumption and Saint Kieran churches were merged, as part of the reorganization of the Catholic diocese, to form the new parish of Saint Matthew.

Slovene Hall

Located on 57th Street, Slovene Hall was founded in 1910 and served as a social club for nearly eighty years before being forced to close its doors because of escalating costs and declining membership. The club once had a bowling alley, bar and dance hall. This facility served the various lodges of KSKJ, SNPJ, and other Slovenian fraternal and insurance organizations.

Mount Albion School

A public school once stood in the proximity of 5770 Butler Street. In the early 1920’s a number of school children were injured while watching an oil fire at the refineries directly across from the school.

62nd Street Bridge

The first bridge built at Sixty-second Street was a wooden truss bridge in 1856. A later bridge of wood construction was built between 1899 and 1900 at a cost to the county of $324,923.80. This was a toll bridge until June of 1912 when this and other country bridges were made free of charge. A deck cantilever steel bridge with a 400-foot span, measuring 2,100 feet overall, was erected in 1961. Since the opening of the steel bridge, two fires caused major damages, which caused the closing of the bridge for varying intervals.

Orpheus Singing Society

Presently headquartered near the 62nd Street Bridge, the Orpheus Singing Society was founded in 1886 and was one of a number of German singing societies.

Lost Village

At the end of Lawrenceville, in the proximity of the present Highland Park Bridge, in the waning years of the 19th century, there were a number of dwellings, a school, a few stores and a church. Edward M. Bigelow, father of the Pittsburgh park system, believed that the newly created Highland Park (opened 1893) should have a clear view of the Allegheny River. Thus, he obtained the properties by either outright acquisition or in some instances by condemnation via eminent domain. These properties were razed and Bigelow succeeded in preserving the river frontage for Highland Park.

Further Reading

Allan Becer, James Wudarczyk, and Jude Wudarczyk, Monster on the Allegheny . . . and Other Lawrenceville Stories, Pittsburgh: Lawrenceville Historical Society, 1993.

Joseph A. Borkowski, “Historical Highlights and Sites of the Lawrenceville Area”, 1969.

Joseph A. Borkowski, “A Miscellaneous History of Lawrenceville”, 1987.

John Carnprobst, ”Ye Know Not What Hour Your Lord Doth Come: Tragedy at the U. S. Allegheny Arsenal“, Blue and Gray Magazine, September-October, 1985.

James Wudarczyk, Pittsburgh’s Forgotten Allegheny Arsenal, Apollo, PA: Closson Press, 1999.

James Wudarczyk, “A History of the Lawrenceville Vicinity”. This three-volume manuscript collection is housed at the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania. These manuscripts were written in 1983, 1986 and 1992, respectively.

Stephen Collins Foster (1826-1864)

Born on July 4, 1826, while the country celebrated its 50th anniversary of independence, Stephen Foster has become Lawrenceville’s most famous native son. He was the son of William Barclay Foster, founder of Lawrenceville and Eliza Tomlinson. Foster’s parents moved to Allegheny City (now Pittsburgh’s North Side) when Stephen was very small.

He developed a love for music at a very tender age of about three or four, and from that point forward there was no stopping him. Foster is considered by many to be the world’s foremost composer, and is the only person to have written two state songs – “My Old Kentucky Home” (Kentucky) and “Swannee River” (Florida). A third song “Oh! Susanna” was considered by the state of California as being their state song, but it was rejected.

Today he is considered the founder of “Pop Music” and his works are played throughout the world. There are many books written on Stephen Foster and the University of Pittsburgh maintains the Stephen Foster Memorial Center in his honor. It is located in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh close to the Cathedral of Learning.

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