Father Pitt

The fantastical Arabian Nights dome on top of this building was Col. Keenan’s own penthouse [incorrect; see below]. It was rumored to be a love nest he shared with his mistress; Mr. Franklin Toker relates that a whole generation of Pittsburgh ladies learned to cross the street rather than walk on the sidewalk in front of that den of iniquity. In front of it is the low triangular building that began as the Monongahela National Bank, but now houses the Wood Street subway station below and an art gallery above.

Correction: The information from Franklin Toker was incorrect, though it was understandable that he did not question it. Pittsburgh legend still insists that the dome was Col. Keenan’s penthouse, but in fact it was rented out for more prosaic purposes: a photography studio and a secretarial school, among others. See this article by Mark Houser in Pittsburgh Magazine.