Father Pitt

Author: Father Pitt

  • Congregation Poale Zedeck, Squirrel Hill

    Congregation Poale Zedeck

    This beautiful building shows some obvious influence from Henry Hornbostel’s famous Rodef Shalom, but it is original enough to be called a tribute rather than an imitation. The architects were Charles J. and Chris Rieger, and it is a backhanded compliment to these underappreciated brothers that some of their best works have been misattributed to more famous architects. This building in particular is usually attributed to Alexander Sharove, but we are quite sure that the Riegers designed it.1 The cornerstone was laid in 1928, and the building was dedicated in September of 1929.

    Congregation Poale Zedeck
    Congregation Poale Zedeck
    Cornerstone
    Cornerstone
    Congregation Poale Zedeck
    Entrance, Congregation Poale Zedeck

    The entrance, which is where the Hornbostel influence is most obvious, is a feast of polychrome terra cotta and stained glass.

    Menorah
    Menorah in stained glass
    Star of David
    Tablets of the Law
    Entrance
    Congregation Poale Zedeck
    Congregation Poale Zedeck
    Congregation Poale Zedeck
    Fujifilm FinePix HS10.
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  • Liberty Bridge

    Liberty Bridge and downtown Pittsburgh
    Liberty Bridge and skyscrapers
    Liberty Bridge
    Samsung Digimax V4.
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  • White Transfer & Storage Company, Dormont

    White Transfer & Storage Company, Dormont

    Built in about 1925 (which is when this address starts appearing in the company’s advertisements), this was a warehouse for a prosperous moving company. Like most buildings along this stretch of West Liberty Avenue, it was later adapted to the car-dealing business.

    W in terra cotta

    The letter W for White appears in four cartouches on the front of the building.

    Entrance

    Even a warehouse entrance ought to impress your customers, and that is what terra cotta is for.

    White Transfer & Storage Company, Dormont
    Nikon COOLPIX P100.

    A car dealer (selling Studebakers) was attached to the left side of the building; it has been replaced by a parking lot.

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  • Entrance to One Mellon Center (BNY Mellon Center)

    Entrance to BNY Mellon Center

    In theory there is no reason to take digital pictures in black and white, since they can always be desaturated later. In practice, knowing that the picture will never have any colors in it makes one think more in terms of lines and shadows. Here are two pictures taken with a camera from the Neolithic era of digital cameras, which Father Pitt keeps set to black-and-white mode.

    Fountains in front of the entrance to One Mellon Center
    Samsung Digimax V4.
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  • Wilkinsburg Bank

    Wilkinsburg Bank

    One of the most imposing-looking banks in the whole Pittsburgh area, this expensive—we had almost said egregiously expensive—Doric pile seems not to be occupied at the moment, but it is in beautiful shape externally. It was still in use as a bank until about six years ago, so it is fully accessible and waiting for the next tenant who needs a building that will knock people’s socks off.

    Wilkinsburg Bank
    Fluted pilasters
    Nikon COOLPIX P100; Olympus E-20N.
    Comments

  • McBride Building

    McBride Building
    Because it’s impossible to get a picture of the whole building like this without standing very close in Pittsburgh’s narrow streets, the perspective of this picture has been adjusted on two planes to look more natural. You can see the seam if you enlarge the picture to 100%, so go ahead and do that if you’re curious.

    Built in 1901 for the W. W. McBride Paper Company, this near-skyscraper was designed by Frederick Sauer.1 A few alterations have been made, but the building still stands much as Sauer designed it.

    Front of the building

    A casual look at the building gives the impression that it has a stone base, but the effect comes from using white face brick for the lower two floors—with inset ridges to imitate cut stone—and Sauer’s favorite buff brick for the rest.

    Mitchell’s on the ground floor claims to have been established in 1906, so it has been going since shortly after the building opened.

    McBride Building with W. W. McBride ghost signs
    Fujifilm FinePix HS10.

    By 1923 this was known as the Bowman Building, but W. W. McBride ghost signs are still visible on the northern side.

    1. Source: Record & Guide, February 27, 1901, p. 136. “Plans are in course of preparation by F. C. Sauer, Hamilton Building, for a seven-story brick warehouse to be erected for W. W. McBride, at Third avenue and Ross street.” ↩︎
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  • Art Deco Bank in McDonald

    Bank in McDonald

    A sharp-looking but still respectable bank in a kind of baroque version of Art Deco. It is no longer a bank, but it is kept in fine condition by the current occupants.

    Baroque window treatment
    Foliage and flowers
    Bank in McDonald
    Side of the bank
    Sony Alpha 3000; Fujifilm FinePix HS10.
    Comments

  • Victorian Survivor on Neville Street, Oakland

    326 North Neville Street

    As this part of what used to be Bellefield turned into an apartment district, a few old houses remained here and there, turned into apartments. This one suffered less alteration than most, and its splendid curved porch hints at the leisurely exurban atmosphere of Victorian Bellefield.

    326 North Neville Street
    Kodak EasyShare Z981.
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  • Penn Water Company Building, Wilkinsburg

    Penn Water Company building

    J. H. Giesey was the architect of this rich-looking palace for a utility company.1 It was built in 1916, and it has been restored very neatly, although if old Pa Pitt applied his highest standards to the restoration, he would have to admit to not liking either the filled-in windows or the new front door very much.

    Entrance
    1. Source: American Contractor, October 16, 1915, p. 58. “Office Bldg.: 2 sty. & bas. 50×100. $20M. Wilkinsburg, Pa. Archt. J. H. Giesey, Mellon Bank bldg., Pittsburgh. Owner Penn Water Co., Oliver bldg., Wilkinsburg. Bids in; will soon let contr. Brk.” ↩︎

  • Sunset

    Sunset with a Pittsburgh Palm (Ailanthus altissima)