Father Pitt

Category: Wilkinsburg

  • 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.” ↩︎

  • Commercial Building on Wood Street, Wilkinsburg

    817–813 Wood Street
    Nikon COOLPIX P100.

    This flamboyantly eclectic building caught old Pa Pitt’s eye as he walked down Wood Street in Wilkinsburg. He knows nothing else about it, other than that he hopes current and future owners realize that they have a remarkable building in an unusually good state of preservation.

    Comments

  • Wilkinsburg Station

    Wilkinsburg station

    Designed by Walter H. Cookson, this station—one of the grandest of our suburban stations—was built in 1916. The last train left in 1975. After sitting abandoned for decades, the station has finally been restored to very nearly its original appearance.

    Wilkinsburg station
    Wilkinsburg station through a locust tree
    Wilkinsburg station

    The baggage area on the lower level.

    Wilkinsburg station
    Olympus E-20N; Nikon COOLPIX P100.
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  • Wilkinsburg

    The central business district of Wilkinsburg, vignetted by fall leaves. Among other buildings, we see the municipal building and library (front, red brick with American flag); Wilkinsburg Baptist Church (octagonal tower), the middle and high schools (dark brick), and the old Horner School (light stone).