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Backstreet Bars
In the old days, every block in a dense rowhouse neighborhood like the South Side had its backstreet grocery and its backstreet bar. Most of the groceries are gone, but a surprising number of the bars survive. Above, Cupka’s Cafe, which has become well known for food as well. Below, Karwoski’s Tavern, which is mostly for drinking and not much for eating.
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Terra-Cotta Trim
Decorative trim on the Schiller Glocke Gesang und Turn Verein (map), a German singing club (now apartments) built in 1897.
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First Ruthenian Church, South Side
This church was built as the First Ruthenian Church (a Presbyterian church for Ruthenian immigrants), and later became a Byzantine Rite church. Now, like many other things on the South Side, it’s a bar.
Addendum: The architect was Chauncey W. Hodgdon, whose churches were usually in the Gothic style, but who adopted a mixture of classical and Byzantine for this very unusual congregation.1
- Source: “More Work for Builders Made by the Architects,” Pittsburgh Daily Post, September 15, 1912, p. 36: “Bids will close early in the week on the erection of a one-story brick and stone church building, to be built on the Southside for the Ruthenian Church, of the Presbytery of Pittsburgh. Architect C. W. Hodgdon prepared the plans for the structure, which will be 32×66 feet, costing $25,000.” ↩︎
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Second-Empire Dormers
Dormers with carved and painted decorations on a Second-Empire-style house at Jane and 28th Streets, South Side.
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Pittsburgh Firefighter’s Federal Credit Union
A small but very tasteful building on the most prominent corner in the West End. The lower floor has had a modernist makeover, but the upper floors retain the original carefully balanced symmetry.
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Tower of Bellefield Presbyterian Church
The church was pulled down to make way for an office block, but the tower was left to preside over its old corner.
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Reflections in 650 Washington Road
Clouds reflected in the windows of a modernist office building (built in 1965) in uptown Mount Lebanon.
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The Adrian
Another elegant Renaissance palace, slightly smaller but very similar in style to the Aberdeen. Once again, the view is marred by intrusive utility cables.
