Father Pitt

Would you like to see a random article?
Of course you would.

Announcement

Technical problems kept old Pa Pitt out of this site, and he finally gave up and moved elsewhere, where the Internet ignored him. It seems that this is where the Web wants him to be. Having made the effort to overcome all obstacles, he is adding new content both here and at the other address, and gradually transferring two years’ worth of articles back here. (Update: The transfer has happened, and the other address no longer works.)

Using These Pictures

Father Pitt regrets that he may not be able to answer all the questions that accumulated while he was away. However, one that comes up frequently is “Can I use this picture?”—and the answer is always yes. All Father Pitt’s pictures are released under a Creative Commons CC0 public-domain dedication. You can use them for any purpose without asking permission.

July 27, 2021
Polithania State Bank

If you look up the word “Polithania” in your favorite search engine, you will find this building and nothing else. It was a bank and land office for Polish and Lithuanian immigrants (Poland and Lithuania have a long history of interconnection). Now it cleans teeth, but the original signs are still over the doors.

July 27, 2021
Front Door on Sarah Street

July 26, 2021
Frank & Seder Department Store, 1927

An image from an advertisement in the National Vaudeville Artists’ Annual for 1928. You and your dancing poodles are invited to shop here. This building is now under renovation, and with the removal of some later accretions the shadows of the Frank & Seder signs are visible (see the recent photos here).

July 26, 2021
Defying the Storm

Spires of the Tabernacle of the Union Baptist Church, South Side, Pittsburgh, highlighted in evening sun against a stormy sky.

July 25, 2021
Limbach Building, Allentown

This corner building with its German dome is an especially fine example of the style old Pa Pitt describes as German Victorian, which flourished in the German neighborhoods of Pittsburgh. Allentown is teetering on the brink of becoming the next trendy neighborhood; we hope it succeeds.

July 24, 2021
It Used to Be a Store, Part 3

Another collection of backstreet storefronts, mostly converted to living quarters, although the owner is trying to rent out the one above as office space.

Note the added garage entrance on the side of the building above.

July 23, 2021
Central Catholic High School

A kind of cartoon castle, the main building of Central Catholic is technically in Squirrel Hill, though most Pittsburghers would probably say “Oakland.” The building was put up in 1927; the architect was Edward J. Weber.

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July 23, 2021
Roof Vents

Like a cluster of strange metal mollusks, these vents gather on the roof of the Tabernacle of the Union Baptist Church on the South Side.

July 23, 2021
Tower of St. Bernard’s, Mount Lebanon

July 23, 2021