Canyons of Concrete and Steel: Favorite Pittsburgh Architecture

Thought I'd try something a little different and create a short slideshow to highlight some of Pittsburgh's lovely architecture. I am having some difficulty getting the video to embed properly, but in the meantime you can watch the slideshow at this link. 

The buildings give the city a European feel--the Allegheny County Courthouse (think Tower of London sans Anne Boleyn) and many of the historic churches, especially the ones located Downtown, come to mind. When I imagine Hogwarts, I think of the Cathedral of Learning, and the exterior of Chatham University is the perfect place for a dramatic, windswept period piece starring me, who would give up my bus pass to be in a dramatic, windswept period piece.

I'll call it Faith Eyre. 

Fun fact: The reason why the road up to Chatham's chapel is so narrow is because it was originally made for horse-drawn carriages. Rumor has it that Chatham is a historical landmark, so the road cannot be widened. AND, there might be secret tunnels between the old mansions. I mean, why not? If I were rich and lived in the 1800s, I would build creepy tunnels in order to best carry out all of my illicit dalliances, too. Very romantic.

The Allegheny County Courthouse, via SheriffAlleghenyCounty.com

Pittsburgh's architecture has cinematic appeal, too. The Mellon Institute and Trinity Cathedral are just some of the buildings featured in films like The Dark Knight Rises.

The Mellon Institute, via LegendaryTrips.com

Though I tend to be drawn to the historic landmarks, the city is also home to thirty green buildings, according to VisitPittsburgh.com. I wasn't aware that we had such a high number--looks like I have another topic to write about!

RELATED LINKS:

Pittsburgh blends seamlessly into 'Dark Knight Rises'

Visit Pittsburgh: Architecture

Randyland

A Tree Grows In North Side

When I was a junior in college, one of my English professors was new to the city. She told us that if she wanted green space back in Chicago that she would go to a cemetery. She was still adjusting to Pittsburgh, but appreciated all of the trees and parks.

I worked at a summer camp in Farmington, PA as an archery director. The 250-acre lake and densely forested mountain spoiled me, and it was always difficult to come back to Pittsburgh after a long summer in the woods. At the time—attending university and working Downtown-- I didn’t think Pittsburgh was especially beautiful, until my professor shared her observation about nature in the city with the class. It’s a comment that’s stayed with me, and since then I’ve been particularly interested in nature in urban spaces, and all the curious places it grows and thrives. The idea of a single tree sprouting up in front of a house or in-between apartment buildings--it's really lovely.

The following photos were taken in/at Brookline, East Liberty, Chatham University, Carnegie Mellon University, Mellon Park, Schenley Park, Allegheny Commons, East Allegheny, Mexican War Streets, and Shadyside. 

RELATED LINKS:

Tree Pittsburgh publishes children’s book about urban forests

Photos and text by Faith Cotter

Vintage Pittsburgh

Below are several photographs from my father's side of the family, and a few from my mother's. I wish I could credit all the photographers, but unfortunately that information is lost to time.

Background

My grandmother Betty Lou had a gift for music and writing. She graduated from Carnegie Mellon University--then known as Carnegie Tech--in the 1950s. I've posted a creative writing assignment of hers circa 1946. In it, you can see that she mentions Fifth Avenue. If you're not familiar with Pittsburgh, this is a street near Chatham University. It's the same street I walk down nearly every day.

In addition to steel mills and old Pittsburgh universities, my family also has ties to some of the land around the city. My paternal grandfather was responsible for much of the development in the North Hills, and, I am told, the use of the monstrosity known as the pre-fab house in that area (though I am not sure if that part is true). My uncle learned to drive in a tractor, and watching the development of the North Hills is what sparked my dad's interest in electricity--he'd go on to become an electrician and electrical inspector.

Aurora Drive, a street in the North Hills, got its name from my aunt--Sleeping Beauty was one of my her favorite stories. After my father's family moved from Aurora Drive to the city of Pittsburgh, they lived for a time in a house on Tennyson Avenue in Oakland. The house looked like something straight out of The Great Gatsby. (My dad likes to joke that instead of going from rags to riches, he went from riches to rags.)

The last photograph is of my sister, my great uncle Bill, and me. My mom grew up in Knoxville, in a crumbling Victorian on Rochelle Street. She lived there with her siblings, my grandma Sarah Eileen, and my great uncle. "Unc," as he was called, worked in the steel mills. My mother told me that she will never forget the day the mills closed. She found my uncle hunched over the table in their kitchen and he said to her, "What now?"

*

House on Tennyson Ave in the 1960s.

My paternal grandmother, Betty Lou. 

I believe that this is Pittsburgh Int'l Airport, but I'm not sure. If you know, feel free to leave a comment!
 

...I told you seventies hair and fashion would have a starring role in this post, didn't I? 

 My dad and his prom date. Poor prom date. 

My mom (mini shorts) and her friend Robin (bell bottoms) on Rochelle Street.

My uncle, former steel mill worker. That kitchen always smelled like Barbasol and Folgers. 

Dated Feb. 2, 1946. My grandmother wrote this for an English class at Sacred Heart High School.

 I was reading this entry on Feb. 3 of this year when I found out that she passed away.

From the Archives

Because the focus of this week’s course material is about accessing public information, I thought this would be a great time to dig into Yale’s archives of photos taken all across the United States from 1935-1944. From the link:

“In order to build support for and justify government programs, the Historical Section set out to document America, often at her most vulnerable, and the successful administration of relief service. The Farm Security Administration—Office of War Information (FSA-OWI) produced some of the most iconic images of the Great Depression and World War II and included photographers such as Dorothea Lange, Walker Evans, and Arthur Rothstein who shaped the visual culture of the era both in its moment and in American memory. Unit photographers were sent across the country. The negatives were sent to Washington, DC. The growing collection came to be known as ‘The File.’ With the United States' entry into WWII, the unit moved into the Office of War Information and the collection became known as the FSA-OWI File.”

Using an interactive map that can be accessed here, a few months ago I spent hours looking through the photos taken in Pittsburgh. It was fun to see what has changed and what has stayed the same in terms of architecture, and to get a glimpse of the city when it was a steel town. 

I’m so glad that we have ways to bridge the time that separates the generations, and that these moments were documented. Here are a few of my favorites, with more information about the photos--and their subjects-- at the respective links:

Arthur Rothstein, July 1938

Arthur Rothstein, July 1938

Jack Delano, Feb 1940

Jack Delano, Jan 1941

Arthur Rothstein, July 1938

John Vachon, Jan 1941

John Vachon, Jan 1941

John Vachon, June 1941

Marjory Collins, May 1943

Marjory Collins, June 1943

Esther Bubley, Sept 1943

Marjory Collins, June 1943

It really is a fantastic collection. I highly recommend that you check it out!

Next entry: A glimpse into my own collection from the 1940s to the 1970s. A journal of essays from 1946 that my grandmother gave me—she walked down the same Fifth Avenue in Shadyside that I do every day when walking to work. Photographs that look like they were taken on the set of Mad Men—and, of course, bell bottoms and seventies hair galore.