Category Archive: PHLF News
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Fairbanks Feature: A New Train of Thought – Two Important Donated Railroad Atlases Ready for Patron Use
James D. Van Trump Library | Frank B. Fairbanks Transportation Archive | Fairbanks Features
Showcasing a variety of materials located in the Frank B. Fairbanks Rail Transportation Archive
No. 3 Presentation
Two Important Donated Railroad Atlases Ready for Patron Use
Grant’s Railroad & Business Atlas, with Index to the U.S. and Canada (1887)
Cram’s Standard American Railway System Atlas
Index to U.S., Canada and Mexico Maps, also of Yellowstone National Park (1901)
Modern maps and atlases show major automobile highways; atlases of the late 1800s and early 1900s show the highways of those times––railroad lines. Two very special atlases are available for the patron who visits the Fairbanks Archive. Both are in excellent condition. They are able to be opened and laid flat, so that all lines flow smoothly from one page to the next. The books are oversized, approximately 14 x 18 inches, and in full color. The five photos below show the following:
- The title pages of both Railroad Atlases. Reading the information on these pages shows the completeness of these volumes that even include the post offices located in the various cities.
- Page 28 of Grant’s Railroad & Business Atlas, listing the 76 railroads running in Pennsylvania in 1887 and their routes.
- Judith Esposito holding the Grant’s Railroad & Business Atlas, donated by her to the Archive. This atlas was in Judith’s family for many years and was donated in honor of her father, Lewis H. Anderson (1917-1988), a career railroader.
- PHLF trustee David A. Vater donated Cram’s Standard American Railway System Atlas (1901) on December 22, 2006, on the occasion of the re-dedication and opening of the current Fairbanks Archive in its present location. On page 58-59 of the atlas, 90 different railroads are shown in operation in western Pennsylvania.
- Page 500-501 of Cram’s Standard American Railway System Atlas shows a map of Pittsburgh and Allegheny City. Major streets and the rail lines of 1901 are clearly shown in this map.
The Frank B. Fairbanks Rail Transportation Archive is open by appointment on Wednesdays, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Use of the archive is free to PHLF members (one of the benefits!); non-members are assessed a $10 use fee.
The Archive is located on the fourth floor of The Landmarks Building at Station Square, in the offices of the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation.
To schedule an appointment, email James the Librarian James Halttunen: James@phlf.org
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All or Nothing Challenge Grants Announced
PHLF News
April 26, 2010Thanks to two of our members, the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation may receive $25,000 in matching grants to get our Historic Religious Properties Program (HRPP) back up and running. The grant, however, is contingent upon
PHLF’s members and friends contributing $25,000 in new HRPP support by June 30th. That’s just 65 days away!
Given the severity of our recent winter and its impact on Allegheny County historic religious properties, we have taken the unusual step of moving our annual appeal up eight months to do everything we can to take advantage of this opportunity. We’re also adding our own match of up to $12,500 for every dollar raised in excess of $25,000.
Your generosity now will help us reach our goal of securing two challenge grants. You can make a tax-deductible targeted donation by credit card on our web site (on left hand side of this page), or by contacting Mary Lu Denny (412-471-5808, ext. 527). Or, mail a check payable to “PHLF” and referenced “HRP” to Mary Lu Denny, PHLF, 100 West Station Square Drive, Suite 450, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.
Thank you for helping us restore our Historic Religious Properties Program by June 30, 2010.
Since 1997, members and friends have joined with PHLF to provide about $700,000 for more than 100 historic religious buildings whose congregations then matched our grants, bringing total support to nearly $1.4 million. Never will your gift to PHLF mean as much, since every dollar you give now can generate three more.
Remember, it’s all…or nothing when it comes to these challenge grants! Help us earn them both so historic religious properties and the neighborhoods they serve can benefit.
A copy of the official registration and financial information of the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll free, within Pennsylvania, 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.
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May Tours and Special Events Feature a Pittsburgh “Palazzo,” Downtown’s Best, and a Mt. Lebanon Main Street
PHLF News
April 22, 2010Join us in May for the following special events. For reservations contact Mary Lu Denny: marylu@phlf.org or 412-471-5808, ext. 527.
“The Twentieth Century Club: Inside a Pittsburgh Palazzo”Date: Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Where: Twentieth Century Club, 4201 Bigelow Boulevard, Oakland
Times:
5:30 p.m. cash bar
6:00 p.m. Lecture and Tour
7:00 p.m. Dinner
Fee: $45.00 members; $55 non-members
RSVP by Wednesday, May 5, 2010: marylu@phlf.org
(Twentieth Century Club members may call the club to make reservations.)Join us for a special lecture, tour, and dinner at the Twentieth Century Club in Oakland. Architect and Landmarks’ Trustee David J. Vater will tell the story of master eclectic architect Benno Janssen and discuss the myths symbolized in the stone carving and murals during his illustrated talk, “The Twentieth Century Club: Inside a Pittsburgh Palazzo.”
Participants will tour the 1910 building concealed inside the 1930 addition and see one of the city’s finest remaining Art Deco ballrooms.
Dinner will be served in the Georgian Revival dining room; entree choices are orange roughy with lemon sauce, petite filet of beef steak with Marsala mushroom sauce, or a signature (vegetarian) pasta dish from the chef.
This event follows in the tradition of PHLF’s tours of private clubs: we have held similar, well-attended events at Longue Vue Club (Janssen & Cocken, 1924-25), Oakmont Country Club, Fox Chapel Golf Club, and Edgewood Club.
Downtown Pittsburgh Grant Street Walking TourDates: Every Friday in May––7, 14, 21, 28
Where: Meet on Grant Street near Sixth Avenue, at the Omni William Penn Hotel entrance
Time: Noon to 1:00 p.m.
Fee: FREE (contributions welcome)
RSVP: Reservations are appreciated the day before the tour: marylu@phlf.orgThe Grant Street walk has it all: in a fast-paced tour you’ll see some of Pittsburgh’s most significant architectural landmarks, green spaces, and skyscrapers, and you’ll hear about a military defeat and triumph and the lowering of Grant’s Hill. The same tour is offered every Friday in May. Join us and get to know downtown better.
Mt. Lebanon: First in a Series of Saturday “Car Free” Walking ToursDate: Saturday, May 29
Where: Meet at the clock on Washington Road in Mt. Lebanon (at the stair entrance to the “T”)
Time: 3:00 to 4:30 p.m.
Fee: FREE (contributions welcome)
RSVP: Reservations are required by May 26: marylu@phlf.orgKaren Cahall, PHLF’s education coordinator and Mt. Lebanon resident, and Eric Milliron, Mt. Lebanon commercial districts manager, will share information about significant historical events and current developments along Washington Road.
You’ll be able to tour the Art Deco Municipal Building and Public Safety Building and peek into lots of main street businesses. This SATURDAY walking tour is offered in cooperation with Car Free Fridays and BikePGH! Ride the bus or take the “T” to Mt. Lebanon and enjoy the walk.
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Fairbanks Feature: A New Train of Thought – The Wayne A. Cole Collection: Ghost Rail series and other volumes
James D. Van Trump Library | Frank B. Fairbanks Transportation Archive | Fairbanks Features
Showcasing a variety of materials located in the Frank B. Fairbanks Rail Transportation Archive
No. 2 Presentation:
The Wayne A. Cole Collection––Ghost Rail series and other volumesWayne A. Cole is a graduate of Geneva College and a retired English teacher from Blackhawk High School. His series of railroad books fills a reference gap that is not addressed in any other publications. He is working on additional books for his Ghost Rails series, which will be added to the Fairbanks Archives as funds permit. We thank Mr. Cole for donating one of the volumes listed here.
Most of the rail lines written in these books are abandoned now, but they were vital to the economy of their area when first built.
- Ghost Rails Volume 1 1850-1980Abandoned Railroads, Their Industries, Last Runs Eastern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania
- Ghost Rails Volume II Western Allegheny Railroad CompanyThe last steam in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the last F units in revenue service in America, Western Allegheny Railroad, the Bessemer and Lake Erie, the BR&P, and the Pennsylvania Railroad 1903-1994
- Ghost Rails III ElectricsUpper Ohio Valley, West Virginia, Ohio, Pa.
- Ghost Rails IV Industrial ShortlinesA historical series of the abandon railroads and their industries Ohio and Pennsylvania State Line
- Ghost Rails V PRR Butler Branch and Buffalo Creek GhostsWinfield Railroad to PRR Kiski Junction
- Ghost Rails VI Harmony RouteThe Pittsburgh Harmony Butler & New Castle Railway
- Beaver Valley Railroad Company The history from Bridgewater to Vanport, from Sun Oil Co. to Cook-Anderson, lumber and sand, and finally the atomic bomb
- Rails of DreamsThe Youngstown and Southern Railway; The Pittsburgh Lisbon and Western Railroad; The Pittsburgh Coal Company’s private railroad––the Smiths Ferry Branch
- Where Earth Dissolves Like Snow The Keystone Driller Story
- To be added in the future: Ghost Rails VII through X
The Frank B. Fairbanks Rail Transportation Archive is open by appointment on Mondays, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Use of the archive is free to PHLF members (one of the benefits!); non-members are assessed a $10 use fee.
The Archive is located on the fourth floor of The Landmarks Building at Station Square, in the offices of the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation.
To schedule an appointment, email the Librarian James Halttunen: James@phlf.org
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Westmoreland County Students Propose New Uses for Historic Vacant Building in Monessen, PA
PHLF News
by PHLF Intern William Prince
April 1, 2010On March 22 & 23, 2010, PHLF and the Greater Monessen Historical Society hosted the 14th Annual Architectural Design Challenge for schools in Westmoreland County. Over 100 middle school and 40 high school students participated, from Belle Vernon, Franklin Regional, Greensburg Salem, Laurel Valley, Ligonier Valley, Monessen, Penn Trafford, Valley, and Yough school districts.
The students began this project in October 2009 by visiting the design site in Monessen, PA. They were assigned the task of (1) building a model showing a new use for the vacant and historic Monessen Savings & Trust Building of 1904-06 and (2) drawing a streetscape showing design improvements for the 500 Block of Donner Avenue. Through this experience, they learned about the history, architecture, and unique character of Monessen, PA.
Twenty-six teams presented their work on March 22 and 23, 2010 to a jury of architects, urban planners, and interior designers. The event was held at Monessen Senior High School and awards were presented. Students described their concepts during a 6-minute oral presentation and then entertained questions and comments from the judges.
Models showed the former Monessen Savings & Trust Building repurposed as a place of activity and entertainment housing a variety of new uses: a community center, sports emporium, day-care and tutoring center, candy store and yoga center, restaurant/hotel/coffee shop, family fun center, arts and music center, roller rink, physical therapy and exercise studio, and under-21 dance club, among other ideas. Many teams included “green-building” concepts such as roof top gardens, “living” walls, solar panels, Energy-star appliances––but the greenest feature of most models was reusing the existing building.
The judges were impressed with the students’ concepts and with the models they built to scale. Walls were constructed out of foam core, wood, or cardboard, and furniture and architectural details were crafted out of many materials, including clay. One team even created a pond filled with real fish in the vacant lot adjacent to the Monessen Savings & Trust Building.
The students learned a lot about teamwork and time management––and they gained an appreciation for the architecture and the history of main street communities. “Before this project I found the former Savings & Trust Building to be an eyesore,” said one student. “Now, I look at it as a structure that only needs to be renovated” and brought back to life for the city of Monessen.
The following photos show the project site in Monessen and some of the projects presented on March 22 & 23, 2010.
Tribune Review Article
Architectural Design Challenge Process
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Fairbanks Feature: A New Train of Thought – The James J. Hill Story, Yesterday and Today
James D. Van Trump Library | Frank B. Fairbanks Transportation Archive | Fairbanks Features
Showcasing a variety of materials located in the Frank B. Fairbanks Rail Transportation ArchiveNo. 1 Presentation:
The James J. Hill Story, Yesterday and Today
This is but a small sampling of the materials available at the Frank B. Fairbanks Rail Transportation Archive on The Great Northern Railroad:
- The definitive biography of James J. Hill (1838-1916), by Albro Martin. Hill blazed the trail west and built the Great Northern rail line.
- Post card of the James J. Hill House
- Magazine articles, assorted publications, dates old and recent
- Menus from the Empire Builder – 1999, 2000
- Glacier’s Grandest, by Bridget Moylan
- All Aboard for Glacier, by C . W. Guthrie
- Many large map selections of the Great Northern Railway and area, such as this one of 1952 and 1957
- Train orders from the 1940’s and 1950’s
- New Cascade Tunnel opening brochure
- Great Northern Railway Steam Locomotives
The Frank B. Fairbanks Rail Transportation Archive is open by appointment on Mondays, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Use of the archive is free to PHLF members (one of the benefits!); non-members are assessed a $10 use fee.
The Archive is located on the fourth floor of The Landmarks Building at Station Square, in the offices of the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation.
To schedule an appointment, email the Librarian James Halttunen: James@phlf.org
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Discover the scope of Western Pennsylvania history while walking
By Deborah Deasy
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, March 19, 2010Nothing beats sightseeing on foot when it comes to discovering Downtown Pittsburgh.
“It’s hard to look up and see the full height of a building when you are in a car or bus — and, so
often, distinguishing elements of a building are at the top,” says Louise Sturgess, executive
director of Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation.
“We have a very intact city with a streetscape that dates to 1784, and it’s on a little triangular
piece of land that’s very walk-able,” Sturgess says.
To showcase the area’s crazy quilt of historic structures, Pittsburgh History and Landmarks
Foundation invites people to sign up for a smorgasbord of upcoming weekly and monthly tours –
– most free — and special events.
Offerings range from a dinner tour of the Twentieth Century Club in Oakland to a walking tour
of Wilkinsburg.
“We want to get people out of their chairs and outside,” Sturgess says.
The Wilkinsburg tour, for example, will showcase the efforts to revitalize and preserve historic
buildings in the borough.
“We are doing major work in Wilkinsburg,” Sturgess says.Other upcoming events include an invitation-only dinner tour of Oakmont Country Club, and an
evening reception at the Negley-Gwinner House in Shadyside, built in 1870 for Civil War
veteran and attorney William B. Negley.
People may attend either or both events by joining the Landmarks Heritage Society with a
$1,000 donation to the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation.
Plenty of free tours, however, are available, including guided walking tours of Downtown from
noon to 1 p.m. every Friday, from May through September.
“We feel it’s an important part of our mission to offer free walking tours,” says Sturgess, who
plans to lead a couple of the new “Segway Golden Triangle Tours,” set for 10 to 11 a.m.
Saturdays in June and July. “The idea is (that) Segway will provide the equipment, but we will
train and provide the tour guides.”
Foundation tours generally attract diverse participants of all ages, including college students and
professionals on lunch hours. In 2009, more than 12,000 people participated in the foundation’s
tours and educational programs.
“On our walking tours, our goal is to have 10 people for one tour guide,” Sturgess says.
“The value of having a real tour guide — as opposed to a cell phone, or virtual reality game — is
that the tour guide does engage the group of people in conversation,” Sturgess says. “We’re
always asking people in our tour groups to share what they know, and to add to the
conversation.”
The tour schedule opens this weekend with two sold-out tours of the City-County Building,
Allegheny County Courthouse and former jail. Sturgess hopes to offer the same tour again in
upcoming months to accommodate the overflow of those interested in it.
SOME UPCOMING WALKING EVENTS
(also available online at www.phlf.org)
Twentieth Century Club Lecture, Tour and Dinner: 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. May 12; 4201 Bigelow Blvd., Oakland. Admission: $35 for members and students; $50 non-members
Segway Golden Triangle Tours: 10 to 11 a.m. June 5, 12, 19, 26, and July 3, 10, 17, 24, 31.
Meet at Freight House Shops (near Smithfield Street Bridge entrance), Station Square
Admission: $55 per person (You must be 18 years or older).
Bus Tour to Historic Harmony, Butler County: 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 28. Meet at Freight House Shops entrance, opposite the parking garage, Station Square. Admission to be
announced.
Wilkinsburg Walking Tour: 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sept. 11. Meet at Jean’s Southern Cuisine, 730 Penn Ave. Admission: Free to members; $20 non-members.Market and Fifth Downtown Walking Tour: 2 to 4:30 p.m. Sept. 25. Meet at PNC’s Triangle
Park, Fifth Avenue and Liberty Avenue, Downtown. Admission: $10 members; $20 nonmembers.
Who Wants to Go? Wheeling, W.V. in October: If enough people are interested, PHLF will
plan a full-day bus trip to Wheeling, including tours of several private homes.
For questions and reservations about all the events, except the Segway tours, contact Mary Lu
Denny at 412-471-5808, ext. 527, or marylu@phlf.org. For the Segway reservations, e-mail
leo@mediainmotionpa.com or call 724-972-4316FREE WALKING TOURS
Grant Street & More: noon to 1 p.m. May 7, 14, 21, 28. Meeting at Grant Street and Sixth
Avenue, Omni William Penn Hotel entrance.
Market Square Area: noon to 1 p.m. June 4, 11, 18, 25. Meet at PNC’s Triangle Park at
Liberty Avenue and Fifth Avenue.
Penn-Liberty Cultural District: noon to 1 p.m. July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30. Meet at Katz Plaza, Penn
Avenue and Seventh Street.
Fourth Avenue & PPG Place: noon to 1 p.m. Aug. 6, 13, 20 and 27. Meet at Fourth Avenue
and Smithfield Street.
Bridges & River Shores: noon to 1 p.m. Sept. 3, 10, 17, 24. Meet at 107 Sixth St., in front of
the Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel.
Oakland Civic Center: noon to 1 p.m. Oct. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29. Meet by dinosaur at Forbes
Avenue and Schenley Drive Extension.
Reservations need to be made at least one day before each event. Contact Mary Lu Denny,
412-471-5808, ext. 527, or marylu@phlf.org.
Deborah Deasy can be reached at ddeasy@tribweb.com or 412-320-7989. -
Remarks by Louise Sturgess at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Public Forum
Monday, December 14, 2009
4:00 p.m.,
Carnegie Library Lecture Hall, OaklandTwo-minute remarks presented by Louise Sturgess, Executive Director
Pittsburgh History & Landmarks FoundationDuring the Great Depression, the hours of all Carnegie branch libraries were extended and no branch libraries were closed. That fact can inspire all of us in our efforts to keep the Carnegie branch libraries open and funded. That shows how important the branch libraries were then to Pittsburghers and to individual neighborhoods. And, their importance has not diminished over time. Pittsburgh’s branch libraries are essential educational and community centers, adding, in many cases, to main-street activity that community development groups and citizens are working hard to protect and promote.
Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation encourages the Carnegie Library Board and staff to see the historic branch library buildings as assets, rather than liabilities, and to re-focus and concentrate resources on keeping the existing buildings open and bringing them into compliance with accessibility codes and modern HVAC standards. We are not in favor of using funds to construct new library facilities, or move existing branches into alternate spaces, or commission studies from groups removed from the communities.
Just as the Pittsburgh Children’s Museum used a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to fund a nationwide design competition showing how 2 historic buildings could be combined with new construction to create an award-winning 21st-century museum, the Carnegie Libraries of Pittsburgh could apply for an NEA grant so design professionals could prepare a comprehensive plan for renovating the historic branch libraries.
Such a design process would be of interest to communities nationwide since Carnegie Libraries elsewhere are being closed due to renovation needs and lack of funds. Just as Pittsburgh led the nation in designing a branch library system between 1898 and 1903, why not lead the nation in renovating the architecturally significant buildings that continue to serve their neighborhoods today?
Remember too that Pittsburgh has been designated a Preserve America Community. The City can apply for federal funds for projects that:- “protect and celebrate . . . heritage;
- use . . . historic assets for . . . community revitalization; and
- encourage people to experience and appreciate local historic resources through education . . .”
- According to the guidelines, successful applicants “. . . serve as models to communities nationwide. . .”
As an organization, Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation has written about the significance of the Carnegie branch libraries, successfully nominated them as City Historic Structures, held educational programs inside them, and showed them off during Main Street Walking Tours. We have been consistently working with the Library staff and board to ensure that what has been given to Pittsburgh and its citizens is cared for responsibly.
We are in favor of keeping the libraries open, and keeping them where they are. We would support the efforts of the Library and City to raise funds for needed improvements and renovations so Pittsburgh’s branch library system can serve, once again, as a model for the nation.
