Help save history in your community by restoring and reusing historic buildings.

"George Westinghouse helped start this warehouse and he is a famous inventor.” —student quote

Formerly, The Terminal Buildings

333 East Carson Street

Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Date and Style

Designed in 1898, completed in 1906

The River Walk Corporate Centre, originally known as The Terminal Building, was constructed during the reign of Queen Victoria of England (1837-1901) and was designed for function and efficiency in business, with touches of ornamentation. Notice the patterned brickwork at the top of the building, the large windows that let in lots of natural light, and the large entrance doors that allow for easy delivery.

Facade improvements funded through the Urban Redevelopment Authority's Streetface Program

Facts and Stories Worth Knowing

• In 2006, the Terminal Building was renamed the River Walk Corporate Centre because of a major renovation and reuse of the historic structure (see facts below). However, for the sake of simplicity, the Terminal Building name is most often used in the following facts.
• Similar to an airport terminal or a railroad terminal, the Terminal Building was constructed as a place where many different things could be delivered and stored—and later sent on to other places.
• Five railroad trains used to drive into the Terminal Buildings to unload things that would be stored there.
• Over the years, tools for steel-making were stored in the Terminal Building, as well as bullets, coffee beans, paper products, and model trains.
• Although it looks like several different buildings, the Terminal Building is actually one structure built on a hillside, with a road serving as the roof over part of it. One portion of the building is actually only nine feet wide, making it the narrowest building on East Carson Street. This narrow building houses a luncheonette. (See the photos below). There is also a power plant located near the river's edge.
• George Westinghouse (1846-1914), a famous inventor and industrialist, was one of the original investors in the Terminal Building.
• Charles Bickel (1852-1921) was the architect of the Terminal Building. Born in Ohio and trained in Germany, Bickel established an architectural firm in Pittsburgh in 1885. He designed many of the city's early police stations, several downtown office buildings, and the South Side Market House.
• It cost $1.5 million to build the Terminal Building.
• It took two brickyards one year to provide enough brick to build the structure.
• When built, the Terminal Building was considered state-of-the-art because it had a sprinkler system. That sprinkler system is still in use.
• There are 41 freight elevators in the Terminal Building, and all are in working condition today.
• In 1963, eight families bought the Terminal Building and took over its care and management.
• Major improvements were made to the Terminal Building beginning in 2004. The brick was cleaned, new lighting and signage were added, and 1,200 windows were installed. The windows were designed to be as much like the original windows as possible, and each new window had to be especially measured and designed to fit the existing window opening. No two windows are the same size—even though they all appear to be the same size!

• More than 75 businesses and non-profit organizations have created new offices in the renovated space since 2000.
• One business is manufacturing an artificial lung called a “Hattler Catheter.” This is the only place in the world where this kind of lung is being manufactured (see photos below).
• There is a great view of the city from the roof, and the riverfront trail is within walking distance.
• On May 6, 2005, the Pittsburgh City Historic Review Commission gave Pittsburgh Terminal Properties a preservation award for their excellent work in restoring the Terminal Building.
• Thanks to an application submitted to the Sprout Public Art Program by the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation in 2006, artist David Hawbaker was selected to paint a mural on the blank wall of the RiverWalk Corporate Centre building at Terminal Way and East Carson Street. Photos below show the mural progress through the summer and the dedication event on September 25, attended by more than 225 students from six Pittsburgh-area schools. Titled “East Carson Street Treasures,” the mural shows school students and others exploring the 1300 block of East Carson Street, while a steelworker from the past looks on approvingly, as life on Carson continues from one generation to the next. You’ll easily see the mural if you are walking or driving on East Carson Street TOWARD Station Square.
• For a current list of tenants, visit the River Walk's website.

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