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1611 East Carson Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15203

Date and Style

Built around 1900

—American Renaissance style

This is a simple, commercial building. Notice the decorative stone trim surrounding the windows, the decorative brickwork, and the projecting cornice ornamented with dentils and modillions. The angled front was redone in the 1920s.

Facade improvements funded through the the City Historic Review Commission

Facts and Stories Worth Knowing

• In 1901 Lorch & Brothers Dry Goods (a department store) was located here (see advertisement below).
• On April 29, 1901, Lorch Brothers Store was destroyed by fire. Also destroyed that day was a drugstore at 1601 East Carson Street, owned by B. J. Stenger; a saloon at 1605 East Carson Street, owned by John Donahue; a grocery at 1607, owned by John Nelson; a grocery at 1600, owned by Mrs. Patrick McGrath; and three homes on South 16th (81, 83 and 85), owned by Mrs. Sophia Miller.
• This building later housed Autenreith's Dollar Stores, where you could buy candy, household items, and many other things (see advertisement below).
• Alvin's bowling alley and an arcade were located on the second floor.
• Nakama Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar opened in 2003. Owners Joe Collincini and Becky Gomes worked with Three Rivers Restoration to turn the former Rite Aid space into an attractive restaurant.

• “Nakama” means friend in Japanese.
• On May 6, 2005, the Pittsburgh City Historic Review Commission gave Nakama's a preservation award for their excellent work in renovating 1611 East Carson Street.
• Nakama was voted Best Overall Restaurant in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 by Pittsburgh Magazine, Best Sushi and Best Steakhouse by US Airways Attaché Magazine in 2005, 2006 and 2007, and best Japanese Restaurant in 2005, 2006 and 2007 by readers of the City Paper

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