The Allegheny Post Office is a historic building in the Allegheny Center neighborhood on the North Side of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1897 as the main post office for what was then the independent city of Allegheny and later became part of Pittsburgh. After the post office closed in 1967, the building was slated for demolition as part of the Allegheny Center urban renewal project. However, the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation (PHLF) mounted a successful campaign to save the building, raising about $835,000 to purchase and restore it for their own use. In 1972, the building reopened as the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Museum, exhibiting items from PHLF's collections of historic artifacts.[4]
Allegheny Post Office | |
 | |
    | |
| Location | Allegheny Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 40°27′9″N 80°0′26″W / 40.45250°N 80.00722°W |
| Built | 1897 |
| Architectural style | Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000683 [1] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | July 27, 1971 |
| Designated CPHS | December 26, 1972[2] |
| Designated PHLF | 1971[3] |
In 1983, the lower level of the building became the first home of the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh.[5] The Children's Museum eventually expanded to occupy the entire post office building as well as the neighboring Buhl Planetarium building and a new addition.
The building was listed on the listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.[1] It was the first building in Allegheny County to be added to the register.[6]
References
edit- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
- ^ "Local Historic Designations". Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 2011-08-09.
- ^ Historic Landmark Plaques 1968-2009 (PDF). Pittsburgh, PA: Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation. 2010. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 2011-08-05.
- ^ Miller, Donald (January 11, 1972). "Landmarks Museum a Dream Come True". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 23.
- ^ Bergholz, Eleanor (June 4, 1983). "A museum to make learning fun". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 17.
- ^ "Northside Post Office Becoming Museum". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. September 30, 1971. p. 33.
External links
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- Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. PA-1178, "U. S. Allegheny Post Office, Ohio Street, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, PA", 13 measured drawings