Pittsburgh City-County Building
Pittsburgh City-County Building | |
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![]() Front view of the Pittsburgh City-County Building across from Grant St. | |
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Alternative names | City Hall |
General information | |
Type | Neo-Classical, Beau-Arts |
Architectural style | Classical Revival |
Location | Pittsburgh, United States |
Address | 414 Grant Street |
Coordinates | 40.4381, -79.9969 |
Construction started | July 5, 1915 |
Completed | December 1917 |
Cost | $2.771 million $77.6 million in 2024 dollars |
Owner | City of Pittsburgh, County of Allegheny |
Height | 144 feet |
Dimensions | |
Diameter | 300 feet X 183 feet |
Technical details | |
Floor count | 10 |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) | Henry Hornbostel |
Architecture firm | Palmer, Hornbostel & Jones |
Structural engineer | McClintic-Marshall & Co. |
Other designers | R. Gustavino, Charles Keck |
Main contractor | James L. Stewart |
The Pittsburgh City-County Building is the seat of government for the City of Pittsburgh and houses both Pittsburgh and Allegheny County offices. It is located in Downtown Pittsburgh at 414 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Built from 1915-17 it is the third seat of government of Pittsburgh. Today the building is occupied mostly by Pittsburgh offices with Allegheny County located in adjacent county facilities.
History
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/29/The_City-County_Building%2C_Pittsburgh%2C_Pennsylvania%2C_from_the_Corner_of_Grant_and_Diamond_Streets.jpg/220px-The_City-County_Building%2C_Pittsburgh%2C_Pennsylvania%2C_from_the_Corner_of_Grant_and_Diamond_Streets.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0b/PittsburghCity-CountyBuilding.jpg/220px-PittsburghCity-CountyBuilding.jpg)
On the seventh floor of the building is a massive mural completed in 1940 entitled "Justice" by award winning artist Harry Scheuch.[1]
Popular culture
1922's In the Name of the Law starred Pittsburgh Pirates great and future Hall of Famer Honus Wagner as the hero, as a Pittsburgh Police Superintendent pitched baseballs off the 144-foot-high roof in the film's climax.
Mayor Magee and the City Hall were featured in 1924's Fording the Lincoln Highway.[2]
1992's Lorenzo's Oil used the building to shoot scenes depicting Johns Hopkins Hospital.[3]
Many scenes of the Bruce Willis and Sarah Jessica Parker 1993 police drama Striking Distance were filmed both inside and on the Grant Street entrance to the building. Most notable is the nighttime scene of Dennis Farina's supervisor character arguing with Willis' "Tom Hardy" over the "Polish Hill" documents.
Scenes of the 1997-98 Superman remake Superman Lives were slated to be filmed in the building's "crystal palace" grand mezzanine and serving as Daily Planet offices but production was delayed by Warner Brothers.[4]
The USA Network show Suits used the Grant Street exterior for establishing shots in 2011.[5]
Trivia
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9f/PittsburghCity-CountyBuilding2.jpg/220px-PittsburghCity-CountyBuilding2.jpg)
- The grand Grant Street Entrance has many statues and memorials to past leaders, including the late mayor Richard Caligiuri and political boss William Flinn.
- The complex is bordered by wide thoroughfares named for city founders James Ross (Ross Street), John Forbes (Forbes Avenue) and James Grant (Grant Street).
- The downtown branch of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh occupied space in the structure until November, 1930.[6]
- The prominent inscription "PROTHONOTARY" over a side entrance reportedly prompted the remark "What the hell is a Prothonotary?" from Harry Truman on a 1948 visit.[citation needed]
External links
Media related to Pittsburgh City-County Building at Wikimedia Commons
References
- ^ http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09110/964137-455.stm
- ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQ9hV7X87zA
- ^ [1]
- ^ http://articles.mcall.com/1998-04-16/news/3203721_1_jimmy-olsen-clark-kent-lois-lane
- ^ http://forums.usanetwork.com/index.php?showtopic=454434
- ^ https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XEwbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=cEsEAAAAIBAJ&dq=carnegie%20library%20downtown&pg=3395%2C1411672
- Office buildings in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- City of Pittsburgh historic designations
- Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation Historic Landmarks
- City and town halls in Pennsylvania
- County government buildings in Pennsylvania
- Henry Hornbostel buildings
- Visitor attractions in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Government of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Buildings and structures completed in 1917