Sharpsburg Walking Tour

Saturday, May 4, 2019 Noon to 2:00 p.m. Join us as we take a walk back in time and into the future of Sharpsburg, a riverfront community that was home, at various times, to Seneca Indians, sturdy pioneers, and immigrants who labored on the Pennsylvania Canal and railroads and in the mills and factories. The Borough famously is the birthplace of the H. J. Heinz Company. Mayor Matthew V. Rudzki will accompany our group and will discuss the Borough’s plans for revitalization. You’ll see a wonderful collection of historic buildings that give character and distinction to this resilient community that […]

Free Wednesday Walking Tours: Grant Street

PA, United States

Reservations appreciated: marylu@phlf.org; 412-471-5808, ext. 527 Tour the northern end of the Grant Street area on this free guided walking tour with PHLF, from Sixth Avenue to Liberty and back to the U.S. Steel Plaza (across from the Omni William Penn Hotel). You’ll see corporate skyscrapers––originally designed for Gulf Oil, Koppers, and U. S. Steel––plus a new hotel in a historic building; a sensational railroad headquarters building that now houses apartments, offices, and Amtrak; the massive Federal Courthouse; and the enduring First Lutheran Church, serving downtown since 1888. Meeting location: Grant Street near Sixth Avenue, at the Omni William Penn Hotel […]

Free Friday Walking Tours: Upper Penn-Liberty

There is much to admire on this relatively short walk along Penn and Liberty avenues between Ninth and Tenth streets in Downtown Pittsburgh, including the August Wilson Cultural Center, David L. Lawrence Convention Center, and Pennsylvanian (formerly, Union Station). You’ll hear about the unique role of Liberty Avenue in the City’s Downtown street grid and about the importance of the railroad. You’ll see how commercial architecture evolved in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and how contemporary sculpture and public art enliven the area now. Many of the historic commercial buildings have been repurposed for new restaurants, schools, apartments, […]

Free Friday Walking Tours: Upper Penn-Liberty

There is much to admire on this relatively short walk along Penn and Liberty avenues between Ninth and Tenth streets in Downtown Pittsburgh, including the August Wilson Cultural Center, David L. Lawrence Convention Center, and Pennsylvanian (formerly, Union Station). You’ll hear about the unique role of Liberty Avenue in the City’s Downtown street grid and about the importance of the railroad. You’ll see how commercial architecture evolved in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and how contemporary sculpture and public art enliven the area now. Many of the historic commercial buildings have been repurposed for new restaurants, schools, apartments, […]

Oakland & Schenley Farms Walking Tour

Saturday, May 11, 2019 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.  Explore the Schenley Farms National-Register Historic District in Oakland with docents from PHLF. Hear how real estate developer Franklin Nicola (1860-1938) realized his dream of creating an example of the “City Beautiful” ideal. Where cows grazed peacefully on a steep Oakland hillside, Nicola saw grand boulevards and elegant homes, hotels, and clubs. We’ll walk along the quiet residential streets of Schenley Farms, where Nicola’s company developed a high-quality residential community with the latest modern conveniences. And we’ll see what happened when Nicola encouraged some of the most notable regional and national […]

Free Wednesday Walking Tours: Grant Street

Reservations appreciated: marylu@phlf.org; 412-471-5808, ext. 527 Tour the northern end of the Grant Street area on this free guided walking tour with PHLF, from Sixth Avenue to Liberty and back to the U.S. Steel Plaza (across from the Omni William Penn Hotel). You’ll see corporate skyscrapers––originally designed for Gulf Oil, Koppers, and U. S. Steel––plus a new hotel in a historic building; a sensational railroad headquarters building that now houses apartments, offices, and Amtrak; the massive Federal Courthouse; and the enduring First Lutheran Church, serving downtown since 1888. Meeting location: Grant Street near Sixth Avenue, at the Omni William Penn Hotel […]