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Mount Washington (Pittsburgh)
Encyclopedia
Mount Washington is a neighborhood in Pittsburgh
, Pennsylvania
's south city area. It has a zip code of 15211 and has representation on Pittsburgh City Council by both the council members for District 3 (Central South Neighborhoods) and District 2 (West Neighborhoods).
It is known for its steep hill overlooking the Pittsburgh skyline, which was rated the second most beautiful vista in America by USA Weekend
(and the best urban vista); its funicular
s, the Duquesne
and Monongahela Incline
s, which are the oldest continuous inclines in the world; and for the row of upscale restaurants paralleling the crest of Mount Washington, the hill the community sits upon. The neighborhood is also known as the home of Autumn House Press
, one of the leading literary publishers in the United States.
, Mount Washington was known as Coal Hill, but Coal Hill was actually on the south bank of the Monongahela River. Easy access to the Pittsburgh coal seam
's outcrop near the base of Mt. Washington allowed several mines to operate there. Also, rock was quarried from the hill. Gray sandstone, for example, was quarried at Coal Hill for the second Allegheny County Courthouse
.
By 1876, the name had been changed to Mount Washington, and a year later, the view of the City of Pittsburgh was first drawn from Mt. Washington. Almost all photos of the Pittsburgh skyline are from Mt. Washington, because of the view.
was the first of these to be built in 1869–1870. The Duquesne Incline
opened to the public in May 1877, and it was one of four inclined planes climbing Mount Washington that carried passengers and freight to the residential area that had spread along the top of the bluff. As the hilltop communities were virtually inaccessible by any other means, many of Pittsburgh's inclines carried horses and wagons as well as foot passengers. All carried some light freight. The last Pittsburgh-area incline to close was the Castle Shannon Incline
, which closed in 1964. This incline also served Mount Washington, with a lower station at the corner of East Carson Street and Arlington Avenue, just east of the present Station Square Light Rail Station
. This incline was closed by its owner, the Pittsburgh Railways
Company, just prior to all of their streetcar and bus routes being taken-over by the Port Authority of Allegheny County
.
The Monongahela and Duquesne Inclines allow access to Mt. Washington's overlook of the downtown area of Pittsburgh. Tourists marvel at the view while riding two of only a few remaining inclines in the country. The inclines remain the best way for thousands of Pittsburghers on Mt. Washington to get to their jobs, entertainment and shopping in downtown Pittsburgh and Station Square.
communities is on Mt. Washington. Chatham Village
is a compact neighborhood of townhomes and gardens on the far south end of Mt. Washington.
, Beechview
, Beltzhoover
, Duquesne Heights
, South Shore
, which began life as a coal mine but was extended through from the Mt. Washington Coal Incline to Saw Mill Run
in 1861. This was followed by the Mount Washington Transit Tunnel for Pittsburgh Railways
and Wabash Tunnel
for the Wabash Pittsburgh Terminal Railway, both in opening in 1904. The former continues in use by Pittsburgh Light Rail
and the latter as an High Occupancy Vehicle tunnel.
The Liberty Tunnel
through Mt. Washington opened in 1928.
The Fort Pitt Tunnel
beneath and through Mt. Washington opened September 1, 1960.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
's south city area. It has a zip code of 15211 and has representation on Pittsburgh City Council by both the council members for District 3 (Central South Neighborhoods) and District 2 (West Neighborhoods).
It is known for its steep hill overlooking the Pittsburgh skyline, which was rated the second most beautiful vista in America by USA Weekend
USA Weekend
USA Weekend is a national publication distributed through more than 800+ newspapers in the United States. It reaches 47 million readers in 22.6 million households every weekend. Awarded for its journalism and design, USA WEEKEND focuses on social issues, entertainment, health, food and travel....
(and the best urban vista); its funicular
Funicular
A funicular, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other.-Operation:The basic principle of funicular...
s, the Duquesne
Duquesne Incline
The Duquesne Incline is a inclined plane railroad, or funicular, located near Pittsburgh's South Side neighborhood and scaling Mt. Washington. Designed by Samuel Diescher, the incline was completed in 1877 and is long, in height, and is inclined at a 30 degree angle...
and Monongahela Incline
Monongahela Incline
The Monongahela Incline, built by John Endres in 1870, islocated near the Smithfield Street Bridge in Pittsburgh. It is the oldest continuously operating funicular in the USA. It is also one of two surviving inclines from the original 17 passenger-carrying inclines built in Pittsburgh starting...
s, which are the oldest continuous inclines in the world; and for the row of upscale restaurants paralleling the crest of Mount Washington, the hill the community sits upon. The neighborhood is also known as the home of Autumn House Press
Autumn House Press
Autumn House Press is an independent, non-profit literary publishing company based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States.In a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette poetry feature, Bob Hoover writes that "Simms says he started the operation after he noticed that the 'large traditional commercial presses, had...
, one of the leading literary publishers in the United States.
History of Mount Washington
In the early history of PittsburghHistory of Pittsburgh
The history of Pittsburgh began with centuries of Native American civilization in the modern Pittsburgh region. Eventually French and British explorers encountered the strategic juncture where the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers meet to form the Ohio...
, Mount Washington was known as Coal Hill, but Coal Hill was actually on the south bank of the Monongahela River. Easy access to the Pittsburgh coal seam
Pittsburgh coal seam
The Pittsburgh Coal Seam is the thickest and most extensive coal bed in the Appalachian Basin; hence, it is the most economically important coal beds in the eastern United States. The Upper Pennsylvanian Pittsburgh coal bed of the Monongahela Group is extensive and continuous, extending over...
's outcrop near the base of Mt. Washington allowed several mines to operate there. Also, rock was quarried from the hill. Gray sandstone, for example, was quarried at Coal Hill for the second Allegheny County Courthouse
Allegheny County Courthouse
Allegheny County Courthouse is a government building of Allegheny County located in the county seat, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.- Early structures:...
.
By 1876, the name had been changed to Mount Washington, and a year later, the view of the City of Pittsburgh was first drawn from Mt. Washington. Almost all photos of the Pittsburgh skyline are from Mt. Washington, because of the view.
Inclines
The meager roads that wound up the steep slopes of Mt. Washington were barely passable to a team of horses pulling a loaded wagon. Immigrants, predominantly from Germany, settled Mount Washington and worked in the plants adjacent to the Monongahela River. They became weary of climbing steep footpaths and steps to their homes, from the river valley, after work. They remembered the Seilbahns (inclines) of their former country, and proposals were advanced to construct one or more of them along Coal Hill. The Monongahela InclineMonongahela Incline
The Monongahela Incline, built by John Endres in 1870, islocated near the Smithfield Street Bridge in Pittsburgh. It is the oldest continuously operating funicular in the USA. It is also one of two surviving inclines from the original 17 passenger-carrying inclines built in Pittsburgh starting...
was the first of these to be built in 1869–1870. The Duquesne Incline
Duquesne Incline
The Duquesne Incline is a inclined plane railroad, or funicular, located near Pittsburgh's South Side neighborhood and scaling Mt. Washington. Designed by Samuel Diescher, the incline was completed in 1877 and is long, in height, and is inclined at a 30 degree angle...
opened to the public in May 1877, and it was one of four inclined planes climbing Mount Washington that carried passengers and freight to the residential area that had spread along the top of the bluff. As the hilltop communities were virtually inaccessible by any other means, many of Pittsburgh's inclines carried horses and wagons as well as foot passengers. All carried some light freight. The last Pittsburgh-area incline to close was the Castle Shannon Incline
Castle Shannon Incline
The Castle Shannon Incline was a funicular railroad in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was originally built in 1890 as part of the Pittsburgh and Castle Shannon Railroad as a means of transporting passenger traffic over Mt. Washington, rather than using the Pittsburgh and Castle Shannon Tunnel...
, which closed in 1964. This incline also served Mount Washington, with a lower station at the corner of East Carson Street and Arlington Avenue, just east of the present Station Square Light Rail Station
Station Square (PAT station)
Station Square is a Transit station on the Port Authority of Allegheny County's light rail network. It is the last Transit station on the south side of the Monongahela River.This station is named for the nearby mixed-use development Station Square...
. This incline was closed by its owner, the Pittsburgh Railways
Pittsburgh Railways
Pittsburgh Railways was one of the predecessors of the Port Authority of Allegheny County. It had 666 PCC cars, the third largest fleet in North America. It had 68 street car routes, of which only three are used by the Port Authority as light rail routes...
Company, just prior to all of their streetcar and bus routes being taken-over by the Port Authority of Allegheny County
Port Authority of Allegheny County
Port Authority of Allegheny County is the second-largest public transit agency in Pennsylvania and the 11th-largest in the United States. When considering that its service area is the 20th largest in the U.S...
.
The Monongahela and Duquesne Inclines allow access to Mt. Washington's overlook of the downtown area of Pittsburgh. Tourists marvel at the view while riding two of only a few remaining inclines in the country. The inclines remain the best way for thousands of Pittsburghers on Mt. Washington to get to their jobs, entertainment and shopping in downtown Pittsburgh and Station Square.
Chatham Village
One of the most famous examples of the early-twentieth century Garden City MovementGarden city movement
The garden city movement is a method of urban planning that was initiated in 1898 by Sir Ebenezer Howard in the United Kingdom. Garden cities were intended to be planned, self-contained communities surrounded by "greenbelts" , containing proportionate areas of residences, industry and...
communities is on Mt. Washington. Chatham Village
Chatham Village
Chatham Village is a community within the larger Mount Washington neighborhood of the City of Pittsburgh, and an internationally acclaimed model of community design. Chatham Village Historic District, is a historic district in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. It is roughly bounded by Virginia Ave.,...
is a compact neighborhood of townhomes and gardens on the far south end of Mt. Washington.
Services
The area is served by the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire house number 27, equipped with a new 75 feet (22.9 m) Pierce Quint engine.Surrounding Pittsburgh neighborhoods
AllentownAllentown (Pittsburgh)
Allentown is a south neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The zip code used by residents is 15210, and has representation on the Pittsburgh City Council by the council member for District 3 .-History:...
, Beechview
Beechview (Pittsburgh)
Beechview is a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's South Hills area. It has a zip code of 15216, and has representation on Pittsburgh City Council by both the council member for District 4 and for District 2 . Beechview was founded in 1905. It is Pittsburgh Fire Bureau Zone 4-10 and...
, Beltzhoover
Beltzhoover (Pittsburgh)
Beltzhoover is a neighborhood in southern Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in an area known as the South Hills.The area is named for George Beltzhoover who was a farmer there in the early portion of the 19th century. The community contains a park called McKinley Park...
, Duquesne Heights
Duquesne Heights (Pittsburgh)
Duquesne Heights is a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's south city area. It has a zip code of 15211, and has representation on Pittsburgh City Council by the council member for District 2 ....
, South Shore
South Shore (Pittsburgh)
The South Shore is a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania South Side. The South Shore consists of the area surrounding Carson Street, from the West End Bridge to the Liberty Bridge.The South Shore is an industrial neighborhood, home to several warehouses...
Beneath Mt. Washington
The first tunnel through Mt. Washington was the Pittsburgh and Castle Shannon TunnelPittsburgh and Castle Shannon Tunnel
The Pittsburgh and Castle Shannon Tunnel, also known as the Mount Washington Coal Tunnel, was a narrow gauge railway tunnel under Mt. Washington.-History:It was originally begun as a coal mine in 1825 by Jacob Beltzhoover....
, which began life as a coal mine but was extended through from the Mt. Washington Coal Incline to Saw Mill Run
Saw Mill Run
Saw Mill Run is a tributary of the Ohio River in Pennsylvania. It is an urban stream, and lies entirely within Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. The stream enters the Ohio just downstream from the Forks of the Ohio in Pittsburgh, at a place originally founded as the town of Temperanceville in the...
in 1861. This was followed by the Mount Washington Transit Tunnel for Pittsburgh Railways
Pittsburgh Railways
Pittsburgh Railways was one of the predecessors of the Port Authority of Allegheny County. It had 666 PCC cars, the third largest fleet in North America. It had 68 street car routes, of which only three are used by the Port Authority as light rail routes...
and Wabash Tunnel
Wabash Tunnel
The Wabash Tunnel is a former railway tunnel through Mt. Washington in the city of Pittsburgh. Constructed early in the 20th century by railroad magnate George J. Gould, it has never been of much use. His Wabash Railroad venture into Pittsburgh ended after 3 or 4 years. The Wabash Tunnel was...
for the Wabash Pittsburgh Terminal Railway, both in opening in 1904. The former continues in use by Pittsburgh Light Rail
Pittsburgh Light Rail
The Pittsburgh Light Rail is a light rail system in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; it functions as a subway in Downtown Pittsburgh and largely as an at-grade light rail service in the suburbs. The system is owned and operated by the Port Authority of Allegheny County...
and the latter as an High Occupancy Vehicle tunnel.
The Liberty Tunnel
Liberty Tunnel
The Liberty Tunnels are a pair of tunnels located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that allow motorists to travel between the South Hills of Pittsburgh and the city, through Mt. Washington...
through Mt. Washington opened in 1928.
The Fort Pitt Tunnel
Fort Pitt Tunnel
The Fort Pitt Tunnel carries Interstate 376 , US 22, US 30, and US 19 Truck between Downtown Pittsburgh and its West End neighborhood in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It has two lanes both inbound and outbound. The tunnel travels beneath Mount Washington. Its northern ramps lead directly to...
beneath and through Mt. Washington opened September 1, 1960.
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