Westinghouse Air Brake Company General Office Building
Encyclopedia
The Westinghouse Air Brake Company General Office Building (Known locally as The Castle or Library Hall) in Wilmerding
, Pennsylvania
is a building from 1890. It was listed on the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation
in 1975, National Register of Historic Places
in 1987. Originally built as an office building for the Westinghouse Air Brake Company
, it now houses The George Westinghouse Museum.
, the building has a four-sided clock tower
, which was operated by a system of chains and pulleys. Additional designs and remodeling were done by Janssen & Cocken in 1927, which added the "Executive Wing", containing executive offices as well as conference and dining rooms.
The architectural style is a mix of Renaissance Revival and Romanesque
. It was destroyed by a fire on 8 April 1896; the foundation, being made of brick, stone, and cement survived, however, and the structure was rebuilt upon the same foundation. It was during this reconstruction that the clock tower was added. At the time, the entire first floor was designed for employees' use, with accommodations such as a library, fully equipped gymnasium, restaurant, swimming pool, and bowling alleys.This brought the total area inside the building to 55000 square feet (5,109.7 m²).
The building also housed a boiler house and light station, that supplied both steam and power to the plant, as well as various businesses in the community, such as the Wilmerding YMCA
.
for well over a century. The company was originally established by George Westinghouse
in 1869. Westinghouse had developed many companies during this time of industrial growth at the beginning of the twentieth century. The Air Brake plant, that made for improved performance and increased speed on the nations railways, was moved to its new location in Wilmerding, Pennsylvania
in 1889. Wilmerding is a small town about 14 miles (22.5 km) outside of Pittsburgh which, at the time, was only inhabited by about 5,000 people. Socialism was strong in Wilmerding and it was a peaceful non-violent farming borough. It was thought to be “The Ideal Town” for the company because of its location right along the Pennsylvania Railroad
and its mainly blue collar inhabitants. The Air Brake Company employed 3,000 citizens from the surrounding Pittsburgh area, but its work force was composed almost entirely of individuals from Wilmerding.
The office buildings were used until the building was vacated in 1985. It was then donated to the American Production and Inventory Control Society. The Westinghouse Air Brake Company merged with MotivePower Industries Corporation in 1999 to form the Wabtec Corporation
. Wabtec still provides employment for more than 1,000 residents of the borough.
.
Wilmerding, Pennsylvania
Wilmerding is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,190 at the 2010 census. It is located southeast of Pittsburgh. At the start of the twentieth century, it had extensive foundries and machine shops of the Westinghouse Air Brake Company. In 1900, the...
, 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...
is a building from 1890. It was listed on the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation
Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation
The Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded in 1964 to support the preservation of historic buildings and neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA....
in 1975, National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1987. Originally built as an office building for the Westinghouse Air Brake Company
Westinghouse Air Brake Company
The railway air brake was invented by George Westinghouse of New York state in 1869. Soon after, he moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he established the Westinghouse Air Brake Company on September 28, 1869...
, it now houses The George Westinghouse Museum.
Construction
Constructed by architect Frederick J. OsterlingFrederick J. Osterling
Frederick John Osterling was an American architect, practicing in Pittsburgh from 1888....
, the building has a four-sided clock tower
Clock tower
A clock tower is a tower specifically built with one or more clock faces. Clock towers can be either freestanding or part of a church or municipal building such as a town hall. Some clock towers are not true clock towers having had their clock faces added to an already existing building...
, which was operated by a system of chains and pulleys. Additional designs and remodeling were done by Janssen & Cocken in 1927, which added the "Executive Wing", containing executive offices as well as conference and dining rooms.
The architectural style is a mix of Renaissance Revival and Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
. It was destroyed by a fire on 8 April 1896; the foundation, being made of brick, stone, and cement survived, however, and the structure was rebuilt upon the same foundation. It was during this reconstruction that the clock tower was added. At the time, the entire first floor was designed for employees' use, with accommodations such as a library, fully equipped gymnasium, restaurant, swimming pool, and bowling alleys.This brought the total area inside the building to 55000 square feet (5,109.7 m²).
The building also housed a boiler house and light station, that supplied both steam and power to the plant, as well as various businesses in the community, such as the Wilmerding YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
.
Business history
This building contained the offices of the Westinghouse Air Brake CompanyWestinghouse Air Brake Company
The railway air brake was invented by George Westinghouse of New York state in 1869. Soon after, he moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he established the Westinghouse Air Brake Company on September 28, 1869...
for well over a century. The company was originally established by George Westinghouse
George Westinghouse
George Westinghouse, Jr was an American entrepreneur and engineer who invented the railway air brake and was a pioneer of the electrical industry. Westinghouse was one of Thomas Edison's main rivals in the early implementation of the American electricity system...
in 1869. Westinghouse had developed many companies during this time of industrial growth at the beginning of the twentieth century. The Air Brake plant, that made for improved performance and increased speed on the nations railways, was moved to its new location in Wilmerding, Pennsylvania
Wilmerding, Pennsylvania
Wilmerding is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,190 at the 2010 census. It is located southeast of Pittsburgh. At the start of the twentieth century, it had extensive foundries and machine shops of the Westinghouse Air Brake Company. In 1900, the...
in 1889. Wilmerding is a small town about 14 miles (22.5 km) outside of Pittsburgh which, at the time, was only inhabited by about 5,000 people. Socialism was strong in Wilmerding and it was a peaceful non-violent farming borough. It was thought to be “The Ideal Town” for the company because of its location right along the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
and its mainly blue collar inhabitants. The Air Brake Company employed 3,000 citizens from the surrounding Pittsburgh area, but its work force was composed almost entirely of individuals from Wilmerding.
The office buildings were used until the building was vacated in 1985. It was then donated to the American Production and Inventory Control Society. The Westinghouse Air Brake Company merged with MotivePower Industries Corporation in 1999 to form the Wabtec Corporation
Wabtec
Wabtec Corporation is an American company formed by the merger of the Westinghouse Air Brake Company and MotivePower Industries Corporation in 1999....
. Wabtec still provides employment for more than 1,000 residents of the borough.
Effect on the community
When the Westinghouse Plant was also moved to Wilmerding, housing for the employees became hard to come by. In response to this, the Westinghouse Air Brake Home Building Company was formed in 1919 with $1,000,000 USD as startup capital. The 400 houses and large amounts of vacant land that were previously owned by the Westinghouse Air Brake Company were transferred to the new company. The new homes were specifically built with different variations to avoid the lack of variety commonly seen in industrial housing at the time. The Westinghouse Air Brake Home Building Company was so successful that within ten years, there were no vacant lots left on the Southern side of Turtle Creek. The extensive town-building, employment, and prosperity that George Westinghouse brought to Wilmerding is still celebrated today in the community, with a festival called "George Westinghouse Days", which takes place in early June each year.Museum
Currently, the building houses The George Westinghouse Museum, which is operated by Wilmerding Renewed, Inc. The museum is a non-profit organization that was run by volunteers. In 2007, the museum merged with the Heinz History CenterHeinz History Center
The Senator John Heinz History Center, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, is the largest history museum in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Named after the late U.S. Senator H...
.
External links
- Wabtec corporation company website
- Wilmerding Renewed
- George Westinghouse Museum at MuseumsUSA.org and VisitPA.com