|
Notes on Selected Resources
|
Allegheny County Historic Sites Survey data
- records of survey conducted by Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation in 1979-1984 to document historic buildings and sites in Allegheny County
architectural brochures
- printed materials produced by architects, developers, and realty companies to promote and market architectural services and architectural space
- see Martin Aurand, Architectural Brochures: History, Hype & Graphic Design (Carnegie Mellon University Architecture Archives, 1990)
atlases, plat books and fire insurance maps
- maps published in book format since the 1870's, most by G. M. Hopkins and the Sanborn Map Company
- usually show name of property owner, street addresses, and dimensions for individual properties; and show footprints, building materials, and number of stories for buildings
- published periodically; thus a comparison of volumes for the same area shows development over time
- volumes are usually designated by ward or vicinity
- some volumes have updated information pasted onto original pages, so check dates carefully
- University of Pittsburgh's Archives of Industrial Society collection has the
most complete collection of original print maps
- many copies are on microfilm at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Main (Oakland); Carnegie Mellon University Hunt
Library copies include Sanborn
Fire Insurance Maps on microfilm
- many G. M. Hopkins maps are available online at Historic Pittsburgh
- See plat maps and other maps from Historic Pittsburgh overlaid on each other at Pittsburgh Historic Sites: Pittsburgh Mapping and Historical Site Viewer
- some Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, mostly dated prior to 1922, are available online through Penn State University
biographies, pictures and portraits card indexes
/ Business and Biography Card Index
- indexes to selected library materials at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Main (Oakland) - Pennsylvania Department, and the Western Pennsylvania Historical Society
- a good place to start for biographical and historical information on architects,
builders, clients, businesses,etc.
block and lot card file
- Allegheny County Board of Property Assessment card file provides partial information about selected property transactions
- can provide a shortcut to deed research
block and lot maps
- Allegheny County Board of Property Assessment maps provide current information about block and lot numbers and property lines
- "Pittsburgh Grid Maps" (Lot-Block, Topographic, and Zoning) may be viewed online at City of Pittsburgh Maps
Builder (Pittsburgh)
- monthly journal, vols. 20-34:3 (some issues missing), 1904-1919, at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Main (Oakland) on paper and microfilm
- articles and illustrations on regional architecture
Builders Bulletin
- weekly newsletter of Pittsburgh Builders Exchange, vols. 1-89:13 , 1916-2005. Weekly. Continued online for members of the Pittsburgh Builders Exchange.
- lists regional building projects, including architect's name, in Building Operations column
- 1916-1926 at Carnegie Mellon University Architecture Archives; 1921--2005
at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Main (Oakland)
building permits
- each permit gives information such as date, name of property owner, name of builder, address (often imprecise), cost, building type, building size, and building materials; does not give name of architect
- City of Pittsburgh building permits dated 1877-1916 and City of Allegheny building permits dated 1894-1908 are at University of Pittsburgh's Archives of Industrial Society in paper dockets and on microfilm
- University of Pittsburgh's Archives of Industrial Society collection also includes permits for additions, alterations and repairs, and permits for electrical wiring, for various dates between 1890-1916
- City of Pittsburgh building permits dated 1917-1947 are missing and presumably destroyed
- City of Pittsburgh building permits dated 1948-present are at City of Pittsburgh's Bureau of Building Inspection
- see also permanent plans card file
Charette
- monthly journal of Pittsburgh Architectural Club; later, also journal of
the Pittsburgh Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, and the Pennsylvania
Society of Architects, vols. 1-54, 1920-1974
- tremendous source for information on the Pittsburgh architectural scene
- the 1926-1929 issues list regional building projects, with names of architects,
in "Architects' Building Bulletin" column
- the 1948-1949 issues feature member profiles
- the 1956-1971 issues feature articles by James D. Van Trump
- Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Main (Oakland) has a partial
index to vols. 3-20, 1922-1940
- view online at Charette
city directories
- annual volumes similar to telephone directories, published since the early nineteenth-century for Pittsburgh and vicinity, most by R. L. Polk
- organized by name, with address, and, in most volumes, occupation; also organized by address from 1929-present
- Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Main (Oakland) copies are on microfilm; Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania copies are on paper
- many city directories are available on the web at Historic Pittsburgh
Columns
- monthly journal of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, vols. 1- , 1987-
Construction
- weekly journal, vols. 1-3, 1905-1906 (continuation of The Municipal Record.)
- articles on Pittsburgh-area architecture
- lists regional building projects, with names of architects
- Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Main (Oakland) has microfilm copy, and only known paper copy in off-site storage
deeds
- records of property transactions, filed at Allegheny County Recorder of Deeds
- each deed givse name of property owner, and may give clues to building construction date; does not give name of architect
- the Russell System of indexing in Direct (grantor) and Adsectum (grantee) indexes is used in Allegheny County
- deeds 1986-present are online
- see also block and lot card file
drawings
- Carnegie Mellon University Architecture Archives has major collection and is a clearinghouse for information
- blueprints submitted with building permit applications have been selectively retained by the City of Pittsburgh's Bureau of Building Inspection since 1915, and have been transferred to microforms; these can be viewed, but no copies can be made
Historic American Buildings Survey / Historic American Engineering Record data
Inland Architect and News Record / Inland Architect and Builder
- monthly journal of architecture in the American Midwest, vols. 1-52, 1883-1909
- the cs. 1885-1897 issues list regional building projects, with names of architects, in a "Synopsis of Building News" column
- Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Main (Oakland) copy is microfilm; Carnegie Mellon University's Hunt Library copy is paper
Interstate Architect and Builder / Ohio Architect &
Builder
- the most useful years for Pittsburgh are 1903 - 1907
- includes profiles of architectural firms located or working in Western Pennsylvania
- on microfilm at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
National Register of Historic Places data
- records of national landmarking program
- Pittsburgh Hitory & Landmarks Foundation has a selection of locally produced
nominations
- all nominations are accessible through the National
Register of Historic Places
newspapers and magazines
- especially useful for prominent buildings if a key date is known
- useful city-wide and regional publications include daily newspapers and
additional titles including The Pittsburgh Bulletin (partial index
1887-1928 available at Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation), The
Index, The Bulletin-Index, Pittsburgh First, Greater
Pittsburgh, The Pittsburgh Catholic, The Presbyterian Banner,
The Pittsburgher, Carnegie Magazine, Executive Report, The Pittsburgh
Business Times, In Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh City Paper, etc.
- useful neighborhood and community publications incluce Allegheny,
the Oaklander, The Point, Market Square, etc.
- numerous local newspapers and magazines are on microfilm at the Carnegie
Library of Pittsburgh Main (Oakland) and at other local libraries
- the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (1926-1989) and its predecessors, the Pittsburgh Commercial Gazette, and the Gazette-Times, are available via Google News: Advanced News Archive Search. For more information see <http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08258/911866-28.stm> and <http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08300/922720-28.stm>.
- more recent issues of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette can be searched at Post-Gazette.com.
Pittsburgh Architects card index and Information Files
- partial index to Builder (Pittsburgh), Inland Architect, and other resources at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Main (Oakland)
- clippings file at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Main (Oakland)
- View headings at Pittsburgh Architects
Pittsburgh Architecture card index and Information Files
- partial indexes to Builder (Pittsburgh), Inland Architect, and other resources at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Main (Oakland)
- clippings file at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Main (Oakland)
- View headings at Pittsburgh Architecture
permanent plans card file
- City of Pittsburgh's Bureau of Building Inspection card file gives much the same information as building permits for selected Pittsburgh building projects dated ca. 1890-1960
- includes years for which building permits are missing
- see also building permits
Pittsburgh Architectural Club Exhibition Catalogues
- catalogues of Pittsburgh Architectural Club exhibitions, vols. 1-11, 1900-1916
- include work of member architects, local architectural students, and out-of-town architects
- consists of lists of exhibits, photographs of selected exhibits, and advertisements for the building industry
- lists of exhibits, with names of architects and projects, may be bound into a given volume or printed separately
- The William R. Oliver Special Collections Room of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh has a copy of the related publication Catalogue of the Architectural Exhibition (1897), a Supplement to the Builder (Pittsburgh).
- Carnegie Mellon University Architecture Archives has a photocopy of the related publication Catalogue of the Annual Architectural Exhibition by the Pittsburgh Chapter American Institute of Architects (1898)
Pittsburgh City Photographer Collection
Pittsburgh Photographic Library
- Carnegie Library of PittsburghMain (Oakland) - Pennsylvania Department collection includes miscellaneous photographs of architectural subjects, and the City of Pittsburgh Department of Public Works Collection
- some photographs are available on the web at Pittsburgh Photographic Library
plan maps
- records of land subdivisions, filed at Allegheny County Recorder of Deeds Plan Department
Van Trump Papers
- collection of publications, unpublished manuscripts, notecards, etc. of James D. Van Trump, Pittsburgh's most noted architectural historian
- find notecards online at: James Van Trump Database Project
Western Pennsylvania Architectural Survey Collection
- records of project conducted by the Pittsburgh Chapter A.I.A. in 1932-1936 to document early buildings throughout Western Pennsylvania in measured drawings and photographs, archived at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Main (Oakland)
- much of this data was published as The Early Architecture of Western Pennsylvania; and reprinted as The Architectural Heritage of Western Pennsylvania
- find digitized photographs at: Historic Pittsburgh: Charles M. Stotz, Photographs, 1901-1975
Works Progress Administration Property Survey data
- records of building-by-building survey in Allegheny County conducted in 1936-1937, archived at Allegheny County Records Center
- gives basic descriptive information, and sometimes schematic plans and elevations