Commonwealth Building (Pittsburgh)

The Commonwealth Building, originally known as the Commonwealth Trust Bank, is a 300 feet (91 m) tall skyscraper in Pittsburgh. It was completed in 1906 and has 21 floors. It is tied with The Carlyle and Washington Plaza for 26th tallest building in the city.

Commonwealth Building
Fourth Avenue
General information
Location316 Fourth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Coordinates40°26′21″N 80°00′03″W
Completed1906
Height
Roof300 ft (91 m)
Technical details
Floor count21
Floor area80,000 sq ft (7,432 m2)
Design and construction
ArchitectFrederick J. Osterling

History

The building was built in 1906 for the Commonwealth Trust Company, with construction underway by June 1906.[1] Work was briefly halted on August 3, 1906 when workers went on strike, over wages of $1.75 a day, compared to union workers on the nearby Union National Bank Building, who were earning $2.00 a day.[2] By August 5, 1906 the dispute had been settled and the building's framework had been completed up to the twelfth floor.[3][4] The building was completed in 1907, with the Commonwealth Trust Company moving in by April 1, vacating their previous residence at 327-329 Fourth Avenue.[5][6] The building included five Plunger-type elevators, built by the Otis Elevator Company to service the structure's twenty floors.[7]

On November 1, 1927, Andrew J Kelley Jr, then president of the Commonwealth Trust Company and the Commonwealth Real Estate Company, died suddenly in his office in the Commonwealth Building.[8] The building also served as the offices for the Steel Workers Organizing Committee, and later the United Steelworkers.[9][10] On June 1, 1954, first assistant county solicitor Edward G. Bothwell was shot three times and critically wounded by George E Linn in his office on the fourth floor of the Commonwealth Building, after losing a 10-year court case previously.[11]

In January 2019, it was announced that the then long-vacant building would be renovated into an apartment complex featuring 150 apartments and ground level retail.[12]

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See also

References
  1. "SKYSCRAPERS PROGRESSING". The Pittsburgh Sunday Post. June 24, 1906. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  2. "LABORERS WANT MORE PAY". The Pittsburg Press. August 3, 1906. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  3. "Building Operations In July Show Well". The Pittsburgh Sunday Post. August 5, 1906. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  4. "Victory for Union Men". The Pittsburg Press. August 5, 1906. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  5. "The fine large quarters..." The Pittsburg Press. August 30, 1906. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  6. "Commonwealth Trust Co". The Pittsburg Press. February 28, 1907. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  7. "The elevators,..." The Pittsburg Press. November 13, 1906. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  8. "A.J. Kelly JR., Dies In Office". The Pittsburgh Press. November 1, 1927. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  9. "Good Enough for USSteel". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. December 3, 1956. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  10. "United Steelworkers of America Historical Marker". ExplorePAhistory.com. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  11. "Wounded Lawyer in Life Fight". Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph. June 2, 1954. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  12. O'Toole, Bill (January 18, 2019). "Long-vacant Commonwealth Building Downtown will become apartment complex". NEXT Pittsburgh. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
Preceded by
Washington Plaza		 Pittsburgh Skyscrapers by Height
300 feet (91 m)
21 floors		 Succeeded by
Four Gateway Center
Preceded by
The Carlyle		 Pittsburgh Skyscrapers by Year of Completion
1906		 Succeeded by
Oliver Building
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