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101-699: The William Pitt Union , which was built in 1898 as the Hotel Schenley , is the student union building of the University of Pittsburgh main campus, and is a Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation Historic Landmark. Designed by Pittsburgh-based architects Rutan & Russell in the Beaux-Arts style of architecture, the Schenley Hotel catered to local and visiting well-to-do people. The University of Pittsburgh acquired

202-592: A great fire burned out of control, destroying over a thousand buildings and causing $ 9M in damages. As the city rebuilt, the age of rails arrived. In 1851, the Ohio and Pennsylvania Railroad began service between Cleveland and Allegheny City (present-day North Side ). In 1854, the Pennsylvania Railroad began service between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Despite many challenges, Pittsburgh had grown into an industrial powerhouse. An 1857 article provided

303-795: A redoubt , the Fort Pitt Blockhouse , which still stands, the sole remaining structure from Fort Pitt and the oldest authenticated building west of the Allegheny Mountains . The Iroquois signed the Fort Stanwix Treaty of 1768 , ceding the lands south of the Ohio to the British Crown . European expansion into the upper Ohio valley increased. An estimated 4,000 to 5,000 families settled in western Pennsylvania between 1768 and 1770. Of these settlers, about

404-539: A $ 2 million project was undertaken to renovate 9,200 square feet (850 m) of space on the ninth floor. The renovation, completed in 2011, created a new student study and lounge area, a twenty-person conference room, a kitchen/coffee area, file/storage areas, and new offices for Residence Life, Pitt Arts and Student Volunteer Outreach. A $ 1.93 million renovation of the Assembly Room, which included uncovering three large windows to allow in natural light, as well as

505-574: A Pittsburgh resident and state legislator, introduced a bill that resulted in a gift deed of land and a charter for the Pittsburgh Academy on February 28, 1787. The academy later developed as the University of Western Pennsylvania (1819) and since 1908 has been known as the University of Pittsburgh . Many farmers distilled their corn harvest into whiskey, increasing its value while lowering its transportation costs. At that time, whiskey

606-580: A battleground when France and Great Britain fought for control in the 1750s . When the British were victorious, the French ceded control of territories east of the Mississippi. Following American independence in 1783, the village around Fort Pitt continued to grow. The region saw the short-lived Whiskey Rebellion , when farmers rebelled against federal taxes on whiskey. The War of 1812 cut off

707-523: A campaign to capture Fort Duquesne. At the head of 7,000 regular and colonial troops, Forbes built Fort Ligonier and Fort Bedford , from where he cut a wagon road over the Allegheny Mountains, later known as Forbes' Road. On the night of September 13–14, 1758, an advance column under Major James Grant was annihilated in the Battle of Fort Duquesne . The battleground, the high hill east of

808-480: A chief of theirs. Chartier's Town was a Shawnee town established in 1734 by Peter Chartier . Kittanning was a Lenape and Shawnee village on the Allegheny, with an estimated 300–400 residents. The first Europeans arrived in the 1710s as traders. Michael Bezallion was the first to describe the forks of the Ohio in a manuscript in 1717, and later that year European traders established posts and settlements in

909-669: A critical decade in Pittsburgh's growth. In 1811, the first steamboat was built in Pittsburgh. Increasingly, commerce would also flow upriver. The War of 1812 catalyzed growth of the Iron City. The war with Britain, the manufacturing center of the world, cut off the supply of British goods, stimulating American manufacture. In addition, the British blockade of the American coast increased inland trade, so that goods flowed through Pittsburgh from all four directions. By 1815, Pittsburgh

1010-753: A higher percentage of highly skilled workers than their mass-production counterparts. Beginning in the 1870s, entrepreneurs transformed the economy from small, craft-organized factories located inside the city limits to a large integrated industrial region stretching 50 miles across Allegheny County. The new industrial Pittsburgh was based on integrated mills, mass production, and modern management organization in steel and other industries. Many manufacturers searched for large sites with railroad and river accessibility. They purchased land, designed modern plants, and sometimes built towns for workers. Other firms bought into new communities that began as speculative industrial real estate ventures. Some owners removed their plants from

1111-574: A hotel night guard shot and killed two men and wounded another. A ghost story passed down among students begins with the tale of a visit by the Russian National Ballet, which booked accommodations in the historic Schenley Hotel prior to opening its tour of the United States in Pittsburgh. The prima ballerina , tired from travel, decided to rest before the premiere performance, drifted off, and slept through her curtain call and

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1212-474: A key role in the development of the U.S. steel industry. He became a philanthropist: in 1890, he established the first Carnegie Library , in a program to establish libraries in numerous cities and towns by the incentive of matching funds. In 1895, he founded the Carnegie Institute . In 1901, as the U.S. Steel Corporation formed, he sold his mills to J.P. Morgan for $ 250 million, making him one of

1313-665: A large Indian Mound at the future site of McKees Rocks , about three miles (5 km) from the head of the Ohio. The Indian Mound, a burial site, was augmented in later years by members of the Hopewell culture . By 1700 the Haudenosaunee , the Five Nations-based south of the Great Lakes in present-day New York, held dominion over the upper Ohio valley, reserving it for hunting grounds. Other tribes included

1414-470: A less grand scale. Surrounded by hospitals, educational facilities, concert halls, and private clubs with no parking to serve the hotel's mobile guests by the 1950s, it also faced new competition from Pittsburgh's Renaissance I . In 1956, the then Schenley Park Hotel was sold to the University of Pittsburgh . The hotel underwent a $ 1 million ($ 11.2 million in 2023 dollars) renovation to convert it to university use. The top four floors first served as

1515-592: A men's dormitory called Schenley House while the rest of the building was purposed as a student union, which was named Schenley Hall. Shortly after this, during the height of the cold war in September 1959, the Schenley Hall ballroom in the union was the site of a luncheon for Nikita Khrushchev , chairman of the Soviet Union , and various Soviet and U.S. officials, including Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. that

1616-611: A multi-faith prayer room. History of Pittsburgh#Renaissance I The history of Pittsburgh began with centuries of Native American civilization in the modern Pittsburgh region, known as Jaödeogë’ in the Seneca language . Eventually, European explorers encountered the strategic confluence where the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers meet to form the Ohio , which leads to the Mississippi River. The area became

1717-403: A party of settlers headed by Capt. Michael Cresap to begin widening the track into a road. It mostly followed the same route as an existing Native American trail now known as Nemacolin's Trail . The river crossing and flats at Redstone creek , was the earliest point and shortest distance for the descent of a wagon road. Later in the war, the site fortified as Fort Burd (now Brownsville )

1818-473: A snapshot of the Iron City: The iron and steel industry developed rapidly after 1830 and became one of the dominant factors in industrial America by the 1860s. Ingham (1978) examined the leadership of the industry in its most important center, Pittsburgh, as well as smaller cities. He concludes that the leadership of the iron and steel industry nationwide was "largely Scotch Irish". Ingham finds that

1919-570: A stage extension and technology upgrades, was completed in 2013. In addition, a $ 390,000 renovation of first floor restrooms and $ 1.85 million renovation of the lower levels of the union, including its food court and dining spaces, was completed that same year. Video Student activity center The first student union in America was Houston Hall , at the University of Pennsylvania , which opened January 2, 1896 and remains in operation to this day. The first Ohio Union at Ohio State University

2020-443: A third were English-American , another third were Scotch-Irish , and the rest were Welsh , German and others. These groups tended to settle together in small farming communities, but often their households were not within hailing distance. The life of a settler family was one of relentless hard work: clearing the forest, stumping the fields, building cabins and barns, planting, weeding, and harvesting. In addition, almost everything

2121-710: A unique combination of social reform, comprehensive infrastructure planning, and private homeownership principles. The rates of homeownership and cordial relationships between the steel company and Vandergrift residents fostered loyalty among McMurtry's skilled workers and led to McMurtry's greatest success. In 1901 he used Vandergrift's worker-residents to break the first major strike against the United States Steel Corporation . Christopher Magee and William Flinn operated powerful Republican machines that controlled local politics after 1880. They were business owners and favored business interests. Flinn

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2222-544: A wagon road 12 feet (3.7 m) wide, that when complete, was the first road to cross the Appalachian Mountains . Braddock's Road , as it was known, blazed the way for the future National Road (US40). The expedition crossed the Monongahela River on July 9, 1755. French troops from Fort Duquesne ambushed Braddock's expedition at Braddock's Field , nine miles (14 km) from Fort Duquesne. In

2323-472: Is also located on the lower level. In 2009, renovations to the second floor improved the accommodations of the student careers center and renovations to the fifth floor were completed to provide six new meeting spaces for student organizations, four of which with hard-surface flooring enabling groups to practice dance routines and other activities. In addition, a formal area was created for student organizations to host workshops and award presentations. In 2010,

2424-472: Is also the home to the International Academy of Jazz Hall of Fame (dedicated in 1984), the C. M. Kimbo Art Gallery, a dance studio, meeting and conference rooms, university offices, and, on the lower level, a food court. The upper floors of the union serve as the primary location for the offices for more than three hundred student organizations, including the student newspaper, The Pitt News ,

2525-504: Is often the center of student affairs and activities and may house the offices of the student government or other student groups. It may also act as a small conference center , with its meeting rooms rented out to student groups and local organizations holding conferences or competitions. An example of this for instance is the Michigan Union , which hosts the University of Michigan Model United Nations conference. Depending on

2626-532: Is today, below the mouth of Two Mile Run, from 30th Street to 39th Street. According to George Croghan , the town was situated on the south bank of the Allegheny, nearly opposite what is now known as Herr's Island , in what is now the Lawrenceville neighborhood in the city of Pittsburgh. Sawcunk , on the mouth of the Beaver River , was a Lenape settlement and the principal residence of Shingas ,

2727-569: The Battle of the Monongahela , the French inflicted heavy losses on the British, and Braddock was mortally wounded. The surviving British and colonial forces retreated. This left the French and their Native American allies with dominion over the upper Ohio valley. On September 8, 1756, an expedition of 300 militiamen destroyed the Shawnee and Lenape village of Kittanning , and in the summer of 1758, British Army officer John Forbes began

2828-457: The Governor of New France , sent another, larger expedition. At present-day Erie, Pennsylvania , an advance party built Fort Presque Isle . They also cut a road through the woods and built Fort Le Boeuf on French Creek , from which it was possible at high water to float to the Allegheny. By summer, an expedition of 1,500 French and Native American men descended the Allegheny. Some wintered at

2929-716: The Homestead Strike . Labor strife continued into the years of the Great Depression , as workers sought to protect their jobs and improve working conditions. Unions organized H.J. Heinz workers, with the assistance of the Catholic Radical Alliance . Andrew Carnegie , an immigrant from Scotland and a former Pennsylvania Railroad executive turned steel magnate, founded the Carnegie Steel Company . He proceeded to play

3030-587: The Iroquois ceded the land north of the Purchase Line to Pennsylvania. After the Revolution, the village of Pittsburgh continued to grow. One of its earliest industries was boat building . Flatboats could be used to carry large numbers of pioneers and goods downriver, while keelboats were capable of traveling upriver. The village began to develop vital institutions. Hugh Henry Brackenridge ,

3131-663: The Kurtzman Room and lower atrium of the Tansky Family lounge on the main floor, as well as two dining rooms on the first floor. The Tansky Lounge itself is the restored grand lobby of the hotel. In addition, the William Pitt Union Assembly Room, the largest room on the main floor at 6,200 square feet (580 m), contains a stage with theatrical lighting and serves as the facility's primary multi-purpose event space. The William Pitt Union

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3232-594: The Lenape , who had been displaced from eastern Pennsylvania by European settlement, and the Shawnee , who had migrated up from the south. With the arrival of European explorers, these tribes and others had been devastated by infectious diseases from Europe, such as smallpox , measles , influenza , and malaria , to which they had no immunity. In 1748, when Conrad Weiser visited Logstown , 18 miles (29 km) downriver from Pittsburgh, he counted 789 warriors gathered:

3333-807: The McCormick Tribune Campus Center at the Illinois Institute of Technology , and Price Center at UC San Diego . The first student center in the United Kingdom was at the University of Liverpool , built 1910–1913 for the Liverpool Guild of Students and listed on the National Heritage List for England from 1975. Another historically important student center is Newcastle University Students' Union Building , built in 1924 for what

3434-588: The National Register of Historic Places . The William Pitt Union was originally constructed in 1898 as a hotel and was converted into a student center in 1956. Some student activity centers on the NRHP include O'Hara Student Center ( University of Pittsburgh ), McKenny Hall ( Eastern Michigan University ), and the Tivoli Student Union . The Tivoli Student Union was originally home to

3535-537: The New Deal Coalition under powerful Democratic mayors. In World War II, it was the center of the " Arsenal of Democracy ", producing munitions for the Allied war effort as prosperity returned. Following World War II, Pittsburgh launched a clean air and civic revitalization project known as the "Renaissance". The industrial base continued to expand through the 1960s, but after 1970 foreign competition led to

3636-553: The Pennsylvania Main Line Canal was completed, making Pittsburgh part of a transportation system that included rivers, roads, and canals. Manufacture continued to grow. In 1835, McClurg, Wade and Co. built the first locomotive west of the Alleghenies. Already, Pittsburgh was capable of manufacturing the most essential machines of its age. By the 1840s, Pittsburgh was one of the largest cities west of

3737-681: The Scotch Irish held together cohesively throughout the 19th century and "developed their own sense of uniqueness." New immigrants after 1800 made Pittsburgh a major Scotch-Irish stronghold. For example, Thomas Mellon (b. Ulster 1813–1908) left northern Ireland in 1823 for the United States. He founded the powerful Mellon family , which played a central role in banking and industries such as aluminum and oil. As Barnhisel (2005) finds, industrialists such as James Laughlin (b. Ulster 1806–1882) of Jones and Laughlin Steel Company comprised

3838-507: The Shawnee , Miami , and Wyandot tribes, led to Dunmore's War in 1774. Conflict with Native Americans continued throughout the Revolutionary War , as some hoped that the war would end with expulsion of the settlers from their territory. In 1777, Fort Pitt became a United States fort, when Brigadier General Edward Hand took command. In 1779, Colonel Daniel Brodhead led 600 men from Fort Pitt to destroy Seneca villages along

3939-630: The "Scots-Irish Presbyterian ruling stratum of Pittsburgh society." In 1859, the Clinton and Soho iron furnaces introduced coke -fire smelting to the region. The American Civil War boosted the city's economy with increased production of iron and armaments, especially at the Allegheny Arsenal and the Fort Pitt Foundry . Arms manufacture included iron-clad warships and the world's first 21" gun. By war's end, over one-half of

4040-471: The "lower town", near the fort's ramparts, and the "upper town", along the Monongahela as far as present-day Market Street. In April 1761, a census ordered by Colonel Henry Bouquet and conducted by William Clapham counted 332 people and 104 houses. After Britain's victory in the French and Indian War, increasing dissatisfaction among Native Americans with the continuing encroachment of settlers on lands that had been agreed would be Indian-occupied (both in

4141-523: The 1758 Treaty of Easton and in the Royal Proclamation of 1763 the British authorities had decreed that there would be no British-American settlements west of the Alleghenies, but the authorities had been unable or unwilling to enforce these decrees) led to the outbreak of Pontiac's War . The Odawa leader Pontiac launched an offensive against British forts in May 1763. Native American tribes from

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4242-510: The 1870s through the 1950s, despite competition from much larger, standardized production firms. These smaller firms were built on a culture that valued local markets and the beneficial role of business in the local community. Small firms concentrated on specialized products, particularly structural steel, where the economies of scale of larger firms were no advantage. They embraced technological change more cautiously than larger firms. They also had less antagonistic relations with workers and employed

4343-613: The Elder . He also named the settlement between the rivers, "Pittsborough" (see Etymology of Pittsburgh ). The British garrison at Fort Pitt made substantial improvements to its fortification. The French never attacked Fort Pitt and the war soon ended with the Treaty of Paris and French defeat. They ceded their territories east of the Mississippi River. In 1760, the first considerable European settlement around Fort Pitt began to grow. Traders and settlers built two groups of houses and cabins,

4444-530: The French commanders first at Venango, and then Fort Le Boeuf . The French officers received Washington with wine and courtesy, but did not withdraw. Governor Dinwiddie sent Captain William Trent to build a fort at the Forks of the Ohio. On February 17, 1754, Trent began construction of the fort, the first European habitation at the site of present-day Pittsburgh . The fort, named Fort Prince George ,

4545-437: The French in the Battle of Jumonville Glen , during which 13 French soldiers were killed and 21 were taken prisoner. After the battle, Washington's ally, Seneca chief Tanaghrisson , unexpectedly executed the French commanding officer, Ensign Joseph Coulon de Jumonville . The French pursued Washington and on July 3, 1754, George Washington surrendered following the Battle of Fort Necessity . These frontier actions contributed to

4646-464: The Iroquois included 163 Seneca , 74 Mohawk , 35 Onondaga , 20 Cayuga , and 15 Oneida . Other tribes were 165 Lenape , 162 Shawnee , 100 Wyandot , 40 Tisagechroami , and 15 Mohican . Shannopin's Town , a Lenape (Delaware) village on the east bank of the Allegheny, was established in the 1720s and was deserted after 1758. The village is believed to have been roughly from where Penn Avenue

4747-749: The Ohio Valley and the Great Lakes overran numerous British forts; one of their most important targets was Fort Pitt. Receiving warning of the coming attack, Captain Simeon Ecuyer, the Swiss officer in command of the garrison, prepared for a siege. He leveled the houses outside the ramparts and ordered all settlers into the fort: 330 men, 104 women, and 196 children sought refuge inside its ramparts. Captain Ecuyer also gathered stores, which included hundreds of barrels of pork and beef. Pontiac's forces attacked

4848-508: The Point, was named Grant's Hill in his memory. With this defeat, Forbes decided to wait until spring. But when he heard that the French had lost Fort Frontenac and largely evacuated Fort Duquesne , he planned an immediate attack. Hopelessly outnumbered, the French abandoned and razed Fort Duquesne. Forbes occupied the burned fort on November 25, 1758, and ordered the construction of Fort Pitt , named after British Secretary of State William Pitt

4949-555: The Red Room, they always wake up just in time for whatever exam, class, meeting, appointment, etc. they may have missed because the prima ballerina's ghost makes sure they never succumb to her same fate. Another tale tells of a haunting in the Lillian Russell Room, room 437 within the offices of The Pitt News , near Lillian Russell's former residence. The William Pitt Union now serves as the student union and hub of

5050-607: The Rivers, & the Land in the Fork, which I think extremely well situated for a Fort; as it has the absolute Command of both Rivers. The Land at the Point is 20 or 25 feet (7.6 m) above the common Surface of the Water; & a considerable Bottom of flat well timber'd Land all around it, very convenient for Building. Proceeding up the Allegheny, Washington presented Dinwiddie's letter to

5151-486: The Schenley quickly became the place to stay or eat in Pittsburgh for prominent travelers. Presidents Woodrow Wilson , Theodore Roosevelt , William Howard Taft , and Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the guest register here, as did Eleanor Roosevelt . Diamond Jim Brady was one of its diners. Actors Sarah Bernhardt , Nelson Eddy , Jeanette MacDonald , Henry Fonda , Katharine Hepburn , and Spencer Tracy all stayed at

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5252-462: The Schenley. Singer-actress Lillian Russell lived in suite 437 and was married to Pittsburgh publisher Alexander Moore in the French Room (now a dining room on the first floor). Opera star Enrico Caruso and his entourage occupied seven suites during their stay. Italian tragedian Eleonora Duse succumbed to pneumonia in suite 524. The Schenley was not just the place to stay in Pittsburgh as

5353-648: The Trevoli Brewing Company but since has been converted to serve several institutions in Denver , Colorado . In 2007, the University of Vermont 's student center became the first LEED Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council . Other examples of student centers include West Virginia University 's Mountainlair , the J. Wayne Reitz Union at the University of Florida , the Bronco Student Center at Cal Poly Pomona ,

5454-431: The University of Pittsburgh and contains a variety of lounges, ballrooms, reception, performance, and meeting spaces. One of the most notable facilities is the Louis XV-style William Pitt Union Ballroom on the main floor, which features vaulted ceiling, mirrored walls, two grand crystal chandeliers, and detailed moldings and artwork that are faithful restored to the condition of the Hotel Schenley. Other formal rooms include

5555-413: The area. Europeans first began to settle in the region in 1748, when the first Ohio Company , a Virginian land speculation company, won a grant of 200,000 acres (800 km ) in the upper Ohio Valley. From a post at present-day Cumberland, Maryland , the company began to construct an 80-mile (130 km) wagon road to the Monongahela River employing a Lenape Indian chief named Nemacolin and

5656-408: The boatyards in Pittsburgh built a sloop, Western Experiment. During the next decades, the yards produced other large boats. By the 19th century, they were building ocean-going vessels that shipped goods as far as Europe. In 1794, the town's first courthouse was built; it was a wooden structure on Market Square. In 1797, the manufacture of glass began. Commerce continued to be an essential part of

5757-415: The central city's labor unions to exert greater control over workers. The region's rugged topography and dispersed natural resources of coal and gas accentuated this dispersal. The rapid growth of steel, glass, railroad equipment, and coke industries resulted in both large mass-production plants and numerous smaller firms. As capital deepened and interdependence grew, participants multiplied, economies accrued,

5858-399: The collapse of the steel industry, with massive layoffs and mill closures. Top corporate headquarters moved out in the 1980s. In 2007 the city lost its status as a major transportation hub. The population of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area is holding steady at 2.4 million; 65% of its residents are of European descent and 35% are minorities. For thousands of years, Native Americans inhabited

5959-409: The company bitterly opposed the formation of an independent labor union. As a manufacturing center, Pittsburgh also became an arena for intense labor strife. During the Great Railroad Strike of 1877 , Pittsburgh workers protested and had massive demonstrations that erupted into widespread violence, known as the Pittsburgh Railway Riots . Militia and federal troops were called to the city to suppress

6060-429: The confluence of French Creek and the Allegheny. The following year, they built Fort Machault at that site. Alarmed at these French incursions in the Ohio Valley, Governor Dinwiddie of Virginia sent Major George Washington to warn the French to withdraw. Accompanied by Christopher Gist , Washington arrived at the Forks of the Ohio on November 25, 1753. As I got down before the Canoe, I spent some Time in viewing

6161-493: The division of labor increased, and localized production systems formed around these industries. Transportation, capital, labor markets, and the division of labor in production bound the scattered industrial plants and communities into a sprawling metropolitan district. By 1910 the Pittsburgh district was a complex urban landscape with a dominant central city, surrounded by proximate residential communities, mill towns, satellite cities, and hundreds of mining towns. Representative of

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6262-478: The economy of early Pittsburgh, but increasingly, manufacture began to grow in importance. Pittsburgh was located in the middle of one of the most productive coalfields in the country; the region was also rich in petroleum, natural gas, lumber, and farm goods. Blacksmiths forged iron implements, from horse shoes to nails. By 1800, the town, with a population of 1,565 persons, had over 60 shops, including general stores, bakeries, and hat and shoe shops. The 1810s were

6363-412: The facility is devoted to student recreation and socialization. A student center or student union is the community center of the college, serving students, faculty, staff, alumni, and guests. A student activity center might offer a variety of programs, activities, services, and facilities. It may contain lounges, wellness centers, dining facilities or vendors, and entertainment venues. The student center

6464-452: The first stockholders to share Nicola’s vision for Oakland. Nicola and his supporters oversaw construction of this beaux-arts structure on land that was once owned by fellow stockholder Mary Croghan Schenley . The Schenley Hotel was Pittsburgh's first large, steel-framed "skyscraper hotel." It was described as "Pittsburgh's class hotel of the early 20th century". Outfitted with marble accents, ornate chandeliers and Louis XV architecture ,

6565-436: The fort on June 22, 1763, and the siege of Fort Pitt lasted for two months. Pontiac's warriors kept up a continuous, though ineffective, fire on it from July 27 through August 1, 1763. They drew off to confront the relieving party under Colonel Bouquet, which defeated them in the Battle of Bushy Run . This victory ensured British dominion over the forks of the Ohio, if not the entire Ohio valley. In 1764 Colonel Bouquet added

6666-456: The grand structure needed an overhaul. In 1980, the university announced a $ 13.9 million ($ 51.4 million in 2023 dollars) renovation and restoration, made possible by bonds sold through the Allegheny County Higher Education Building Authority. During the eighteen-month project and restoration, which was led by Williams Trebilcock Whitehead (now WTW Architects), seven upper floors were gutted to make way for modern offices for students and

6767-405: The home of the National League baseball players who were in town to play the Pittsburgh Pirates ; students and faculty subsequently took their place among the Pittsburgh elite. Babe Ruth , Casey Stengel , Ty Cobb , and Rogers Hornsby all signed the guest register; baseball trades were finalized by club owners over dinner. The Schenley continued to operate for more than forty years, albeit on

6868-406: The hotel was originally built, and the marbled-wall former hotel lobby, now called the Tansky Family Lounge, which includes the "stairway to nowhere," a remnant of a previous renovation. In addition, the rarely used basement was transformed into a functional lower level with a new Forbes Avenue Entrance and plaza. The original wooden hotel room doors salvage from the upstairs renovation were used for

6969-407: The mountains. In 1841, the Second Court House , on Grant's Hill, was completed. Made from polished gray sandstone, the court house had a rotunda 60 feet (18 m) in diameter and 80 feet (24 m) high. Like many burgeoning cities of its day, Pittsburgh's growth outstripped some of its necessary infrastructure, such as a water supply with dependable pressure. Because of this, on April 10, 1845,

7070-437: The new industrial suburbs was the model town of Vandergrift , according to Mosher (1995). Caught up in a dramatic round of industrial restructuring and labor tension, Pittsburgh steelmaker George McMurtry hired Frederick Law Olmsted 's landscape architectural firm in 1895 to design Vandergrift as a model town. McMurtry believed in what was later known as welfare capitalism , with the company going beyond paychecks to provide for

7171-486: The property in 1956. This historic building, which was originally known as the Hotel Schenley, and designed by architects Rutan & Russell, opened in 1898. It became the keystone of entrepreneur Franklin Nicola ’s dream of Oakland as a center for culture, art and education. Nicola had been instrumental in the formation of the Bellefield Company with the help of Andrew W. Mellon , Henry Clay Frick , Andrew Carnegie , George Westinghouse and H.J. Heinz , who were among

7272-465: The railyards, including 100 train engines and more than 1,000 cars. Forty men were killed, most of them strikers. By 1911, Pittsburgh was producing half the nation's steel. Pittsburgh was a Republican party stronghold until 1932. The soaring unemployment of the Great Depression , the New Deal relief programs and the rise of powerful labor unions in the 1930s turned the city into a liberal stronghold of

7373-453: The region where the Allegheny and the Monongahela join to form the Ohio. Paleo-Indians conducted a hunter-gatherer lifestyle in the region perhaps as early as 19,000 years ago. Meadowcroft Rockshelter , an archaeological site west of Pittsburgh, provides evidence that these first Americans lived in the region from that date. During the Adena culture that followed, Mound Builders erected

7474-580: The school and its location it might have unique amenities such as a bowling alley, cultural or prayer rooms and unique services. At Eastern Michigan University Student Center the building offers a kiva , a round, 360-degree room patterned after spaces used in Native American cultures. The Kiva Room at EMU is used as a meeting space, for collaboration, or for musical purposes. In the Ohio State University-Ohio Union ,

7575-513: The social needs of the workers; he believed that a benign physical environment made for happier and more productive workers. A strike and lockout at McMurtry's steelworks in Apollo, Pennsylvania, prompted him to build the new town. Wanting a loyal workforce, he developed a town agenda that drew upon environmentalism as well as popular attitudes toward capital's treatment of labor. The Olmsted firm translated this agenda into an urban design that included

7676-624: The start of the French and Indian War (1754–1763), or, the Seven Years' War , a global confrontation between Britain and France fought in both hemispheres. In 1755, the Braddock Expedition was launched, accompanied by Virginia militia officer George Washington . Two regiments marched from Fort Cumberland across the Allegheny Mountains and into western Pennsylvania. Following a path Washington surveyed, over 3,000 men built

7777-532: The steel and more than one-third of all U.S. glass was produced in Pittsburgh. A milestone in steel production was achieved in 1875, when the Edgar Thomson Works in Braddock began to make steel rail using the new Bessemer process . Industrialists such as Andrew Carnegie , Henry Clay Frick , Andrew W. Mellon , and Charles M. Schwab built their fortunes in Pittsburgh. Also based in Pittsburgh

7878-639: The strike. Forty men died, most of them workers, and more than 40 buildings were burned down, including the Union Depot of the Pennsylvania Railroad . Strikers also burned and destroyed rolling stock: more than 100 train engines and 1000 railcars were destroyed. It was the city with the most violence of any affected by the strikes. In 1892, a confrontation in the steel industry resulted in 10 deaths (3 detectives, 7 workers) when Carnegie Steel Company 's manager Henry Clay Frick sent in Pinkertons to break

7979-462: The student affairs administration. A tenth floor, which had been added several years after the hotel was first built, was removed to relieve stress on the building. The turn-of-the-century character of the main floor was also restored through careful restoration of the Louis XV mirrored ballroom, as were the lower lounge that had enclosed the original Bigelow Boulevard-side porch thirteen years after

8080-601: The student radio station, WPTS and the student government. The fourth floor is the site of the Lillian Russell Room of The Pitt News . It contains a portrait of Russell, a fireplace, stained glass fanlight and decorative moldings. In 2007, the recreation room on the ground floor of the union was renovated and by resolution of the Pitt Student Government Board, and was then renamed "Nordy's Place" in honor of Chancellor Mark Nordenberg . Gigs Game Center, outfitted with videogame hardware and software,

8181-450: The student union offers an interfaith prayer room which has feet washing area for Muslim students. The University of Central Florida has an eyewear and optometric consumer service location. Likewise, a Canadian example would be at the University of Waterloo where the student life centre holds many different businesses and services such as a dentist office, a used book store, piano rooms and study rooms that can be reserved for use, and

8282-504: The supply of British goods, stimulating American manufacture. By 1815, Pittsburgh was producing large quantities of iron, brass, tin, and glass products. By the 1840s, Pittsburgh had grown to be one of the largest cities west of the Allegheny Mountains . Production of steel began in 1875. During the 1877 railway riots it was the site of the most violence and damage in any city affected by the nationwide strikes of that summer. Workers protested against cuts in wages, burning down buildings at

8383-521: The town less essential in east–west commerce. In the coming decade, however, many improvements were made to the transportation infrastructure. In 1818, the region's first river bridge, the Smithfield Street Bridge, opened, the first step in developing the "City of bridges" over its two rivers. On October 1, 1840, the original Pennsylvania Turnpike was completed, connecting Pittsburgh and the eastern port city of Philadelphia . In 1834,

8484-428: The track. The nearby Native American community of Logstown was an important trade and council center in the Ohio Valley. Between June 15 and November 10, 1749, an expedition headed by Celeron de Bienville , a French officer, traveled down the Allegheny and Ohio to bolster the French claim to the region. De Bienville warned away British traders and posted markers claiming the territory. In 1753, Marquis Duquesne ,

8585-452: The twentieth century began, it was where the young ladies of society "came out," where couples married, and where one could dine on the " haute cuisine " of the day. It was also the place where Pittsburgh power brokers met; many planning discussions related to the birth of the U.S. Steel Corporation were held here. Its formation was celebrated at the "Meal of Millionaires" in 1901. In 1914, Pittsburgh's Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) chapter

8686-467: The upper Allegheny. With the war still ongoing, in 1780 Virginia and Pennsylvania came to an agreement on their mutual borders, creating the state lines known today and determining finally that the jurisdiction of Pittsburgh region was Pennsylvanian. In 1783, the Revolutionary War ended, which also brought at least a temporary cessation of border warfare. In the 1784 Treaty of Fort Stanwix ,

8787-501: The walls of the lower-level student recreation room, now called "Nordy's Place," and a third west entrance facing the university's Schenley Quadrangle and Litchfield Towers dormitories was added; that upgrade also included the addition of a new multi-level, glass-roofed atrium just inside the new entrance. After the renovations were completed in 1983, the building was renamed as the William Pitt Union. On July 12, 1950,

8888-486: The whole of the performance. The company's director, either so incensed by her missing the premiere, or so impressed by the stage presence of her understudy, decided to replace the prima ballerina with a younger dancer for the remainder of the tour. Distraught by the change, the prima ballerina took her own life that night. It is now said that, if students fall asleep in the Tansky Family Lounge, also known as

8989-575: The world's richest men. Carnegie once wrote that a man who dies rich, dies disgraced. He devoted the rest of his life to public service, establishing libraries, trusts, and foundations. In Pittsburgh, he founded the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University ) and the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh . The third (and present) Allegheny County Courthouse and Jail was completed in 1886. In 1890, trolleys began operations. In 1907, Pittsburgh annexed Allegheny City , which

9090-646: Was George Westinghouse , credited with such advancements as the air brake and founder of over 60 companies, including Westinghouse Air and Brake Company (1869), Union Switch & Signal (1881), and Westinghouse Electric Company (1886). Banks played a key role in Pittsburgh's development as these industrialists sought massive loans to upgrade plants, integrate industries and fund technological advances. For example, T. Mellon & Sons Bank , founded in 1869, helped to finance an aluminum reduction company that became Alcoa . Ingham (1991) shows how small, independent iron and steel manufacturers survived and prospered from

9191-482: Was Enarson Hall. The building opened in 1911 and was the first student union to be built at a state university and the fourth of its kind in the United States. Oklahoma State University 's student union opened in 1950. Subsequent additions, and renovations in 2010, have made the building one of the largest student activity centers in the world at 611,000 sq ft (56,800 m ). Some student centers carry unique origins and historical significance with some on

9292-470: Was a leader of the Progressive movement statewide and supported Theodore Roosevelt in the 1912 election. During the mid-19th century, Pittsburgh witnessed a dramatic influx of German immigrants , including a brick mason whose son, Henry J. Heinz , founded the H.J. Heinz Company in 1869. Heinz was at the forefront of reform efforts to improve food purity, working conditions, hours, and wages, but

9393-432: Was hosted by the University of Pittsburgh and Pitt Chancellor Edward Litchfield . The last stop on Khrushchev's eleven-day transcontinental tour prior to a three-day conference with President Dwight D. Eisenhower , the event was described by The New York Times as the warmest of the tour. As the population of the Pittsburgh campus blossomed to 30,000-plus students and their activities diversified, it became clear that

9494-512: Was listed in 2021. As of 2021 , these are the only three student centers to have been listed in England. The conversion of former polytechnics to universities in 1992 sparked further construction of student centers at the new universities, examples including the students' union buildings of Sunderland University and the University of the West of Scotland , both built in 2004. Broadly speaking,

9595-453: Was manufactured by hand, including furniture, tools, candles, buttons, and needles. Settlers had to deal with harsh winters, and with snakes, black bears, mountain lions, and timber wolves. Because of the fear of raids by Native Americans, the settlers often built their cabins near, or even on top of, springs, to ensure access to water. They also built blockhouses, where neighbors would rally during conflicts. Increasing violence, especially by

9696-517: Was one of several possible destinations. Another alternative was the divergent route that became Braddock's Road a few years later through present-day New Stanton . In the event, the colonists did not succeed in turning the path into a wagon road much beyond the Cumberland Narrows pass before they came into conflict with Native Americans. The colonists later mounted a series of expeditions in order to accomplish piecemeal improvements to

9797-418: Was only half-built by April 1754, when over 500 French forces arrived and ordered the 40-some colonials back to Virginia. The French tore down the British fortification and constructed Fort Duquesne . Governor Dinwiddie launched another expedition. Colonel Joshua Fry commanded the regiment with his second-in-command, George Washington, leading an advance column. On May 28, 1754, Washington's unit clashed with

9898-552: Was organized here. In 1967, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission dedicated a historical marker outside of union to commemorate the event. 1909 was a year that changed the Hotel Schenley forever. That summer, Forbes Field opened just down the street and the University of Pittsburgh moved from its Northside location to Oakland. From that time on, the "Waldorf of Pittsburgh" gradually became

9999-523: Was producing $ 764K in iron; $ 249K in brass and tin, and $ 235K in glass products. When, on March 18, 1816, Pittsburgh was incorporated as a city, it had already taken on some of its defining characteristics: commerce, manufacture, and a constant cloud of coal dust . Other emerging towns challenged Pittsburgh. In 1818, the first segment of the National Road was completed, from Baltimore to Wheeling , bypassing Pittsburgh. This threatened to render

10100-466: Was then Armstrong College of Durham University and listed from 1987. Many student centers were built as part of the rapid expansion of higher education in the UK following World War II with architectural styles ranging from classical to modernist ; the brutalist Dunelm House , built in 1966 for Durham Students' Union , is considered "the foremost students’ union building of the post-war era in England" and

10201-535: Was used as a form of currency on the frontier. When the federal government imposed an excise tax on whiskey, Western Pennsylvania farmers felt victimized, leading to the Whiskey Rebellion in 1794. Farmers from the region rallied at Braddock's Field and marched on Pittsburgh. The short-lived rebellion was put down, however, when President George Washington sent in militias from several states. The town continued to grow in manufacturing capability. In 1792,

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