The Bost Building, also known as Columbia Hotel, is located on East Eighth Avenue ( PA 837) in

Homestead Homestead may refer to: *Homestead (buildings), a farmhouse and its adjacent outbuildings; by extension, it can mean any small cluster of houses *Homestead (unit), a unit of measurement equal to 160 acres *Homestead principle, a legal concept th ...

, Pennsylvania, United States. Built just before the 1892

Homestead Strike The Homestead strike, also known as the Homestead steel strike, Homestead massacre, or Battle of Homestead, was an industrial lockout and strike that began on July 1, 1892, culminating in a battle in which strikers defeated private security agent ...

, it was used as headquarters by the

Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers (AA) was an American labor union formed in 1876 to represent iron and steel workers. It partnered with the Steel Workers Organizing Committee of the CIO, in November 1935. Both organizations di ...

and for reporters covering the confrontation. It is the only significant building associated with the strike that remains intact. It is a

contributing property In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic distri ...

to the Homestead Historic District. It was declared a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

in 1999. After some use as a rooming house and hotel, today it serves as the headquarters and visitor center for the

Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area is a federally designated National Heritage Area in southwestern Pennsylvania, centered on Pittsburgh and oriented around the interpretation and promotion of the region's steel-making heritage. The area roughl ...

Museum

The museum features displays the area's industrial, social and cultural history. Exhibits include two restored rooms reflecting the 1892 Homestead Strike by the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers during the Homestead Lockout and Strike, and a room dedicated to the

Homestead Steel Works Homestead Steel Works was a large steel works located on the Monongahela River at Homestead, Pennsylvania in the United States. The company developed in the nineteenth century as an extensive plant served by tributary coal and iron fields, a rai ...

. Visitors can pick up information about other sites of the area as well as driving tours of the area's communities that reflect the industries of steel, coal, aluminum and glass.

Building

The building is , located at the corner of East Eighth and Heisel Avenue. It is three stories high, faced in brick laid in common bond, resting on a stone

foundation Foundation may refer to: * Foundation (nonprofit), a type of charitable organization ** Foundation (United States law), a type of charitable organization in the U.S. ** Private foundation, a charitable organization that, while serving a good cause ...

and topped with a flat asphalt roof. Bands of stone run along the slightly skewed south (front) facade at the tops of all six windows on the upper stories, forming lintels to complement the similar sills. The roofline is marked with stepped brick

corbel In architecture, a corbel is a structural piece of stone, wood or metal jutting from a wall to carry a superincumbent weight, a type of bracket. A corbel is a solid piece of material in the wall, whereas a console is a piece applied to the s ...

s on the south and east. At the ground level on the east is a glass and aluminum storefront. Inside, the first floor serves as a museum, with original floorboards and period wallpaper. One room has exhibits devoted to the history of the strike, the other to the building's

restoration Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to: * Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage ** Audio restoration ** Film restoration ** Image restoration ** Textile restoration * Restoration ecology ...

. The second and third stories consist of guest rooms that have been left largely intact since the strike. At the second floor stair landing, and the top of the stair, there is a section where the paint has peeled off and exposed

graffiti Graffiti (plural; singular ''graffiti'' or ''graffito'', the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from s ...

on the underlying plaster. Pencilled in are the words "Homestead 1892" and some names. It is possible that it was left during the strike.

History

Intended as a hotel for new hires or prospective hires at the growing

, which at the time were just next door, it had not entirely been finished inside when the company

locked out Lock(s) may refer to: Common meanings *Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance *Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal Arts and entertainment * ''Lock ...

its workers, precipitating the eventual strike. The union found it an ideal headquarters, since its upper floors had a commanding view of the factory next door. Reporters from American and British newspapers who covered the strike wired home their dispatches from a

telegraph Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas p ...

office on the first story. Deputy sheriffs and Pinkerton men taken captive during some of the violent confrontations were held at the Bost Building to protect them from retribution. After the strike, the building did become a hotel and rooming house, although it was never successful in the long term. The only significant change to it was the alteration of the storefront during the 20th century, and some changes to the upper floors during its late 20th-century renovation to comply with contemporary fire codes.

External links

References

{{National Register of Historic Places National Historic Landmarks in Pennsylvania Hotel buildings completed in 1892 Hotels in Pennsylvania Buildings and structures in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation Historic Landmarks Pennsylvania state historical marker significations Museums in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Industry museums in Pennsylvania Homestead, Pennsylvania National Register of Historic Places in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Individually listed contributing properties to historic districts on the National Register in Pennsylvania Pittsburgh Labor History

Museum

Building

History

See also

External links

References