The Commonwealth Building, originally known as the ''Commonwealth Trust Bank'', is a tall skyscraper in

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...

. It was completed in 1906 and has 21 floors. It is tied with

The Carlyle The Carlyle is a tall skyscraper in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, located at 100 Third Avenue South. Completed in 2007, The Carlyle has 41 floors and 249 units. It is the 12th-tallest building in Minneapolis, and the 2nd tallest residential ...

and

Washington Plaza City View is a 300 ft (91m) residential highrise in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was completed in 1964 and has 26 floors. It is tied with the Commonwealth Building and The Carlyle for the 26th tallest building in Pittsburgh. It was desig ...

for 26th tallest building in the city.

History

The building was built in 1906 for the Commonwealth Trust Company, with construction underway by June 1906. 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. By August 5, 1906 the dispute had been settled and the building's framework had been completed up to the twelfth floor. 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. The building included five Plunger-type elevators, built by the

Otis Elevator Company Otis Worldwide Corporation ( branded as the Otis Elevator Company, its former legal name) is an American company that develops, manufactures and markets elevators, escalators, moving walkways, and related equipment. Based in Farmington, Connec ...

to service the structure's twenty floors. 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. The building also served as the offices for the Steel Workers Organizing Committee, and later the

United Steelworkers The United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union, commonly known as the United Steelworkers (USW), is a general trade union with members across North America. Headquar ...

. 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. 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.

References

SkyscraperpageEmporis
{{Pittsburgh Skyscraper office buildings in Pittsburgh Frederick J. Osterling buildings

History

See also

References