Forbes Avenue
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Forbes Avenue is one of the longest streets 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 ...
, Pennsylvania, United States. It runs along an east–west route for a length of approximately .


History

According to historical writer and blogger Leon J. Pollom, the lowest section of Forbes Avenue was originally named Diamond Street. The remainder was named Forbes Street in honor of John Forbes (1707–1759), whose expedition recaptured
Fort Duquesne Fort Duquesne (, ; originally called ''Fort Du Quesne'') was a fort French colonization of the Americas, established by the French in 1754, at the confluence of the Allegheny River, Allegheny and Monongahela River, Monongahela rivers. It was lat ...
and who renamed the place Pittsburgh in 1758. In 1958 during the administration of Mayor
David L. Lawrence David Leo Lawrence (June 18, 1889 – November 21, 1966) was an American politician who served as the 37th governor of Pennsylvania from 1959 to 1963. The first Catholic elected as governor, Lawrence is the only mayor of Pittsburgh to have ...
, Diamond Street and Forbes Street were renamed and combined as Forbes Avenue. In the past, a portion of what is now Forbes Avenue carried U.S. Routes  22 and 30.


Fern Hollow Bridge collapse

At approximately 6:45 AM EST on January 28, 2022, the Fern Hollow Bridge carrying Forbes Avenue over Fern Hollow Creek in Frick Park collapsed, injuring ten; the bridge was just west of the intersection with Briarcliff Road. Six vehicles were left trapped in the rubble, including a Port Authority articulated bus. The three-span steel
rigid-frame bridge A Rigid-frame bridge is a bridge in which the superstructure and substructure are rigidly connected to act as a continuous unit. Typically, the structure is cast monolithically, making the structure continuous from deck to foundation. The conn ...
, completed in 1973, was long and had been listed by the
National Bridge Inventory The National Bridge Inventory (NBI) is a database, compiled by the Federal Highway Administration, with information on all bridges and tunnels in the United States that have roads passing above or below them. That is similar to the grade-crossing ...
as being in poor condition since September 2011. The collapse ruptured a 16 inch (41 cm)
natural gas Natural gas (also called fossil gas or simply gas) is a naturally occurring mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons consisting primarily of methane in addition to various smaller amounts of other higher alkanes. Low levels of trace gases like carbo ...
pipeline under the bridge, causing a "massive" leak that was isolated quickly by Peoples Natural Gas.


Route

The buildings that stand along Forbes Avenue are a mixture of old and new. The westernmost terminus of Forbes Avenue lies at
Stanwix Street Stanwix Street is a street nearly half a mile long near Point State Park, The Point in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Downtown Pittsburgh. Running south from the Allegheny River to the Monongahela River, it is the western terminus of Forbes Av ...
in the downtown part of the city. This runs eastward past the recent PPG Place, directly through Market Square and then between the 19th century Courthouse and the 20th century City-County Building.
Duquesne University Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit ( or ; Duquesne University or Duquesne) is a private Catholic research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit , image = Holy Gh ...
, though established in the 19th century, mostly abuts Forbes with some early- to mid-20th century buildings. Some mostly late-19th century buildings form Forbes's passage through Midtown and the Uptown. In Oakland, it goes through a mixture of late 19th century stores, and then passes the University of Pittsburgh's
Cathedral of Learning The Cathedral of Learning is a 42-story skyscraper that serves as the centerpiece of the University of Pittsburgh's (Pitt) main campus in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Standing at , the 42-story Late Gothic Revival Cat ...
(early 20th century) and the late 19th century
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh is the public library system in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Its main branch is located in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, and it has 19 branch locations throughout the city. Like hundreds of other Carn ...
. From Oakland, Forbes Avenue continues eastward past 20th- and 21st- century Carnegie Mellon University and late 19th century
Schenley Park Schenley Park () is a large municipal park located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, between the neighborhoods of Oakland, Greenfield, and Squirrel Hill. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district. In 2011, th ...
, through the small stores of
Squirrel Hill Squirrel Hill is a residential neighborhood in the East End of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The city officially divides it into two neighborhoods, Squirrel Hill North and Squirrel Hill South, but it is almost universally treated ...
, and past
Homewood Cemetery Homewood Cemetery is a historic urban cemetery in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located in Point Breeze and is bordered by Frick Park, the neighborhood of Squirrel Hill, and the smaller Smithfield Cemetery. It was established ...
and
Frick Park Frick Park is the largest municipal park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, covering . It is one of Pittsburgh's four historic large parks. History The park began when Henry Clay Frick, upon his death in 1919, bequeathed south of Clayto ...
before it reaches its eastern terminus at the site of the January 2022 Fern Hollow Bridge collapse.


Photographs

File:AlleghenyCountyCourthouse.jpg,
Allegheny County Courthouse The Allegheny County Courthouse in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is part of a complex (along with the old Allegheny County Jail) designed by H. H. Richardson. The buildings are considered among the finest examples of the Romanesque Reviv ...
, built in 1884, bounded by Forbes and Fifth Avenues, as well as Grant and Ross Streets. File:Carnegie Museum of Natural History 01.JPG, The Carnegie Institute and Library complex (which houses the
Carnegie Museum of Natural History The Carnegie Museum of Natural History (abbreviated as CMNH) is a natural history museum in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was founded by Pittsburgh-based industrialist Andrew Carnegie in 1896. Housing some 22 million ...
,
Carnegie Museum of Art The Carnegie Museum of Art, is an art museum in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Originally known as the Department of Fine Arts, Carnegie Institute and was at what is now the Main Branch of the Carnegie Library of Pittsbur ...
, Carnegie Music Hall, and the main branch of the
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh is the public library system in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Its main branch is located in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, and it has 19 branch locations throughout the city. Like hundreds of other Carn ...
), built in 1896, at 4400 Forbes Avenue. File:CMU from 36th floor.jpg, The Carnegie Institute and Library complex on Forbes Avenue, as well as Carnegie Mellon University campus as viewed from the 36th floor of the
Cathedral of Learning The Cathedral of Learning is a 42-story skyscraper that serves as the centerpiece of the University of Pittsburgh's (Pitt) main campus in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Standing at , the 42-story Late Gothic Revival Cat ...
. File:CathedralFromSS.jpg,
Cathedral of Learning The Cathedral of Learning is a 42-story skyscraper that serves as the centerpiece of the University of Pittsburgh's (Pitt) main campus in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Standing at , the 42-story Late Gothic Revival Cat ...
, built in 1926, bounded by Forbes, Fifth, and S. Bellefield Avenues and Bigelow Boulevard. The tallest academic building in the United States. File:Pittsburgh-pennsylvania-ppg-place-2007.jpg, PPG Place, built from 1981 to 1984, bounded by Forbes Avenue and the Boulevard of the Allies on its north and south sides, and Stanwix and Wood Streets to its east and west. File:StephenFosterMemorial.jpg, Stephen Foster Memorial, opened in 1937, on Forbes Avenue. File:Pittsburgh marketsquare.jpg, Market Square at the intersection of Forbes Avenue and Market Street in
Downtown Pittsburgh Downtown Pittsburgh, colloquially referred to as the Golden Triangle, and officially the Central Business District, is the urban downtown center of Pittsburgh. It is located at the confluence of the Allegheny River and the Monongahela River who ...
. File:PittsburghCity-CountyBuilding.jpg, Pittsburgh City-County Building, built in 1915 to 1917, at Grant Street and Forbes Avenue. File:Allegheny_County_Office_Building_in_Pittsburgh,_Pennsylvania.jpg, Allegheny County Office Building, built from 1929 to 1931, at Ross Street at Forbes Avenue. File:WPUForbesAve.jpg,
William Pitt Union The William Pitt Union, 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 Pittsburg ...
, the student building of the
University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the univers ...
, built in 1898, as viewed from Forbes Avenue. File:ReymerBrothersCandyFactory.jpg, Reymer Brothers Candy Factory, built circa 1910, at 1425 Forbes Avenue. File:Kaufmann'sDepartmentStoreWarehouse.jpg, Kaufmann's Department Store Warehouse, built circa 1910, at 1401 Forbes Avenue. File:ArmstrongTunnel.JPG, Armstrong Tunnel, built in 1926, between Forbes and 2nd Avenues at S. 10th Street. File:Pitt - first building.jpg, Log Cabin from the 1800s that was placed on the grounds of the
Cathedral of Learning The Cathedral of Learning is a 42-story skyscraper that serves as the centerpiece of the University of Pittsburgh's (Pitt) main campus in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Standing at , the 42-story Late Gothic Revival Cat ...
facing Forbes Avenue to celebrate Pitt's bicentennial (1987) and log cabin origins. File:Pittsburgh Board of Education.JPG, The
Pittsburgh Public Schools Pittsburgh Public Schools is the public school district serving the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (except for two small parts served by the Baldwin-Whitehall School District) and adjacent Mount Oliver. As of the 2021–2022 school year, the ...
' Board of Education administration building, bounded by Forbes Ave., S. Bellefield Ave., Filmore and S. Dithridge Streets. File:CMUquadfromCoLcrop.jpg, Carnegie Mellon University, buildings from 1905 to 1932. File:CMU Hamerschlag Hall.jpg, Hamerschlag Hall (Machinery Hall) at
Carnegie Mellon Carnegie may refer to: People *Carnegie (surname), including a list of people with the name *Clan Carnegie, a lowland Scottish clan Institutions Named for Andrew Carnegie * Carnegie Building (Troy, New York), on the campus of Rensselaer Polyte ...
, built in 1906 (addition in 1914). File:Carnegie Mellon University College of Fine Arts building.jpg,
Carnegie Mellon College of Fine Arts The College of Fine Arts (CFA) at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania oversees the Schools of Architecture, Art, Design, Drama, and Music along with its associated centers, studios, and galleries. The Coll ...
at
Carnegie Mellon Carnegie may refer to: People *Carnegie (surname), including a list of people with the name *Clan Carnegie, a lowland Scottish clan Institutions Named for Andrew Carnegie * Carnegie Building (Troy, New York), on the campus of Rensselaer Polyte ...
, built in 1912 (addition in 1916). File:School of design.jpg, Margaret Morrison Carnegie Hall (Margaret Morrison Carnegie School for Women) of
Carnegie Mellon Carnegie may refer to: People *Carnegie (surname), including a list of people with the name *Clan Carnegie, a lowland Scottish clan Institutions Named for Andrew Carnegie * Carnegie Building (Troy, New York), on the campus of Rensselaer Polyte ...
, built in 1906 (addition in 1914). File:Doherty Fence Cut.JPG, Doherty Hall (School of Applied Sciences, Engineering Hall) of
Carnegie Mellon Carnegie may refer to: People *Carnegie (surname), including a list of people with the name *Clan Carnegie, a lowland Scottish clan Institutions Named for Andrew Carnegie * Carnegie Building (Troy, New York), on the campus of Rensselaer Polyte ...
, built in 1908. File:Main Building, U.S. Bureau of Mines.jpg, Hamburg Hall on the campus of
Carnegie Mellon Carnegie may refer to: People *Carnegie (surname), including a list of people with the name *Clan Carnegie, a lowland Scottish clan Institutions Named for Andrew Carnegie * Carnegie Building (Troy, New York), on the campus of Rensselaer Polyte ...
, former Main Building,
U.S. Bureau of Mines For most of the 20th century, the United States Bureau of Mines (USBM) was the primary Federal government of the United States, United States government agency conducting scientific research and disseminating information on the extraction, proce ...
, built in 1915, at 4800 Forbes Avenue. File:MageeIronFencePitt.jpg, Iron fence from "The Maples" (C. L. Magee estate), built circa 1890, at Forbes Avenue and Halkett Street. File:BrackenridgeHallPitt.jpg, Brackenridge Hall, built in 1924, on Forbes Avenue, part of the
Schenley Quadrangle Schenley Quadrangle is a cluster of University of Pittsburgh ("Pitt") residence halls that is a Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation Historic Landmark and are contributing properties to the Schenley Farms National Historic District in Pi ...
of the University of Pittsburgh. File:BruceHallfromHillmanPitt.jpg, Bruce Hall, built in 1924, on Forbes Avenue, part of the
Schenley Quadrangle Schenley Quadrangle is a cluster of University of Pittsburgh ("Pitt") residence halls that is a Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation Historic Landmark and are contributing properties to the Schenley Farms National Historic District in Pi ...
of the University of Pittsburgh. File:LitchfieldTowers.jpg,
Litchfield Towers Litchfield Towers, commonly referred to on campus as "Towers", is a complex of residence halls at the University of Pittsburgh's main campus in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Litchfield Towers is both the largest and talle ...
, dormitories at the University of Pittsburgh, built in 1963, bounded by Forbes Avenue, 5th Avenue, and Bouquet Street. File:HillmanLibraryPitt.jpg,
Hillman Library Hillman Library is the largest library and the center of administration for the University Library System (ULS) of the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Located on the corner of Forbes Avenue and Schenley Drive ...
, of the
University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the univers ...
, opened in 1968, at Forbes Avenue and Schenley Drive. File:DavidLawrenceHall.jpg,
David Lawrence Hall David Lawrence Hall is a major academic building at the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, where it serves as the school's largest lecture hall and auditorium facility. History Lawren ...
, completed in 1968, an academic building at the University of Pittsburgh, at Forbes Avenue. File:BarcoSummerSide.jpg,
Barco Law Building Barco Law Building is an academic building housing the University of Pittsburgh School of Law on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The $8.5 million ($ million today) six-story building was opene ...
, opened in 1976, at the corner of Forbes Avenue and S. Bouquet St., houses the University of Pittsburgh's
School of Law A law school (also known as a law centre or college of law) is an institution specializing in legal education, usually involved as part of a process for becoming a lawyer within a given jurisdiction. Law degrees Argentina In Argentina, l ...
. File:Forbes Hall (University of Pittsburgh).jpg,
Forbes Hall Forbes Hall is a residence hall of the University of Pittsburgh ( Oakland campus) and is located in Forbes Pavilion on Forbes Avenue approximately four blocks from the Litchfield Towers complex. The name Forbes Hall, which specifically refers to t ...
of the
University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the univers ...
, built in 1965, on Forbes Avenue. File:Sennott Square.jpg, Sennott Square, completed in 2002, part of the University of Pittsburgh, located at Forbes Avenue and S. Bouquet Street. File:EurekaBuildingPitt.jpg, Eureka Building of the University of Pittsburgh, at the corner of Forbes Avenue and Halket Street. File:PublicSafetyBuildingPitt.jpg, Public Safety Building of the University of Pittsburgh on Forbes Avenue. File:LoefflerBuildingPitt.jpg, Loeffler Building of the University of Pittsburgh, at the corner of Forbes and Meyran Avenues. File:TheOxfordBuildingPitt.jpg, The Oxford Building of the University of Pittsburgh, at 3501 Forbes Avenue. File:ForbesCraigPitt.jpg, Forbes Craig Apartments of University of Pittsburgh, at the corner of Forbes Avenue and S. Craig Street. File:3343ForbesAvenueBuildingPitt.jpg, Building at 3343 Forbes Avenue, owned by the University of Pittsburgh. File:DuquesneForbesConstruction.JPG,
Duquesne University Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit ( or ; Duquesne University or Duquesne) is a private Catholic research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit , image = Holy Gh ...
's Forbes construction project, including the Sklar Skywalk, which passes over Forbes Avenue. File:PittsburghPaFoAv051.jpg, Truck on Forbes Avenue passing a ramp of the
Birmingham Bridge The Birmingham Bridge (known during construction as the Brady Street Bridge) is a bowstring arch bridge in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which crosses over the Monongahela River. The bridge connects East Carson Street on the South Side with Fifth a ...
in
Bluff Bluff or The Bluff may refer to: Places Australia * Bluff, Queensland, Australia, a town * The Bluff, Queensland (Ipswich), a rural locality in the city of Ipswich * The Bluff, Queensland (Toowoomba Region), a rural locality * Bluff River (New ...
. File:Schenley PlazaPano.jpg,
Schenley Plaza Schenley Plaza is a public park serving as the grand entrance into Schenley Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The plaza, located on Forbes Avenue and Schenley Drive in the city's Oakland district, includes multiple gardens, food kiosks, public ...
, located at Forbes Avenue and Schenley Drive.


References

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