Market Square is a public space located 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, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located at the confluence of the Allegheny River an ...

at the intersection of Forbes Avenue (originally named Diamond Way in colonial times) and Market Street. The square was home to the first courthouse and first jail (both in 1795), and the first newspaper west of the

Allegheny Mountains The Allegheny Mountain Range ( ) — also spelled Alleghany or Allegany, less formally the Alleghenies — is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the Eastern United States and Canada. Historically it represented a significant barr ...

, the ''

Pittsburgh Gazette The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', also known simply as the PG, is the largest newspaper serving Greater Pittsburgh, metropolitan Pittsburgh in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the fi ...

'' (1786). A public/private modernization in the late 2000s has re-established the square as a social and cultural hub. A great number of restaurants, ranging from fast casual to

fine dining Fine dining is a restaurant experience that is typically more sophisticated, special, and expensive than at a typical restaurant. The décor of such restaurants features higher-quality materials, with establishments having certain rules of din ...

, cafes and retailers occupy ground level buildings immediately facing the square, while housing units and offices occupy upper levels.

History

George Woods and Thomas Vickroy, while creating the city block plan for streets in Pittsburgh's core, created Market Square in 1784. It was known originally as "Diamond Square" or "Diamond Market" for the Scotch-Irish idiom "Diamond" representing a public commons or square.Market Square History
, published by Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership with content from Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation. Retrieved 7 February 2012.

Seat of government

By the mid-1790s, the first Allegheny County Courthouse was constructed in Market Square. It was occupied until 1836 when construction was completed on a Grant Street complex several blocks away. On December 7, 1818, the

United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania The United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania (in case citations, W.D. Pa.) is a federal trial court that sits in Pittsburgh, Erie, and Johnstown, Pennsylvania. It is composed of ten judges as authorized by federa ...

gaveled in its very first session at the square. On July 8, 1794, the newly formed "borough" of Pittsburgh established a "Public Market House and Stalls" on the eastern half of the square. It also was the site of the original city hall for the borough and then city of Pittsburgh until May 22, 1872 when the second city hall opened at Oliver and Smithfield. The Courthouse was abandoned at the square in 1836 after the completion of a new county seat, and sold to private interests at auction on August 11, 1841.

Presbyterian Convention

On May 26, 1858 the city hall/courthouse was the host of the conference of Presbyterians that led to the merger forming the United Presbyterian Church of North America.

20th Century

Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, Market Square provided a central location in the city, hosting much social and economic activity. By the mid-1970s, however, Market Square was in a state of decline resulting from increased traffic, crime and business closures. Preservationists and the city of Pittsburgh designated the area a historic landmark in an attempt to retain the square's crumbling architecture and style.

21st Century

Major renovation work began in August 2009 to transform the square into a European-style piazza, completely reopening in late 2010. All vehicle traffic was diverted around the square to increase pedestrian-friendliness, and more outdoor seating was provided. Nearby, new apartments, condominiums and office space with ground-level retail have been fitted into historic buildings. Renovations accelerated growth of Market Square, and numerous restaurants opened in 2011, further increasing social activity within the square.

Festivals and events

Market Square is a frequent location for local events and celebrations, including a

farmers' market A farmers' market (or farmers market according to the AP stylebook, also farmer's market in the Cambridge Dictionary) is a physical retail marketplace intended to sell foods directly by farmers to consumers. Farmers' markets may be indoors or ...

held every Thursday and a

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...

village. The square also holds many temporary non-repeating events; as an example, in the lead up to the reviving of an airline route between Pittsburgh International and London Heathrow,

British Airways British Airways plc (BA) is the flag carrier of the United Kingdom. It is headquartered in London, England, near its main Airline hub, hub at Heathrow Airport. The airline is the second largest UK-based carrier, based on fleet size and pass ...

launched a promotional British-style telephone booth in the square where locals were able to enter raffles and competitions for free flights and other prizes.

References

External links

Official Market Square Merchants Association Website

Official Website from Pittsburgh Downtown PartnershipOfficial Blog
{{coord, 40.440669, N, 80.002547, W, format=dms, region:US-PA_type:landmark, display=title Buildings and structures in Pittsburgh City of Pittsburgh historic designations Parks in Pittsburgh Squares in Pittsburgh Urban public parks Tourist attractions in Pittsburgh Streets in Pittsburgh