Westinghouse Air Brake Company General Office Building

Last updated

Westinghouse Air Brake Company General Office Building
WestinghouseAirBrakeCompanyGeneralOfficeBuilding.jpg
The building as it appeared in 2009, with the "Executive Wing" on the left.
USA Pennsylvania location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
LocationMarguerite and Bluff Sts., Wilmerding, Pennsylvania
Coordinates 40°23′31″N79°48′27″W / 40.39194°N 79.80750°W / 40.39194; -79.80750
Area2 acres (0.81 ha)
Built1890
ArchitectOsterling, Frederick J.; Janssen & Cocken
Architectural styleRenaissance, Romanesque, Chateauesque
NRHP reference No. 87000376 [1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPMarch 06, 1987
Designated PHLF1975 [2]

The Westinghouse Air Brake Company General Office Building (known locally as the Castle [3] or Library Hall [4] ) in Wilmerding, Pennsylvania is a building from 1890. It was listed on the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation in 1975, [5] National Register of Historic Places in 1987. [1] Originally built as an office building for the Westinghouse Air Brake Company, it housed the George Westinghouse Museum from 2006 to 2016. In 2016 it was sold to the Priory Hospitality Group with the intention of being developed into a boutique hotel. [6] However, the 2020 global pandemic affected those plans [7] and it was announced in November 2021 that the building will be used for an art academy and to house classrooms for the Westinghouse Arts Academy, a nearby high school. [8]

Contents

Construction

Constructed by architect Frederick J. Osterling, the building has a four-sided clock tower, which was operated by a system of chains and pulleys. [9] Additional designs and remodeling were done by Janssen & Cocken in 1927, which added the "Executive Wing", containing executive offices as well as conference and dining rooms. [10]

The architectural style is a mix of Renaissance Revival and Romanesque. [4] It was destroyed by a fire on 8 April 1896; the foundation, being made of brick, stone, and cement survived, however, and the structure was rebuilt upon the same foundation. [11] [12] [13] It was during this reconstruction that the clock tower was added. [12] [13] At the time, the entire first floor was designed for employees' use, with accommodations such as a library, fully equipped gymnasium, [11] [14] restaurant, swimming pool, and bowling alleys. [14] [15] This brought the total area inside the building to 55,000 square feet (5,100 m2). [13]

The building also housed a boiler house and light station, that supplied both steam and power to the plant, as well as various businesses in the community, such as the Wilmerding YMCA. [16]

Business history

This building contained the offices of the Westinghouse Air Brake Company for well over a century. [13] The company was originally established by George Westinghouse in 1869. [17] Westinghouse had developed many companies during this time of industrial growth at the beginning of the twentieth century. The Air Brake plant, that made for improved performance and increased speed on the nations railways, was moved to its new location in Wilmerding, Pennsylvania in 1889. [18] Wilmerding is a small town about 14 miles (23 km) outside of Pittsburgh which, at the time, was only inhabited by about 5,000 people. Socialism was strong in Wilmerding and it was a peaceful non-violent farming borough. It was thought to be “The Ideal Town” for the company because of its location right along the Pennsylvania Railroad and its mainly blue collar inhabitants. The Air Brake Company employed 3,000 citizens from the surrounding Pittsburgh area, but its work force was composed almost entirely of individuals from Wilmerding. [18]

The office buildings were used until the building was vacated in 1985. [15] It was then donated to the American Production and Inventory Control Society. [15] The Westinghouse Air Brake Company merged with MotivePower in 1999 to form Wabtec (NYSE :  WAB). Wabtec still provides employment for more than 1,000 residents of the borough. [13]

Effect on the community

The building from a different angle, as it appeared circa 1905. Shown here before the addition of the "Executive Wing". General offices-Westinghouse Air-Brake Company-circa1905.jpg
The building from a different angle, as it appeared circa 1905. Shown here before the addition of the "Executive Wing".

When the Westinghouse Plant was also moved to Wilmerding, housing for the employees became hard to come by. [19] [20] [21] [22] In response to this, the Westinghouse Air Brake Home Building Company was formed in 1919 with $1,000,000 USD as startup capital. [19] [20] [22] The 400 houses and large amounts of vacant land that were previously owned by the Westinghouse Air Brake Company were transferred to the new company. [19] [20] [22] The new homes were specifically built with different variations to avoid the lack of variety commonly seen in industrial housing at the time. [21] The Westinghouse Air Brake Home Building Company was so successful that within ten years, there were no vacant lots left on the southern side of Turtle Creek. [21] The extensive town-building, employment, and prosperity that George Westinghouse brought to Wilmerding is still celebrated today in the community, with a festival called "George Westinghouse Days", which takes place in early June each year. [14]

Inside The Castle

The building used to house The George Westinghouse Museum, [23] [24] a model train display, and a Depression glass room. [24] In 2007, the artifacts that were in the Castle museum went to join the Heinz History Center. Since 2007, the Westinghouse Castle has gathered a collection of Westinghouse products and are now on display in their Westinghouse Museum room. The Westinghouse Castle was owned and operated from 2006 to 2016 by a non-profit organization, Wilmerding Renewed. [14] Wilmerding Renewed rented out the property and provided tours of the building, but were not able to generate enough revenue to offset the high operating and maintenance costs. [6]

In June 2016, the property was purchased by John Graf and the Priory Hospitality Group for $100,000 for development into a boutique hotel. [6] The property again changed hands in September 2021 when it was purchased by Westinghouse Castle LP for $86,000. [25]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Westinghouse</span> American engineer and businessman (1846–1912)

George Westinghouse Jr. was an American entrepreneur and engineer based in Pennsylvania who created the railway air brake and was a pioneer of the electrical industry, receiving his first patent at the age of 19. Westinghouse saw the potential of using alternating current for electric power distribution in the early 1880s and put all his resources into developing and marketing it. This put Westinghouse's business in direct competition with Thomas Edison, who marketed direct current for electric power distribution. In 1911 Westinghouse received the American Institute of Electrical Engineers's (AIEE) Edison Medal "For meritorious achievement in connection with the development of the alternating current system". He founded the Westinghouse Electric Corporation in 1886.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilmerding, Pennsylvania</span> Borough in Pennsylvania, United States

Wilmerding is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,781 at the 2020 census. It is located 12 miles (19 km) southeast of Pittsburgh. At the start of the twentieth century, it had extensive foundries and machine shops of the Westinghouse Air Brake Company. Wilmerding is adjacent to the borough of Turtle Creek, which takes its name from a small stream that flows past both places.

Westinghouse may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CSX Transportation</span> Class I railroad system in the US

CSX Transportation, known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad company operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Operating about 21,000 route miles (34,000 km) of track, it is the leading subsidiary of CSX Corporation, a Fortune 500 company headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PCC streetcar</span> 1930s streetcar (tram) design

The PCC is a tram design that was first built in the United States in the 1930s. The design proved successful domestically, and after World War II it was licensed for use elsewhere in the world where PCC based cars were made. The PCC car has proved to be a long-lasting icon of streetcar design, and many remain in service around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Railway brake</span> Component of railway rolling stock

A railway brake is a type of brake used on the cars of railway trains to enable deceleration, control acceleration (downhill) or to keep them immobile when parked. While the basic principle is similar to that on road vehicle usage, operational features are more complex because of the need to control multiple linked carriages and to be effective on vehicles left without a prime mover. Clasp brakes are one type of brakes historically used on trains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Columbia State Historic Park</span> California State Historic Park

Columbia State Historic Park, also known as Columbia Historic District, is a state park unit and National Historic Landmark District preserving historic downtown Columbia, California, United States. It includes almost 30 buildings built during the California Gold Rush, most of which remain today. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1961.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doncaster Works</span> Railway Engineering Works

Doncaster Railway Works is a railway workshop located in Doncaster, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westinghouse Air Brake Company</span> Former American manufacturing company

The Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation was an American company founded on September 28, 1869 by George Westinghouse in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Earlier in the year he had invented the railway air brake in New York state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frederick J. Osterling</span> American architect (1865–1934)

Frederick John Osterling was an American architect, practicing in Pittsburgh from 1888.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joslyn Castle</span> Historic house in Nebraska, United States

The George and Sarah Joslyn Home, is a mansion located at 3902 Davenport Street in the Gold Coast Historic District of Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Built in the Scottish Baronial style in 1903, the Castle was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. It was designated as an Omaha landmark in 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salk Hall</span>

Jonas Salk Hall at the University of Pittsburgh is a Pennsylvania state and Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation Historic Landmark. The Art Deco building is named after Jonas Salk, who conducted his research on the first polio vaccine in a basement laboratory while on the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westinghouse Brake and Signal Company</span> Anglo-Australian railway parts manufacturer

The Westinghouse Brake & Signal Company Ltd was a British manufacturer of railroad signs. Founded by George Westinghouse, it was registered as "Westinghouse Brake Company" in 1881. The company reorganised in 1920, associating with Evans O'Donnell, and Saxby and Farmer which merged to form the "Westinghouse Brake & Saxby Signal Company". The 'Saxby' would be dropped from their title in 1935.

Electronically controlled pneumatic brakes are a type of railway braking systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Register of Historic Places listings in Pierce County, Washington</span>

This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Pierce County, Washington, United States. Latitude and longitude coordinates are provided for many National Register properties and districts; these locations may be seen together in an online map.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wabtec</span> American manufacturing company

Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation, commonly known as Wabtec, is an American company formed by the merger of the Westinghouse Air Brake Company (WABCO) and MotivePower Industries Corporation in 1999. It is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crown Metal Products</span> Former steam locomotive manufacturer

Crown Metal Products was a manufacturer of railroad rolling stock based in Wyano, Pennsylvania. The company was founded by Ken Williams in 1946 and initially sold pot cleaners and then electric fence wires and other products. In 1959, the company began to transition into producing narrow gauge locomotives, a personal interest of Williams. The company went on to produce steam locomotives and passenger cars of various sizes for amusement park railroads. The firm ceased production in 1989; however, much of its rolling stock continues to operate at various locations around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westinghouse Memorial</span> Monument in Schenley Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The Westinghouse Memorial is a bronze monument located in the U.S. city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It commemorates George Westinghouse, an engineer, founder of the Westinghouse Electric Corporation, and inventor of the railway air brake. The memorial is located at the entrance to the Steven Faloon trail, a part of Schenley Park. The architects for the monument and the surrounding area were Henry Hornbostel and Eric Fisher Wood. Daniel Chester French was the sculptor for the statue and the main panel, and Paul Fjelde designed the side panels.

MotivePower, Inc. (MPI) was an American manufacturer of diesel-electric locomotives. The company traces its history back to being a division of Morrison-Knudsen (MK) since 1972. After MotivePower spun-off from MK, the company merged to the air brake manufacturer WABCO to form "Wabtec" in 1999, remaining as a brand of it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westinghouse Interworks Railway</span>

The Westinghouse Interworks Railway was a short line railroad that operated in the lower Turtle Creek valley east of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A subsidiary of the Westinghouse Electric Corporation, the railway used former Turtle Creek Valley Railroad tracks that Westinghouse rebuilt and extended from Trafford through Wilmerding to East Pittsburgh along the right bank of the creek. The railroad transported freight between the Westinghouse plants and also tested and demonstrated electric rail cars.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. ↑ Historic Landmark Plaques 1968-2009 (PDF). Pittsburgh, PA: Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation. 2010. Retrieved 2011-08-09.
  3. ↑ Wilmerding World Wide (2002). Wilmerding and the Westinghouse Air Brake Company. Arcadia Publishing. p. 60. ISBN   0-7385-1078-5 . Retrieved 2011-03-08.
  4. 1 2 nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com, PENNSYLVANIA - Allegheny County , retrieved 2011-03-08
  5. ↑ "Historic Landmark Plaques: 1968-2009" (PDF), Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation, 2010, retrieved 2011-03-09
  6. 1 2 3 "Westinghouse Castle goes for $100,000 at sheriff's sale". Pocono Record. 2016-06-07. Retrieved 2019-02-22.
  7. ↑ Lawrence, Joseph (2021-11-05). "What Will Become of the Westinghouse Castle in Wilmerding?". Times Express Monroeville. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
  8. ↑ "Westinghouse Castle Lights Up To Symbolize Its Newest Chapter". KDKA Pittsburgh. 2021-11-11. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
  9. ↑ Wilmerding World Wide (2002). Wilmerding and the Westinghouse Air Brake Company. Arcadia Publishing. p. 22. ISBN   0-7385-1078-5 . Retrieved 2011-03-08.
  10. ↑ Wilmerding World Wide (2002). Wilmerding and the Westinghouse Air Brake Company. Arcadia Publishing. p. 49. ISBN   0-7385-1078-5 . Retrieved 2011-03-08.
  11. 1 2 Princeton University (1987), The Railway age and northwestern railroader, vol. 24, p. 644, retrieved 2011-03-09
  12. 1 2 Wilmerding World Wide (2002). Wilmerding and the Westinghouse Air Brake Company. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 19–20. ISBN   0-7385-1078-5 . Retrieved 2011-03-08.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 Vondas, Jerry (2006), "Man with a plan", Pittsburgh Tribune Review , retrieved 2011-03-09
  14. 1 2 3 4 Miller Jr., Arthur P.; Miller, Marjorie L. (2003). Guide to the Homes of Famous Pennsylvanians: Houses, Museums, and Landmarks. Stackpole Books. p. 134. ISBN   0-8117-2628-2 . Retrieved 2011-03-09.
  15. 1 2 3 Martin Aurand, 1986, NRHP Nomination Form for Westinghouse Air Brake Company General Office Building Enter "public" for ID and "public" for password to access the site.
  16. ↑ Wilmerding World Wide (2002). Wilmerding and the Westinghouse Air Brake Company. Arcadia Publishing. p. 43. ISBN   0-7385-1078-5 . Retrieved 2011-03-08.
  17. ↑ Bellis, Mary, "Inventors: George Westinghouse", About.com, archived from the original on January 17, 2013, retrieved 2011-03-09
  18. 1 2 Life in Wilmerding, “The Air Brake City” the Ideal Hometown. Wilmerding News, 2 September.4.
  19. 1 2 3 Saunders, William Lawrence (1919), Compressed air magazine: devoted to the useful applications of compressed air, vol. 24, p. 9395, retrieved 2011-04-27
  20. 1 2 3 A. Sinclair Co. (1919), Railway and locomotive engineering: a practical journal of railway motive power and rolling stock, vol. 32, p. 259, retrieved 2011-04-27
  21. 1 2 3 Wilmerding Boro History , retrieved 2011-04-27
  22. 1 2 3 Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation (1919), Railway signaling and communications, vol. 12, p. 332, retrieved 2011-04-27
  23. ↑ Potter, Chris (2007), "The George Westinghouse museum", Pittsburgh City Paper , retrieved 2011-03-09
  24. 1 2 Wilson, Marie (2010), "Wilmerding museum regains Westinghouse name", Pittsburgh Tribune Review , retrieved 2011-03-09[ permanent dead link ]
  25. ↑ "Allegheny County Real Estate Portal" . Retrieved 2021-11-11.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.