Andrew Carnegie always spoke highly of Colonel Anderson, the highly successful iron manufacturer who opened his personal library to the young working class men of Allegheny. Among these “working boys” was Andrew Carnegie and his childhood friends, Henry Phipps and Henry Oliver. This sculpture by Daniel Chester French of a young workman reading honors Anderson’s generosity, and was designed to be placed near the entrance of Allegheny City’s Carnegie Library – the first publicly supported Carnegie Library in the world.

James Anderson was one of Allegheny City’s successful businessmen before the great industrial boom caused by the Civil War. Anderson moved from Allegheny City to the Borough of Manchester where he built this fine mansion. Anderson was not only an early settler in Manchester, but took an active role in the development of the community and its institutions. Following his death, this residence became known as the “The Home for Christian Women”. During those years this great residence was nicely maintained. At present, the interior of Anderson’s home has been beautifully restored for hospice use.

While living as an expatriate in France during the years between the World Wars, Gertrude Stein wrote her autobiography. In the work she stated that she was born “…firmly in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania.” This is the house where the Stein family lived at the time of Gertrude’s birth. Daniel Stein and his brother were in business together at that time in Allegheny City and Pittsburgh. Within a year the family moved to California. The house has remained a single-family residence from the late 19th century to the present day. The exterior and interior were nicely restored and preserved in the 1980’s.

This home was built for the McCreery family, who were the owners of one of Pittsburgh’s most celebrated and fashionable department stores. The tearoom at “McCreery’s” was known by generations of Pittsburghers as the place to meet while shopping downtown. This residence was preserved as the family home of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur J. Rooney. At present it is the home of Dan Rooney the owner and president of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

William Thaw Jr. was a very successful son of one of the city’s most notable citizens. He and his wife, Elizabeth Dohrman Thaw, lived in this spacious home on one of Allegheny City’s most fashionable streets. Although the house was originally designed and constructed on a smaller scale, the Thaws expanded their home to its present dimensions. It is currently in use as an office for a design firm and the apartment home for several tenants.

James Van Trump, when writing about this residence in 1976, stated that it was “…particularly interesting for Pittsburgh as the city’s sole and very late example of a small town palace.” There are few brownstone structures in the city, and this one has been remarkably maintained; first as a residence of the Snyder family, and now as the headquarters of a major investment firm. Built to accommodate the automotive age, the garage was designed to accommodate several vehicles. A grand ballroom was located on the street level of the home, only a few steps from the interior driveway.

The firm of Alden and Harlow designed this double house for Alexander M. Byers and his daughter, Mrs. J. Denniston Lyons. The architectural style is unique in the city. The interior style of the Byers’ side of the house is high Victorian, in contrast with the Lyon’s side which is clearly Edwardian. At the turn of the century the art collection of A. M. Byers was one of the finest in Allegheny and Pittsburgh. The Community College of Allegheny County presently uses this building for their administrative staff. The college has shown dedication and commitment to preserving both the interior and exterior of this significant structure.