Commonwealth Building (Pittsburgh)

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 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. 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

• Skyscraperpage

21 floors

References

1. (June 24, 1906). "SKYSCRAPERS PROGRESSING". The Pittsburgh Sunday Post.
2. (August 3, 1906). "LABORERS WANT MORE PAY". The Pittsburg Press.
3. (August 5, 1906). "Building Operations In July Show Well". The Pittsburgh Sunday Post.
4. (August 5, 1906). "Victory for Union Men". The Pittsburg Press.
5. (August 30, 1906). "The fine large quarters...". The Pittsburg Press.
6. (February 28, 1907). "Commonwealth Trust Co.". The Pittsburg Press.
7. (November 13, 1906). "The elevators,...". The Pittsburg Press.
8. (November 1, 1927). "A.J. Kelly JR., Dies In Office". The Pittsburgh Press.
9. (December 3, 1956). "Good Enough for USSteel". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
10. "United Steelworkers of America Historical Marker".
11. (June 2, 1954). "Wounded Lawyer in Life Fight". Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph.
12. O'Toole, Bill. (January 18, 2019). "Long-vacant Commonwealth Building Downtown will become apartment complex". NEXT Pittsburgh.