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African American History Guide

Take a journey through more than 200 years of the African-American experience in southwestern Pennsylvania. One hundred sites of local, regional and national significance are represented in this first-ever tour guide of African-American history in the region.

The goal of this guide of African-American historic sites in the region is to inform the public about the extensive history and also to draw attention to the need for preservation and reuse of many of the sites featured.

Visitors to Pittsburgh, long-time natives, and students are encouraged to use this site guide as a resource for exploring the rich depth and breadth of African-American history—from the Underground Railroad to the jazz era. This list is not designed to be exhaustive but to represent a cross section of sites with major significance to the development of the Pittsburgh region’s African-American community.

This project, compiled by the Young Preservationists Association of Pittsburgh, was supported by a grant from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.

City of Pittsburgh Sites

Allen Chapel AME Church

Brief History This black congregation was founded in the 1860s in the Hill District at Arthurs Street. In 1889, it moved to Manchester as one of the ...more information
City of Pittsburgh

Ammon Recreation Center

Brief History Built in 1940, this was one of the few recreation centers that the City of Pittsburgh built for blacks in the Hill District. Also used ...more information
City of Pittsburgh

Art Blakey (1919-1990)

Brief History A founder of the “hard bop” school of jazz, drummer Blakey grew up here and got his start with Billy Eckstine’s band. Blakey’s group, T...more information
City of Pittsburgh

August Wilson (1945-2005) Home

Brief History The co-founder of Pittsburgh’s Black Horizon Theater, August Wilson wrote ten plays that have been hailed as a unique triumph in Americ...more information
City of Pittsburgh

Avery College

Brief History Founded in 1849 by Charles Avery (1784-1858), Methodist lay preacher, philanthropist and abolitionist, the college provided post-second...more information
City of Pittsburgh

Avery Memorial AME Zion Church

Brief History Identified as one of the many Underground Railroad stations in the Pittsburgh area, this site reputedly housed escaped slaves from the ...more information
City of Pittsburgh

Bedford Dwellings

Brief History Completed in 1940, Bedford Dwellings was among the first public housing projects in the nation, was built at a cost of $2,500,000, and ...more information
City of Pittsburgh

Bethel AME Church

Brief History The first AME church west of the Allegheny Mountains, Bethel AME was organized in 1818 in a downtown home by three freed men, James Col...more information
City of Pittsburgh

Bethel AME Church

Brief History Founded 1808 and chartered in 1818, this institution known as the African Church was located nearby in early years and moved to Wylie A...more information
City of Pittsburgh

Beulah Baptist Church

Brief History Organized in 1901, the congregation built a wood-frame church in 1911 to provide moral, social and spiritual leadership to blacks in th...more information
City of Pittsburgh

Bigham House

Brief History  Identified as one of the many Underground Railroad stations in the Pittsburgh area, this site housed escaped slaves from the South who...more information
City of Pittsburgh

Billy Eckstine (1914-1993)

His smooth baritone and distinctive vibrato broke down barriers throughout the 1940s, first as leader of the original bop big-band, then as the firs...more information
City of Pittsburgh

Brown Chapel AME Church

Brief History This black church was organized in 1837 to 1838 and was the second AME congregation west of the Allegheny Mountains. It represents the ...more information
City of Pittsburgh

Carnegie Library of Homewood

Brief History This popular and much-used library welcomed both blacks and whites to read or take out books. It served as an important educational, so...more information
City of Pittsburgh

Central Baptist Church

Brief History Condition/Architectural Notes Organized in 1891, by members who broke ranks with Ebenezer Baptist Church, this church, constructed in 1...more information
City of Pittsburgh

Centre Avenue YMCA

Brief History Built in 1922 and opened on September 24, 1923, this was a very popular neighborhood gathering place, especially from the 1920s throug...more information
City of Pittsburgh

Church of St. Benedict the Moor

Brief History Dedicated on October 25, 1891, and built at a cost of $14,000, this church is the sole surviving symbol of a once-thriving Hill Distri...more information
City of Pittsburgh

Crawford Grill (No.2)

Brief History Opened in 1943 as a companion to the first Crawford Grill, this also became a major center for black social life on the Hill. It was o...more information
City of Pittsburgh

Daisy E. Lampkin (1888-1965)

Brief History Outstanding as an NAACP organizer, Mrs. Lampkin was its National Field Secretary from 1935 to 1947. She also served as President of th...more information
City of Pittsburgh

Ebenezer Baptist Church

Brief History Providing spiritual and moral leadership, Ebenezer Baptist Church was a popular social gathering place in the Hill District. It was th...more information
City of Pittsburgh

Former Carnegie Library - Wylie Avenue Branch

Brief History Built in 1899, this library branch was a community institution and reservoir of resources on black history. In the 1940s, it became an ...more information
City of Pittsburgh

Frank Bolden (1912-2003)

Brief History A distinguished journalist, Mr. Bolden was one of the first two African-American accredited correspondents during WW II. He covered the...more information
City of Pittsburgh

Freedom Corner

Brief History In the lower Hill District, "Freedom Corner" became a rallying point for blacks demanding civil rights during the 1960s when blacks ral...more information
City of Pittsburgh

Freedom House Ambulance Service/Johny's Bar/Hill District CDC

Brief History Started in 1967, Freedom House Ambulance Service was reportedly the first paramedic service in the nation equipped with resuscitation e...more information
City of Pittsburgh

Grace Memorial Presbyterian Church

Brief History Organized in 1868, this was one of the first Hill District churches to cater to the black elite, sometimes referred to as Old Pittsburg...more information
City of Pittsburgh

Allegheny County Sites

All-Black Fire Company - Crestas Terrace

Brief History Founded on August 27, 1927, this was one of the first all-black fire companies in Pennsylvania. At the time of its organization, there ...more information
Allegheny County

Allen Chapel AME Church

Brief History As the oldest black church in Elizabeth, having dedicated its first building on this site on July 16, 1871, Allen Chapel stands as an a...more information
Allegheny County

Clark Memorial Baptist Church

Brief History Founded in 1898, this large classical revival church became a popular black church in Homestead and is now the largest black church in...more information
Allegheny County

First Baptist Church

Brief History This church was first organized in people's homes in 1903 before moving to the Lewandosky Building, then into the Old School building ...more information
Allegheny County

Horner Middle School (now Hosanna House)

Brief History Built in the 1920s, this school was an important racially integrated social institution for the Wilkinsburg community through the 1980s...more information
Allegheny County

Horning Historic District

Brief HistoryHorning is a remarkably intact early-20th century coal mining community run by the Pittsburgh terminal Coal Company, with houses, a coal ...more information
Allegheny County

Jerusalem Baptist Church

Brief History Jerusalem Baptist Church has long provided blacks with spiritual, moral, and social leadership in this former steel-making community. ...more information
Allegheny County

Park Place AME Church

Brief History Built in 1920, Park Place is a long-standing spiritual and social center of Homestead and represents the early cohesiveness of the bla...more information
Allegheny County

St. Mark's AME Zion Church

Brief History Organized in 1912 under the leadership of Rosa Washington and at the home of Betty Sterling, St. Marks is one of the oldest black chur...more information
Allegheny County

St. Matthews A.M.E. Zion Church

Brief History Founded on Thorn and Walnut Streets as a frame church, St. Matthews congregation later erected a brick building on the site in the lat...more information
Allegheny County

St. Paul's Baptist Church

Brief History This is the oldest church in Oakmont. It was built in 1874 by the St. Thomas Memorial Episcopal congregation and bought in 1908 by the...more information
Allegheny County

U.S. Post Office - East Pittsburgh Branch (Nathan Velar Site)

Brief History This is the post office branch where Nathan Velar served as the first black Postmaster in the United States. He was appointed in 1897 a...more information
Allegheny County

Wilkinsburg High School

Brief History Black and white students attended this school from the 1930s through the 1950s. During the 1940s and 1950s, it was considered to be on...more information
Allegheny County

Beaver County Sites

Buttonwood (Private Residence)

Brief History Buttonwood, the home of the Rev. Arthur B. Bradford Family (descendants of William Bradford of the Mayflower), was built in 1840 using ...more information
Beaver County

Geneva College

Brief History Founded in 1848, Geneva College was one of the first institutions of higher learning in the region to admit freed African Americans aft...more information
Beaver County

Second Baptist Church

Brief History This church was founded in 1883 by a small group of people under the leadership of Rev. Jordan D. Brown. The church was chartered in 19...more information
Beaver County

Second Baptist Church (of Rochester)

Brief History Black residents of Rochester, former Virginia slaves employed at Park Brick works, organized the church in 1894 on Jefferson Street. Th...more information
Beaver County

St. John AME Church

Brief History This church was founded in 1830 by former slaves and was the first black organization in Beaver County. The original structure on Mulbe...more information
Beaver County

Wayman Chapel

Brief History Founded in 1837 as an outgrowth of St. John AME in Bridgewater, the site was the gift of a prominent New Brighton industrialist who was...more information
Beaver County

Butler County Sites

Pullman Park

Brief Hitory Built in 1934 and rebuilt in 2008, Pullman Park hosted minor league baseball and Negro League games from the late 1930s to the early 195...more information
Butler County

Fayette County Sites

Birthplace of Ernie Davis (December 14 1939-May 18 1963)

Brief History Football Player Ernie Davis became the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy. He spent part of his boyhood years in Uniontow...more information
Fayette County

First Baptist Church of Smock

Brief History Founded by an African-American miner in 1923 and dedicated in 1962, this church in a one-story building serves African-American residen...more information
Fayette County

John Wesly AME Zion Church and Baker Alley

Brief History With a membership of 15, Zion Chapel of the AME church was organized Sept. 19, 1849. At first, meetings were held in congregation membe...more information
Fayette County

John Woodruff (July 5 1915-October 30 2007)

Brief History"Long" John Woodruff was a freshman at the University of Pittsburgh in 1936 when he made the U.S. Olympic team. He won the Olympic 800-me...more information
Fayette County

Mt. Zion AME Church

Brief History Mt. Zion AME Church represents the early cohesiveness of the black community and a long-standing spiritual and social center of Brownsv...more information
Fayette County

St. Paul AME Church

Brief History In 1822, a class of African-American Methodists was formed in Uniontown under the charge of Rev. George Bollar, a regular minister sent...more information
Fayette County

Whitsett Historic District

Brief History This town was developed by coal-mining companies. By 1927, African Americans made up 39 percent of the Banning No. 2 Mine workforce. Th...more information
Fayette County

Greene County Sites

Thomas Hughes House

Brief History The Hughes House was built in 1814 with the help of Hughes's slaves. He freed his slaves before the Civil War, and his home became a s...more information
Greene County

Indiana County Sites

Alexander Graff House

Brief History Underground Railroad station....more information
Indiana County

Blairsville Underground Railroad Museum

Brief History The Underground Railroad Center serves as Blairsville's Underground Railroad history museum. The UGRR Center houses two main exhibits: ...more information
Indiana County

Dr. Robert Mitchell

Brief History Robert Mitchell played a large role in the Underground Railroad in the region. He conducted fugitives from his house to the next stati...more information
Indiana County

Fugitive Slave Rescue

Brief History In April 1858, citizens of Blairsville rescued a fugitive slave, Newton, from arrest by a U.S. Marshall and Virginia slave hunters. Le...more information
Indiana County

George Wilkinson Store Site

Brief History Constable George Wilkinson refused to honor the warrant for the return of fugitive Robert Newman in 1858....more information
Indiana County

Houston House

Brief History Mrs. William Houston provided food to runaway slaves without her husband’s knowledge to protect him from the provisions of the Fugitive...more information
Indiana County

Jamison House

Brief History Mr. Jamison operated this house as a hotel; his son reportedly assisted runaway slaves. Samuel Jamison's father ran the Eastern Inn in ...more information
Indiana County

John Graff House

Brief History Underground Railroad station...more information
Indiana County

Lewis Johnston House site

Brief History Mr. Johnston was a free black Underground Railroad station master....more information
Indiana County

St. James AME Zion Church

Brief History Organized in 1925, this church is a strong center of the Indiana County African-American community....more information
Indiana County

The Rescue of Anthony Hollingsworth

Brief History On June 26, 1845, this 12 year-old fugitive slave was captured by slave hunters. Armed residents surrounded the hotel where he was hel...more information
Indiana County

Washington County Sites

Alfred Crockett Home

Brief History This house was the home of Alfred Crockett, who was born into slavery in 1829 in Frederick, Maryland. Crockett secretly married a woman...more information
Washington County

Charles West/Washington and Jefferson College

Brief History Charles West graduated from Washington and Jefferson College in 1924. He was named the "The New American Pentathlon Champion" when he p...more information
Washington County

George Washington Webster Site/Washington County Courthouse

Brief History George Washington Webster, who was born in Indiana in 1834, served in the armed forces before becoming Washington County’s first black...more information
Washington County

LeMoyne House

Brief History This site is Pennsylvania's first National Historic Landmark of the Underground Railroad. The stone house was built in 1812 by John Jul...more information
Washington County

War Memorial on Washington and Jefferson College Campus

Brief History This memorial, located on the Washington and Jefferson College campus, honors a Union captain and Confederate general, along with the f...more information
Washington County

Welcome Thurner Jones

Brief History Welcome Thurner Jones was the first African American to graduate from Washington and Jefferson College in 1889. He attended medical sc...more information
Washington County

Westmoreland County Sites

Fairview Park

Brief History Fairview Park was founded in the 1940s by regional African-American church groups as an alternative to the local amusement parks that ...more information
Westmoreland County

First Baptist Church of North Vandergrift

Brief History The congregation of this church was founded in 1918 and the church has been in its current location since 1920. Today, there are member...more information
Westmoreland County

Willie Thrower

Brief History Willie Thrower was the first African American to play quarterback in the modern National Football League and in the Big Ten Conference...more information
Westmoreland County

How the sites were determined

Sites for this tourguide were determined based on whether the site fit into at least one of ten historical themes and met at least one of five criteria, listed below.

Historical Themes

  1. Patterns of Settlement and Housing
  2. Sports and Recreation, including Social Clubs
  3. Arts and Entertainment
  4. Places of Work/Businesses
  5. Famous People
  6. Religious Properties
  7. Underground Railroad
  8. Education & Politics
  9. Civil Rights
  10. Military

Criteria for Tour Guide Listing

  1. National or Statewide Significance: The site is listed or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places and/or has a Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) marker.
  2. Local Significance: The site is a locally-designated landmark, has a plaque, or is of particular interest to southwestern Pennsylvania’s history.
  3. Visitability: The site is interesting enough that someone would travel to see it.
  4. Condition: The site is still standing, it’s part of a historic district, or the site is of particular archaeological interest.
  5. Thematic Relevance: The site is representative of a larger historical theme in the region, state or nation.