Cement City Historic District

Built between 1916 and 1917 in South Donora, the Cement City Historic District is a group of 80 contributing houses constructed of poured-in-place concrete. The American Steel and Wire Company commissioned the houses to stabilize its workforce during rapid wartime growth, when many workers lacked family housing. Lambie Concrete House Corporation held the building contract and used reusable steel forms, and Aberthaw Construction served as contractor. The houses are finished in stucco and follow variations of the American four-square plan, with hipped roofs, porches, and concrete sidewalks. Planned for 152 units, the project stopped at 100 because of high costs and a shortage of skilled labor. The district is regarded as an intact example of early twentieth-century company housing and as a notable use of concrete construction for mass-produced, fireproof worker housing. Its streets, alleys, and rear yards largely retain their original layout.