East Carson Street Historic District

Brick commercial rows, mostly built between 1870 and 1910, line East Carson Street along a mile of the South Side Flats in Pittsburgh. Most are two to four stories high and open directly onto the sidewalk, with contiguous facades forming continuous street walls. Many display Romanesque, Italianate and Second Empire ornament, including brackets, corbelling, cast iron details, leaded glass transoms and cornices. Earlier buildings from the 1850s and 1860s survive around Bedford Square and the old Birmingham settlement. The street was incorporated into the Washington Pike in 1818 and became the area's commercial spine. Local builders including the Benz Brothers and John Seibert produced much of the district's fabric. The district is regarded as the best example of a late nineteenth century low rise commercial district in Allegheny County, and its upper floors preserve much of the original character.