Allegheny Cemetery
Also known as: See Also:Butler Street Gatehouse
Why it's listed
Allegheny Cemetery occupies more than 300 acres of rolling hillsides in Pittsburgh's Lawrenceville section, overlooking the Allegheny River. Founded after a crisis in downtown burial space and incorporated on April 24, 1844, it was laid out with winding roads and small lakes in the romantic park style of the mid-19th century. John Chislett, its first superintendent, designed the English Gothic sandstone gatehouse of 1848 on Butler Street. Later buildings include a Richardson Romanesque chapel and tower by Macomb and Dull, a group of Italianate maintenance buildings, and a Gothic receiving vault of 1900-1904. The cemetery is regarded as a museum of monument design, with many mausoleums containing Tiffany stained glass. It also holds the only U.S. Government burial plot in Western Pennsylvania, donated in 1862 for soldiers, and is recognised for its early community service.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the cemetery is significant as a major example of mid-19th century landscape architecture and the romantic park-like cemetery movement. It was the first park-like cemetery in Pittsburgh and the oldest suburban cemetery west of the Allegheny Mountains. It is also described as a museum of sculpture and stained glass, with monuments and private mausoleums spanning many architectural and artistic styles.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 80003405, listed December 10, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by N. Mathilda and Butler Sts., and Penn, Stanton, and Mossfield Aves., Pittsburgh |
|---|---|
| County | Allegheny County |
| Listed | December 10, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80003405 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | 1844-1899 |
| Architect / builder | John Chislett (superintendent and engineer; designed the Butler Street gatehouse and lodge) |
| Architectural style | Landscape architecture; English Gothic (gatehouse); Richardson Romanesque (Penn Avenue Gatehouse); Italianate (maintenance complex) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Landscape Architecture, Art, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The palm house is in a sorry state of disrepair, with its clerestory and cupola gone; the other conservatory greenhouses survive in part. The cemetery remains in use for burials and community services. |
| Acreage | 300 |
| Within district | Lawrenceville Historic District |
| Coordinates | 40.47219, -79.94711 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Sites (archaeological sites, battlefields, landscapes) are often listed with a restricted address to protect them from looting or disturbance. Listing is honorary for private owners; federal undertakings on or near the site go through Section 106 review, and state laws may protect burials and artefacts regardless of listing.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 80003405.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q1271094
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.