Byrnes & Kiefer Building
Also known as: 1133 Penn Avenue Building; Gloekler Building
Why it's listed
Built in 1892 on Penn Avenue in Pittsburgh, the six-story loft building was designed in the Richardsonian Romanesque style and faces the wholesale and light manufacturing district near the old canal basin. Its sandstone facade is divided into three bays by narrow rusticated piers and large Romanesque arches. Between the arches, five stories of wood and glass infill form an early curtain wall that lets in far more daylight than the punched windows of typical stone commercial buildings of the period. Charles Gloekler, who assembled the four lots and ran an equipment manufacturing and distribution firm, commissioned it for production work. Later the Byrnes & Kiefer Company occupied the building from 1923 for nearly fifty years, operating a wholesale business supplying bakeries. The building's light, efficient structure is regarded as a significant step in the development of Pittsburgh's commercial architecture. The ground floor was remodeled in the early 1950s, though much of the original interior timber framing survives.
Significance in brief: The building is argued to be one of the earliest and most innovative Richardsonian Romanesque loft buildings on Penn Avenue, with a wood and glass curtain-wall infill that admitted far more daylight than typical stone Romanesque structures. Its structural efficiency and light appearance are presented as an important step toward the Commercial Style. It is also regarded as a local business landmark, given its long association with the Byrnes & Kiefer Company, which owned it for nearly fifty years.
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 85000457, listed March 7, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1127-1133 Penn Ave., Pittsburgh |
|---|---|
| County | Allegheny County |
| Listed | March 7, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85000457 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1892 |
| Architect / builder | Murphy & Hamilton (builder/architect as listed); contractor not separately named |
| Architectural style | Richardsonian Romanesque |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The original ground floor was altered in the early 1950s, but the upper floors and facade are largely intact. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 40.44565, -79.99312 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 85000457.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5004265
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.