Old Allegheny Rows Historic District
Why it's listed
Old Allegheny Rows is a residential neighborhood of about 353 buildings in the California/Kirkbride area, across the Allegheny River from downtown Pittsburgh. Nearly all of it was built between 1870 and 1900, laid out on a street grid with a gentle rise toward the north. Most buildings are two- to three-story brick row houses, often with Mansard roofs, dormers, bracketed or corbelled cornices and stone or wood lintels. Styles include Richardson Romanesque, Italianate and Victorian vernacular. About a quarter of the buildings form a rental rowhouse development put up in 1892-93 by Pittsburgh industrialist Herbert DuPuy, with polychromed brick, stamped metal cornices and millwork porches. Three groups stand out: a row of four Richardson Romanesque houses, a row of fourteen Victorian vernacular houses, and the Art Deco New Brighton Theater of 1928. The district sits between the smaller, earlier Mexican War Streets and the grander Manchester houses, and its speculative character distinguishes it. Only five structures are intrusions.
Significance in brief: The district is a large collection of late nineteenth-century row houses, ranging from simple brick structures to an ornate planned development. Its speculative development sets it apart from the neighboring Mexican War Streets and Manchester districts. About a quarter of the buildings belong to a rental rowhouse development built in 1892-93 by industrialist Herbert DuPuy.
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 84000349, listed November 1, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by Sedgwick, California, Marquis, Mero, Brighton, and Moorison Sts., Pittsburgh |
|---|---|
| County | Allegheny County |
| Listed | November 1, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84000349 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | Herbert DuPuy (developer of the 1892-93 rental rowhouse development) |
| Architectural style | Richardson Romanesque, Italianate, Victorian vernacular; Art Deco (New Brighton Theater) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Marked occupied and in good condition, mostly private residences; five of 353 structures are non-contributing intrusions. |
| Acreage | 27 |
| Coordinates | 40.45839, -80.01658 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 84000349.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7083382
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.