Pennsylvania Railroad Station
Also known as: Union Station; See Also:Rotunda of the Pennsylvania Railroad
Why it's listed
Built between 1898 and 1903 by D. H. Burnham & Company, this twelve-story Beaux-Arts neo-Baroque building of brick and terra cotta on a steel frame houses a large main-floor waiting room measuring 160 by 70 feet, arcaded with glazed terra cotta pillars and plaster vaults. Floors three through twelve hold railroad offices arranged around an open rectangular court beneath a glass roof. The station sits at the northern apex of Pittsburgh's Golden Triangle, where Liberty Avenue and Grant Street meet, and a brick ramp rises from that intersection to the Rotunda cabstand and the platforms beyond. Its design is considered one of the firm's notable Pittsburgh works, and the nomination treats the station, cabstand and site together as a single historic entity. The complex served as a gateway to the city during the railroad's peak years. Its central location has made the site important to later transportation planning, and the building's plan is noted as suited to conversion to a hotel.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the station is Pittsburgh's first work by D. H. Burnham & Company and its only example of the 'Burnham Baroque' style. It also cites the station's role as a gateway to the city during the peak days of the railroad and its location at the intersection of the railroad lines with the Golden Triangle.
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 76001597, listed April 22, 1976. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1101 Liberty Ave., Pittsburgh |
|---|---|
| County | Allegheny County |
| Listed | April 22, 1976 |
| Reference number | 76001597 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1898-1903 |
| Architect / builder | D. H. Burnham & Company (architect) |
| Architectural style | Beaux-Arts neo-Baroque |
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Trainshed has been demolished and replaced with a more modest covering; passenger service has declined and baggage facilities are much reduced. |
| Acreage | 8 |
| Coordinates | 40.44429, -79.99184 (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 76001597.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7886093
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.