Pennsylvania Railroad Station-Wilkinsburg
Why it's listed
Built in 1916 by the Pennsylvania Railroad, the station at the foot of Ross Avenue in Wilkinsburg is a buff brick and stone building in a restrained Beaux Arts style. Its symmetrical plan has a double-height central waiting room flanked by lower wings, with four engaged Ionic columns, a clock medallion above the entablature, and a marble-trimmed interior with a skylit ceiling. The station was part of a major project that raised the railroad grade between Swissvale and Homewood, allowing overpasses over three busy streets and ending deadly grade crossings in the town centre. The project was celebrated with a three-day community festival. The building is considered a rare small-town example of a monumental urban railroad station, and it was designed to face Ross Avenue as a civic focal point, later joined by a borough building and a post office. Station service ended in the late 1960s, and the building now anchors a transit busway linking to Pittsburgh's Pennsylvania Station.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the station is significant for its role in the Pennsylvania Railroad's Main Line transportation system and for its architectural design and prominent siting. It was built as part of a multi-million dollar grade crossing elimination project that ended accidents at town-center crossings. The building is presented as a product of the railroad age and City Beautiful ideals, and as an unusually monumental urban-scale station for a small town.
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 85001568, listed July 18, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Hay St. at Ross Ave., Wilkinsburg |
|---|---|
| County | Allegheny County |
| Listed | July 18, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85001568 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | Pennsylvania Railroad Co./Walter H. Cookson |
| Architectural style | Beaux Arts |
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Station operations ceased in the late 1960s; the building now marks the eastern terminus of a public transit busway, and the document describes it as in deteriorated condition. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Coordinates | 40.44324, -79.88774 (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 85001568.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7164048
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.