Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall
Why it's listed
Built in Oakland, Pittsburgh, and opened in 1911, Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall is a monumental Beaux Arts building of stone set on a two-story podium. Its main facade has eight colossal Doric columns between massive piers, and a roof crowned by a sculpture of the Phoenix. Bronze statues of a soldier and a sailor, designed and cast by Frederick C. Hibbard, flank the entrances. Palmer and Hornbostel were awarded the commission after a competition, and the architecture is associated with Edward Hornbostel, among Pittsburgh's leading architects of the period. The building was erected to honor soldiers, sailors and marines from Allegheny County who served in the Army and Navy. Its interior holds an auditorium, a banquet hall, meeting rooms and a museum with Civil War memorabilia, and sixty-three bronze tablets honor county veterans on the first floor.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is a major example of Beaux Arts Classicism, designed by Pittsburgh architect Edward Hornbostel after a competition. It is presented as one of Hornbostel's best works and as a memorial to Allegheny County soldiers, sailors and marines, with bronze statues and tablets honoring them.
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 74001746, listed December 30, 1974. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 5th Ave. at Bigelow Blvd., Pittsburgh |
|---|---|
| County | Allegheny County |
| Listed | December 30, 1974 |
| Reference number | 74001746 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1911 |
| Architect / builder | Palmer and Hornbostel (architects) |
| Architectural style | Beaux Arts Classicism |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Military, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The Memorial is still in use. |
| Acreage | 3 |
| Within district | Schenley Farms Historic District (Additional Documentation) |
| Coordinates | 40.44523, -79.95621 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
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 74001746.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7557406
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.