Westinghouse High School
Why it's listed
A three-story limestone school at 1101 North Murtland Street in Pittsburgh, designed in 1921 by the local firm Ingham & Boyd and completed in phases through 1931. Its flat roof, parapet urns and paired windows give it a Neo-Classical character, with a central east pavilion, a trio of rounded-arch entry recesses and Ionic pilasters at the entries. The school is named for George Westinghouse, the inventor of the railway air brake and a promoter of alternating current lighting. Architect Charles Tattersol Ingham, who had trained in Boston and worked on large Pittsburgh commissions, later partnered with William Boyd Jr. The building is regarded as a transitional design between the Schenley and Taylor Allderdice high schools. Its interior, including an auditorium, three gymnasiums and two pools, reflects its utilitarian purpose more than its Classical exterior. Its significance rests on its design by a prominent local firm and its role in Pittsburgh's public school building program.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the school is a transitional Neo-Classical building, using a more literal Classical vocabulary than the nearby Schenley and Taylor Allderdice high schools. It is named for George Westinghouse, and it is described as one of Ingham & Boyd's largest works. The building was listed as part of the Pittsburgh Public Schools multiple resource area.
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 86002716, listed September 30, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1101 N. Murtland St., Pittsburgh |
|---|---|
| County | Allegheny County |
| Listed | September 30, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86002716 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1921-1940 |
| Architect / builder | Ingham & Boyd (architects) |
| Architectural style | Neo-Classical |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition recorded as good; in use as a school at the time of survey. |
| Acreage | 4 |
| Coordinates | 40.46085, -79.90089 (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 86002716.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7988945
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.