Allegheny County PA Archives News.....Handsome New Station [ed. note: P&LE sta. at Pittsburgh] April 5, 1901
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Dan Cupper cupper@att.net March 22, 2011, 11:29 pm

Connellsville (Pa.) Courier April 5, 1901
HANDSOME NEW STATION

Of Pittsburg & Lake Erie Railroad at
Pittsburg Opened Monday.

DESCRIPTION OF THE BUILDING.

Commensurate with Smoky City’s Importance as a
Railroad Center.

WITH BEFITTING ceremonies the new station of the Pittsburg & Lake Erie 
Railroad Company at Pittsburg was opened to the traveling public Monday. It is 
the first of two new passenger railroad stations and office buildings that 
have been under construction for many months and which are of size and beauty 
commensurate with the importance of Pittsburg as a railroad center. The second 
of these new stations is the new Union depot of the Pennsylvania Company.

The new Lake Erie station is located on Smithfield street between the bridge 
across the Monongahela river and Carson street, standing out prominently 
against the dark hill of Mt. Washington and commands a fine view of the river 
and surroundings. The building proper is about 120 feet high from the ground 
or waiting room floor to the highest point. It is 11 stories with a basement 
and machine room below.

The three lower stories are built of Beaver Valley brown sandstone, and the 
remaining four stories of vitrified brick and terra cotta trimmings. The 
balustrade around the building, belt courses, frames around window openings, 
ornamental panels and garlands forming frieze of buildings are all terra 
cotta, and in the center of the Smithfield street facade there is a terra 
cotta model of the latest type of freight locomotive now used on the Pittsburg 
& Lake Erie road, indicative of the source from which the road derives its 
great earnings.

To the right of the building there is a walk, an exit from trains, 14 feet in 
width and built of ornamental iron with glass roof, leading from Smithfield 
street down an easy flight of steps and back to the train shed. From this 
concourse there is a branch covered way leading to cab stand and driveway 
under main approach to building, for convenience of passengers requiring cabs.

The main approach, which sets back from Smithfield street 65 feet, is in the 
form of a half circle, and has a series of ten large ornamental iron lamps 
resting on stone pedestals of balustrade forming approach. In the center of 
this approach or driveway there is a large porte cochere, protecting the main 
entrance, and built of ornamental iron with glass roof formed in panels by 
iron beams, and supported on ornamental iron columns. The main entrance is 
under this porte cochere and enters into a foyer hall through an open 
vestibule built of polished granite. Upon entering the foyer there is seen a 
series of arches elaborately decorated, springing from large sienna marble 
piers and pilasters.

In the center of the foyer hall there is an open court into the second story 
and surrounded by an Ionic colonade of sixteen sienna marble columns and a 
balustrade of the same material, forming a gallery all around the court. The 
center of both stories of the foyer are paneled, and highly decorated, the 
walls being of a rich dark red color and the floors are French marble mosaic 
bordered by a Grecian design in colors of the same materials.

The foyer hall is illuminated by ornamented electric light fixtures in panels 
of ceiling and in frieze of cornice around court, also by two beautiful bronze 
standards of twelve lights each on pedestals at either side of the grand 
staircase.

Between the center arches entering to corridors on either side of foyers there 
are a pair of bronze folding gates with graceful bronze grille above, the 
intention being that these gates shall be closed at three o’clock each day, at 
which time the general offices will be closed to the public.

At the north end of the foyer there is a marble staircase 17 feet wide leading 
down into the general waiting room. The balustrade at the sides of the stairs 
being of Jaune antique marble, treads of French marble mosaic and risers of 
medium marble held together with heavy bronze mosing.

The general waiting room is located on the ground floor in the center of the 
building, 

the plan being somewhat the shape of a maltese cross like that of a church, 
with nave and transepts, the transepts being only two stories high, while the 
central portion or nave is about three and a half stories high. The roof of 
the nave is supported by four large beautiful sienna marble columns highly 
polished, of the Corinthian order, and well proportioned, resting on Jaune 
antique marble pedestals with green base. There are also four other columns 
and 24 pilasters of the same height and material, carrying the plaster beams 
and ceiling of transept and nave. The transepts are each divided into three 
sections and in each section the ceiling is again divided into 12 panels by 
ornamental plaster beams, highly decorated.

The offices of the company occupy the remainder of the building, and are 
finished in Flemish oak and furnished in English oak. The suite of rooms 
occupied by the Vice President and General Manager is furnished in mahogany, 
has polished oak floors carpeted with Persian rugs. The private offices of 
heads of departments also have polished oak floors and Persian rugs. The 
remaining offices are covered with the best English cork linoleum.

The corridors throughout the building are tastefully decorated, the walls 
being of a terra cotta color, the finish of Flemish oak and all floors of 
marble mosaic with colored border. The eastern half of first floor is occupied 
by the General Superintendent, J.B Yohe, and his department, including the 
dispatchers’ room, which is one of the finest equipped of its kind in the 
country. The other half of the first floor is occupied by the Purchasing 
Agent, R. Evans, with the exception of a room at the rear for the trainmen.
From the second to the seventh story the building is occupied with office 
rooms for the several departments of the road, branches and leased lines, and 
for rooms and quarters for the trainmen.


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