Tucked behind a playground and a ball field in the shadow of Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood lies a 200-year-old building which stood witness to the largest civilian disaster of the Civil War. While most of the Allegheny Arsenal is now gone, the powder magazine is still standing as a reminder of this nearly-forgotten …
Nowadays the house doesn’t look like much. In fact, the building has been condemned and there are missing walls and broken windows. It will take millions of dollars to restore the house to its former glory, but former glory it once had. This house was once home to the National Negro Opera Company and saw …
Located just outside of Philadelphia, the abandoned Mount Moriah Cemetery is little-by-little being reclaimed by nature. In fact, at first glance, you might think it the set of some sort of movie instead of the final resting place of thousands of Philadelphians. What is unique about this cemetery is not just its storied history as …
We’ve all read about the horrors of the Civil War but it is often easy to forget the toll these battles took on the local citizens. Once the troops moved on, it didn’t mean that it was over for the townspeople. Instead, the armies left their injured and dead men and horses behind, along with …
When you think of Philadelphia, Victorian gardens might not be the first thing that comes to mind. It might surprise you then that there are quite a few gardens right outside of the city. One of these is Morris Arboretum, started by John and Lydia Morris, a wealthy brother and sister. Although it was started …
If you have ever been to Altoona, Pennsylvania you have probably figured out that the town has a rich history with railroading. This history is evident not only by noticing the current rail industry in the town, but also the many references that can be found regarding railroaders, railroading, and of course, the famous Horseshoe …
Right now in downtown Greensburg, off of Maple Avenue, is St. Clair Park. This unassuming city park is probably best known for its annual SummerSounds outdoor concert series held at the Robertshaw Amphitheater each summer. However, there is more history to this park than meets the eye. Last week we had a beautiful evening so …
Sitting high atop Troy Hill on the North Side of Pittsburgh is St. Anthony Chapel. On the outside it is a rather ordinary-looking church with twin spires and a statue of St. Anthony on the top. It sits several streets back from the Main Street and if you weren’t looking for it you might miss …
