Update: The City Council Hearing on the historic designation for Roslyn Place is Tuesday May 9, 2017 at 1:30pm in City Council Chambers. The hearing is open to the public and meeting details from the City Clerk’s office are available online here.
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I know much has been published about this but thought it was worth a repost because it is a unique historic preservation find in Pittsburgh.
An interesting piece of history and a Pittsburgh fun facts, something that just might help you win a trivia game someday. Roslyn Place, a small dead-end street off Ellsworth in Shadyside is one of a handful of streets left that is still paved in wooden blocks, also know as Nicolson pavement.
Wooden pavement on Roslyn Place. Photo Credit: Preservation Pittsburgh.
Preservation Pittsburgh nominated Roslyn Place for historic designation last fall. You can read the entire application for historic designation here.
Some other recent articles about the Roslyn Place and it’s unique wooden pavement:
- Shadyside’s Roslyn Place a quirky, wood-block Pittsburgh wonder, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, February 17, 2017
- Surviving On Charm: Pittsburgh’s Last Wooden Street, WESA, May 29, 2015
- The Surprising Story of Pittsburgh’s Last Wooden Street, Pittsburgh Magazine, September 2015
Where else can you find wooden streets?
There are just a few of these wooden streets that still exists…
- Chicago still has a few wood block alleys. (More photos on Forgotten Chicago).
- St. Louis: 10th street between Olive and Locust Streets
- Philadelphia: 200 block of Camac Street
- Cleveland: Hessler Court
May is Preservation Month
If you like Pittsburgh history, you might be interested in reading about these buildings and preservation organizations:
- John Woods House, The Second Oldest House in Pittsburgh
- East Liberty Valley Historic Society
- Schenley High School
