The Pennsylvania Canal, sometimes known as the Pennsylvania Canal system, was a complex system of transportation infrastructure improvements, including

canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface ...

s, dams, locks, tow paths, aqueducts, and

viaduct A viaduct is a specific type of bridge that consists of a series of arches, piers or columns supporting a long elevated railway or road. Typically a viaduct connects two points of roughly equal elevation, allowing direct overpass across a wide ...

s. The canal was constructed and assembled over several decades beginning in 1824, the year of the first

enabling act An enabling act is a piece of legislation by which a legislative body grants an entity which depends on it (for authorization or legitimacy) for the delegation of the legislative body's power to take certain actions. For example, enabling act ...

and budget items.The political push to create the system was inspired by competition with New York and Baltimore, all three vying to be the premier major port city, and in particular, the continuing construction of the

Erie Canal The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east–west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigability, navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, ...

, begun in 1817. The news that construction of the Erie was expected on schedule, in 1825 added fuel to what had become a frenzy. The Erie began operations on October 26, 1825, further inspiring Pennsylvanians to over achieve in the Great Works projects. Portaging over the Alleghenies by 1834 was one result, though the Delaware Canal project was delayed to fund the western infrastructure connecting Allegheny County to the Center and Eastern state. Enacted while railroads were in their infancy, the Pennsylvania Canal was designed to create a canal system that was capable of carrying heavy ships carrying bulk goods, connecting the major metropolitan cities of

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

and

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

, and reaching the new growth markets in the developing

Northwest Territory The Northwest Territory, also known as the Old Northwest and formally known as the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, was formed from part of the unorganized western territory of the United States after the American Revolution. Established ...

over the

Ohio River The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its river mouth, mouth on the Mississippi Riv ...

, now known as the

Midwestern United States The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern central part of the United States. It ...

.City fathers in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

and

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

were undertaking similar actions to build their states' future commerce, resulting in the proposal and company formed to build a canal from

to the Monongahela and another across

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

, which spawned the

Baltimore and Ohio Railroad The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the oldest railroads in North America, oldest railroad in the United States and the first steam engine, steam-operated common carrier. Construction of the line began in 1828, and it operated as B&O from 1830 ...

.
In

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, the financial and political scheming to get a lock on the emerging Midwest markets would begin with the

and work up through the

Delaware and Hudson Canal The Delaware and Hudson Canal was the first venture of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, which would later build the Delaware and Hudson Railway. Between 1828 and 1899, the canal's barges carried anthracite coal from the mines of northeast ...

and the

New York Central Railroad The New York Central Railroad was a railroad primarily operating in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The railroad primarily connected New York metropolitan area, gr ...

. The Pennsylvania Canal was updated in 1837 to reflect the experience of twelve years of toddler-railways,Several key early railroads were added later in 1837 after word of early British successes reached the United states, and the first group of rail lines begun in the US (1826–1828) proved their worth. The term was also applied to railroads and new canals to be added to the state transportation system. The

Main Line of Public Works The Main Line of Public Works was a package of legislation passed by the Pennsylvania, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1826 to establish a means of transporting freight between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. It funded the construction of various lon ...

and the Pennsylvania Canal system topped in elevation by erecting the

Allegheny Portage Railroad The Allegheny Portage Railroad was the first railroad constructed through the Allegheny Mountains in central Pennsylvania. It operated from 1834 to 1854 as the first transportation infrastructure through the gaps of the Allegheny that connecte ...

, which used a system of five inclines and five planes on each side of the Eastern Continental Divide at Cresson Pass in Cambria County to actually haul wheeled flat cars, which had halved canal boats placed on them, up and over the

Allegheny Front The Allegheny Front is the major southeast- or east-facing escarpment in the Allegheny Mountains in southern Pennsylvania, western Maryland, eastern West Virginia, and western Virginia. The Allegheny Front forms the boundary between the Ridge-an ...

and connect Pittsburgh to the

Susquehanna River The Susquehanna River ( ; Unami language, Lenape: ) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, crossing three lower Northeastern United States, Northeast states (New York, Pennsylvani ...

. When finished in 1834, the trip from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh could be made in three to five days, weather conditions depending.

Background

In the fifty years before 1830, the new west was settled and steadily growing as people poured westwards along the various Emigrant Trails into the

Midwest The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern central part of the United States. It ...

to destinations on a million new farms and towns throughout the watershed of the

Mississippi Valley The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

towards the lands organized in the

. The goal of the

s was to enhance commerce and lower transportation costs between east and west, better joining the trans-Allegheny region to the eastern seaboard; this was a commercially motivated act with an eye towards servicing the growing markets of the new fast growing western settlements (Midwest) to the manufactories of the East. Provision was made in the later legislation to tie in and even extend privately built canals such as the

Lehigh Canal The Lehigh Canal is a navigable canal that begins at the mouth of Nesquehoning Creek on the Lehigh River in the Lehigh Valley and Northeastern regions of Pennsylvania. It was built in two sections over a span of 20 years beginning in 1818. Th ...

, not technically part of the Pennsylvania Canal system, and link them and the state's infant railroads to the public system and add to its value. The canal linking

to the

, the proposed Pennsylvania Canal from Philadelphia to the

Wright's Ferry Wright's Ferry was a Pennsylvania Colony settlement established by John Wright in 1726, that grew up around the site of an important Inn and Pub anchoring the eastern end of a popular animal powered ferry (1730–1901) and now a historic part ...

landing in

Columbia, Pennsylvania Columbia, formerly Wright's Ferry, is a borough (town) in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 10,222. It is southeast of Harrisburg, on the east (left) bank of the Susquehanna River, ...

, was overtaken by technological events. Instead of pouring money into building a ditch, permission was sought by the investors to use its right of way to replace it in the

scheme by a railway, a new developing technology, which resulted in the

Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad (P&CR) (1834) was one of the earliest commercial railroads in the United States, running from Philadelphia to Columbia, Pennsylvania, Columbia, Pennsylvania, it was built by the Pennsylvania Canal Commission in l ...

(1834). Since they were built above ground, railways were easier and cheaper to build, since no ditches needed to be dug with human muscle power, nor did they require feed waters to be located and aqueducts built to provide them. The plan also included a visionary scheme to build a ramp system which would roll canal boats over the

Allegheny Mountains The Allegheny Mountain Range ( ) — also spelled Alleghany or Allegany, less formally the Alleghenies — is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the Eastern United States and Canada. Historically it represented a significant barr ...

at an elevation over through the broad uneven saddle of Cresson Pass. Though most of the canals no longer have any function, some segments retain value as historic and recreational sites. Both the Delaware Canal and the lower

were kept busy into the tough financial years of the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

. The right of way authorized for the Upper Lehigh Canal became an extension of the Lehigh and Susquehanna Railroad (LH&S), which the 1837 revised act had established to connect the

Wyoming Valley The Wyoming Valley is a historic industrialized region of Northeastern Pennsylvania. The region is historically notable for its influence in helping fuel the American Industrial Revolution with its many anthracite coal mines. As a metropolitan ar ...

to the

Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and is the longest free-flowing (undammed) river in the Eastern United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock, New York, the river flows for a ...

navigations; the railway would eventually parallel the entire Lehigh Canal operated by its parent LHC&N. The route from Philadelphia to Wilkes-Barre over the Lehigh and LH&S or eventual LH&S cut over off the trip, including a similar distance saving Philadelphia to

via Pitston Landing's canal docks. The first three tunnels of any kind in the US were built in support of the Allegheny Portage Railway, They were also converted into railway tunnels in 1854 when the

Pennsylvania Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad ( reporting mark PRR), legal name as the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, also known as the "Pennsy," was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At its ...

bought the Allegheny Portage Railway from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. and all of them were converted to railroad tunnels.

History

18th century

The canal era began in

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

in 1797 with the Conewago Canal, which carried riverboats around Conewago Falls on the

near York Haven.

19th century

Spurred by construction of the

(constructed between 1817 and 1825) and the perceived competitive advantage it would give

New York state New York, also called New York State, is a state in the northeastern United States. Bordered by New England to the east, Canada to the north, and Pennsylvania and New Jersey to the south, its territory extends into both the Atlantic Ocean and ...

in moving people and materials to and from the interior of the continent, Pennsylvanians built hundreds of miles of canals during the early 19th century. These included the privately funded

in 1818, which improved

water transport Maritime transport (or ocean transport) or more generally waterborne transport, is the transport of people (passengers or goods (cargo) via waterways. Freight transport by watercraft has been widely used throughout recorded history, as it pr ...

on the lower

Lehigh River The Lehigh River () is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 tributary of the Delaware River in eastern Pennsylvania. The river flows in a generally southward ...

from

Jim Thorpe James Francis Thorpe (; May 22 or 28, 1887March 28, 1953) was an American athlete who won Olympic gold medals and played professional American football, football, baseball, and basketball. A citizen of the Sac and Fox Nation, Thorpe was ...

to Easton at the confluence with the

via

Allentown Allentown may refer to: Places * Allentown, California, now called Toadtown, California * Allentown, Georgia, a city in four counties in Georgia * Allentown, Illinois, an unincorporated community in Tazewell County * Allentown, New Jersey, a boroug ...

and

Bethlehem Bethlehem is a city in the West Bank, Palestine, located about south of Jerusalem, and the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate. It had a population of people, as of . The city's economy is strongly linked to Tourism in the State of Palesti ...

. The Lehigh Canal enabled the first regular reliable supplies of

anthracite Anthracite, also known as hard coal and black coal, is a hard, compact variety of coal that has a lustre (mineralogy)#Submetallic lustre, submetallic lustre. It has the highest carbon content, the fewest impurities, and the highest energy densit ...

coal to reach eastern manufactories and two canals built later by Pennsylvania stock companies, the

Schuylkill Canal The Schuylkill Canal, or Schuylkill Navigation, was a system of interconnected canals and slack-water pools along the Schuylkill River in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, built as a commercial waterway in the early 19th-century. Chartered in 1815 ...

, which started in

and ended in Port Carbon, and the Union Canal, which started in

Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...

and ended in Middletown. By 1834, the

, a system of interlocking canals, railways, and

inclined plane An inclined plane, also known as a ramp, is a flat supporting surface tilted at an angle from the vertical direction, with one end higher than the other, used as an aid for raising or lowering a load. The inclined plane is one of the six clas ...

s, was hauling passengers and freight up to between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Though not all in concurrent operation, the total length of the canals built in Pennsylvania eventually reached . By 1840, work had been completed not only on the Main Line of Public Works but on many other lines, officially called "divisions". The Main Line consisted of the Eastern Division, the Juniata Division, the Western Division, the

, and the

. North–south divisions operated along the

in the east, the Susquehanna River in the middle of the state, and the Beaver River in the west. A few additions were completed after 1840. By 1850, steam engine technology had advanced to having the ability to produce locomotives with sufficient power to move freight, including bulk goods such as coal and grain, so railroads had already begun displacing canals as the preferred method of long-distance transportation, as they also offered speed. In 1852, the

(PRR) began offering rail service from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, and in 1857, it bought the Main Line Canal from the state. In 1859, all canals owned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania were sold. The PRR formed the Pennsylvania Canal Company in 1867 and continued to use canals to haul freight. The canal business, however, declined steadily in the last quarter of the 19th century, and most Pennsylvania canals no longer functioned after 1900.

State built

The state funded the following canals in Pennsylvania. For interstate canals, the listed mileage is for the Pennsylvania portion only.

Pennsylvania Main Line Canal

* Eastern Division-Pennsylvania Canal, Columbia to Clarks Ferry, * Juniata Division-Pennsylvania Canal, Juniata Aqueduct to Hollidaysburg, * Western Division-Pennsylvania Canal, Johnstown to Pittsburgh, * Allegheny Outlet-Pennsylvania Canal, Western Division to Allegheny River, * Kittanning Feeder, Kittanning to Western Division,

Susquehanna network

: These canals are all connected directly to branches of the

, and most are technically Navigations. * Pennsylvania Canal (Susquehanna Division), Clarks Ferry to Northumberland, * Pennsylvania Canal (West Branch Division), Northumberland to Farrandsville, * North Branch Division-->, Northumberland to New York State line, * Wiconisco Canal, Clarks Ferry to Millersburg, * Lewisburg Cut, West Branch Division to Lewisburg, * Bald Eagle Cut, West Branch Division through Lock Haven to Bald Eagle Creek,

Beaver and Erie

* Beaver Division, Ohio River at Beaver to Pulaski, * Shenango Division, Pulaski to Conneaut Lake, * Conneaut Division, Conneaut to Erie, * French Creek Feeder, Meadville to Conneaut Lake, * Franklin Line, French Creek Feeder to Franklin,

Delaware

* Delaware Division, Easton to Bristol,

Privately built

Private entities, including foreign investors, funded the following canals in Pennsylvania. For interstate canals, the listed mileage is for the Pennsylvania portion only. * Bald Eagle and Spring Creek Navigation Canal, Bellefonte to Bald Eagle Cut, * Codorus Navigation,

York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...

, * Conestoga Navigation,

Lancaster Lancaster may refer to: Lands and titles *The County Palatine of Lancaster, a synonym for Lancashire *Duchy of Lancaster, one of only two British royal duchies *Duke of Lancaster *Earl of Lancaster *House of Lancaster, a British royal dynasty ...

to Susquehanna River, * Conewago Canal, around Conewago Falls on Susquehanna, *

, Honesdale to Rondout, New York, *

, White Haven to Easton, Grand Canal (1848-1862) The Lehigh was built in two stages, the lower canal running built in 1818-1820 connected the coal fields from the slack water pool at

to Easton on the

, where it provided coal to the Delaware & Raritan Canal to

Princeton Princeton University is a private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the Unit ...

, and Trenton in

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

via the Delaware Canal to

, and by conveyance on the

to oceanic shipping vessels. The 1837 revision of the Main Line of Public Works authorized the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company to build the upper canal division from White Haven to the Lehigh Gorge and the docks and railroads at Mauch Chunk, and build railroads from the Pennsylvania Canal docks on the

Pittston Pittston is a city in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city lies in the Wyoming Valley on the east side of the Susquehanna River and on the south side of the Lackawanna River. It is approximately midway between Wilkes-Barre, Pen ...

to Mountain Top via the Ashley Planes

cable railway A cable railway is a railway that uses a Wire rope, cable, rope or chain to haul trains. It is a specific type of cable transportation. The most common use for a cable railway is to move vehicles on a Grade (slope), steeply graded line that is t ...

, which roseg from Ashley in . At the top trains descended by gravity to the new extended canal head at White Haven and returned by locomotive propulsion. * Junction Canal, Athens to

Elmira, New York Elmira () is a Administrative divisions of New York#City, city in and the county seat of Chemung County, New York, United States. It is the principal city of the Elmira, New York, metropolitan statistical area, which encompasses Chemung County. ...

, * Leiper Canal, Crum Creek near

Chester, Pennsylvania Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located in the Philadelphia metropolitan area (also known as the Delaware Valley) on the western bank of the Delaware River between Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware. ...

, several miles * Monongahela Navigation Company * Muncy Cut, Muncy to West Branch Susquehanna, * Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal, New Castle to

Akron, Ohio Akron () is a city in Summit County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Ohio, fifth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 190,469 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Akron metr ...

, * Pine Grove Feeder, Union Canal to Pine Grove, *

Sandy and Beaver Canal Sandy may refer to: People and fictional characters *Sandy (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or nickname * Sandy (surname), a list of people * Sandy (Iranian music band), Iranian singer, comp ...

, Glasgow to

Bolivar, Ohio Bolivar (, rhymes with Oliver) is a village in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,000 at the 2020 census. Bolivar is also home to Fort Laurens, the only American Revolutionary War-era fort in what is now Ohio. History ...

, *

, Port Carbon to

, * Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal, Columbia to

Havre de Grace, Maryland Havre de Grace (), abbreviated HdG, is a city in Harford County, Maryland, Harford County, Maryland, United States. It is situated at the mouth of the Susquehanna River and the head of Chesapeake Bay. It is named after the port city of Le Havre ...

, * Union Canal,

to Middletown, successor to the Schuylkill and Susquehanna Navigation Company

Parks, monuments, historic places

Several canal segments or other canal infrastructure in Pennsylvania are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. One complete canal, the Delaware Canal, is the main feature of Delaware Canal State Park (formerly Theodore Roosevelt State Park) between Bristol and Easton. It is continuously intact for its full length of . Other Pennsylvania canal infrastructure on the National Register includes the following: *

, from Johnstown to Hollidaysburg, which is both a National Historic Site and a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

. The portage railroad begins where the canal ends in Hollidaysburg. This site is now the home of the Canal Basin Park. * D & H Canal Company office, scenic drive, northwest side of Lackawaxen Township * Juniata Division, guard lock and feeder dam, Raystown Branch,

Juniata River The Juniata River () is a tributary of the Susquehanna River, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed August 8, 2011 in central Pennsylvania. The river is ...

, east of

Huntingdon Huntingdon is a market town in the Huntingdonshire district of Cambridgeshire, England. The town was given its town charter by John, King of England, King John in 1205. It was the county town of the historic county of Huntingdonshire. Oliver C ...

, south of U.S. Route 22, near Springfield, Pennsylvania * Juniata Division, of canal between the Pennsylvania Railroad main line and the

in Granville Township * Leesport Lock House, a Lockhouse on the Schuylkill Canal in Leesport * Lehigh Canal,

to Hopeville section,

near

* Lehigh Canal, Carbon County section along Lehigh River, Weissport and vicinity * Lehigh Canal, Glendon and Abbott Street Industrial Sites, Lehigh River from Hopeville to confluence of Lehigh and Delaware Rivers near Easton * Lehigh Canal, Lehigh Gap to South Walnutport boundary * Lehigh Canal, Walnutport to Allentown section,

and vicinity * Schuylkill Navigation Canal, Oakes Reach section, north and east bank of

Schuylkill River The Schuylkill River ( , ) is a river in eastern Pennsylvania. It flows for U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map(). accessed April 1, 2011. from Pottsville, Pennsylvania, Pottsville ...

from Pennsylvania Route 113 to Lock 61 * Union Canal Tunnel, west of

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

off

Pennsylvania Route 72 Pennsylvania Route 72 (PA 72) is a north–south state route located in southeast Pennsylvania. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 222 (US 222)/Pennsylvania Route 272, PA 272 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Lancaster. The north ...

* West Branch Division, canal and Limestone Run aqueduct, Milton * Western Division, canal north of Torrance in Westmoreland County * Western Division, canal along the

Conemaugh River The Conemaugh River is a tributary of the Kiskiminetas River in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, Westmoreland, Indiana County, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Cambria County, Pennsylvania, Cambria counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The ...

, near Robinson

Notes

References

External links

"Pennsylvania's Canal Era"
Pennsylvania Canal Society {{Authority control 19th-century disestablishments in Pennsylvania 19th-century establishments in Pennsylvania Canals in Pennsylvania Canals on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania National Register of Historic Places in Pittsburgh Transportation buildings and structures in Pittsburgh