Highland Park Residential Historic District

The Highland Park Residential Historic District [†], located in Pittsburgh’s East End, Allegheny County, is a well-preserved residential neighborhood adjacent to the city-owned Highland Park landscape park, approximately seven miles from downtown Pittsburgh. Positioned on a hill’s back slope above the Allegheny River’s south bank, the district is bounded by the Negley Run ravine to the east and Heth’s Run ravine to the west, with a gradual southern slope toward the East Liberty valley. Spanning roughly 12 blocks east-west and 7 blocks north-south, the district’s development began in the late 19th century, peaked between 1900 and 1930, and largely concluded by 1940, driven by Pittsburgh’s industrial growth and streetcar electrification. It retains exceptional historical and architectural integrity, reflecting suburban expansion trends of the era.

Architectural and Physical Characteristics

The district encompasses 1,967 buildings, all contributing to its character, with 1,850 primary buildings (mostly residences, but also churches and stores) and 117 secondary buildings (e.g., architecturally significant garages). Of these, 93% (1,830) are residential, 1% (24) are commercial, and less than 1% (5) are institutional, including schools and churches. Approximately 90% (1,764) of the resources are contributing, meaning they date from the period of significance (1860–c.1940) and retain historical integrity, while 10% (203) are noncontributing due to post-1940 construction or significant alterations. Two schools, Fulton and Dilworth, are already listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Buildings are predominantly 2 to 2.5-story single- or two-family homes, constructed with brick or stone masonry exteriors, featuring gabled or hipped roofs. They are set back from streets to allow for front yards and gardens, often mandated by deed restrictions before Pittsburgh’s 1923 zoning code. The district’s architectural diversity is a hallmark, showcasing prominent 19th- and 20th-century styles:

Twentieth-century infill includes brick or stucco residences and duplexes in Arts & Crafts, Period Revival, and vernacular “builder” styles. Notable non-residential buildings include 24 commercial structures, primarily three-story brick buildings along Bryant Street’s business district (e.g., 5719 Bryant St., Classical Revival, 1911), and institutional buildings like St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church (1905–1909, Gothic Revival) with its prominent tower, and the Second United Presbyterian Church (1901, Gothic Revival, now a community center). The 22-story Parkview Apartments (1961), a noncontributing Miesian high-rise, and St. Andrew’s Church tower are the only buildings exceeding four stories.

Street Layout and Topography

The district’s streets form a grid pattern, with principal north-south arteries including N. Negley, N. Highland, and Stanton Avenues, and east-west streets like Bryant, Hampton, and Wellesley. N. Negley and N. Highland Avenues divide the district into three topographic zones:

1. West of N. Negley: Gently slopes to King Avenue, then drops into Heth’s Run ravine north of Hampton Street or flattens south of Hampton.
2. Between N. Negley and N. Highland: Generally flat, with a rise toward Highland Park north of Bryant Street; brick-paved alleys bisect blocks for rear access.
3. East of N. Highland: Slopes upward to Heberton Street, then downward to Negley Run ravine below Stanton Avenue.

Streets are tree-lined, flanked by sidewalks (some with original stone slabs), enhancing the neighborhood’s suburban aesthetic. Deed restrictions and later zoning ensured consistent setbacks and low-density development, maintaining a cohesive character.

Historical Development

The district’s development reflects Pittsburgh’s industrial and suburban growth, catalyzed by key factors outlined by historian Kenneth Jackson: urban population growth, economic restructuring, mass transit advancements, and a romanticized view of country living. The area’s history began with Alexander Negley’s 1778 purchase of a 278-acre farm, followed by his son Jacob’s acquisition of adjacent land in 1799. Jacob Negley’s prominence in East Liberty, including paving the Greensburg & Pittsburgh Turnpike and founding local institutions, set the stage for later development. The 1837 subdivision of the Negley estate initiated land parcelization, with streets like Negley and Highland Avenues formalized by 1837.

Significant growth followed the 1852 Pennsylvania Railroad connection through East Liberty and the 1868 annexation of Pitt Township by Pittsburgh. The electrification of streetcar lines (1890–1896) halved travel time to downtown, spurring rapid residential development in the East End, including Highland Park, Shadyside, and Friendship. The 1879 reservoir and 1889 establishment of Highland Park (enhanced by the 1898 Pittsburgh Zoo) further elevated the area’s appeal. By 1900, Highland Park was a fashionable neighborhood, with “millionaires’ row” mansions along N. Highland Avenue (e.g., Edward Bigelow’s 1885 house at 837 N. Highland) and speculative middle-class housing filling flatter areas.

The district’s peak construction occurred from 1900–1910, when half the houses west of N. Highland were built, driven by developers like Charles Miller and Co. A second boom in the 1920s, enabled by automobiles, developed hilly eastern sections and cul-de-sacs like Greystone Street, with denser double houses and small apartment buildings. Construction slowed during the Great Depression and halted by World War II. Post-1940 building was minimal, constrained by scarce lots, with scattered single-family homes (e.g., 826 N. Highland, c.1950, International Style) and apartment buildings like the Art Deco Negley Park Apartments (1948–1949).

Integrity and Significance

The district retains high integrity, with minimal demolitions, few vacant lots, and alterations (e.g., window replacements, artificial siding) that do not compromise its historic character. Noncontributing buildings, often post-war or heavily altered, are scattered and do not detract from the district’s cohesion. The scale, density, and architectural character reflect early 20th-century suburban ideals.

Under National Register Criterion C, the district is significant for its architectural diversity and embodiment of Pittsburgh’s suburban development from 1860 to c.1940. It illustrates the transition from large country estates to a dense, middle- and upper-class residential neighborhood, driven by industrial wealth and transportation advancements. The district’s comparison to Friendship (faster-developing, flatter, and more commercially influenced) and Morningside (later-developing, less elaborate, and more vernacular) highlights its unique balance of isolation, affluence, and architectural richness, preserved by community efforts post-World War II.