Secret Pittsburgh

Where in Pittsburgh did famous musicians like Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong play when they would stop by and visit? The answer is no other than the oldest African-American community in Pittsburgh: The Hill District. Once a vibrant middle-class neighborhood known for its lively jazz scene, the Hill was also the home of Pulitzer and Tony-winning playwright August Wilson. The Hill is at the center of the ‘Pittsburgh Cycle’, a series of ten plays where the “Theater’s Poet of Black America,” as he is also referred to, chronicles his experience growing up in the neighborhood. The August Wilson House at 1727 Bedford Avenue, where Wilson was raised by his mother in a two-bedroom apartment right above a grocery store, is one of the Hill District’s hidden gems. In 2008, it was placed on the list of “City of Pittsburgh Historic Designations.” During the first half of the 20th century, the Hill was the “crossroads of the world,” contributing music, literature, and arts that shaped American culture (City of Pittsburgh). Despite its success, the Hill District sadly underwent a severe decline following urban “revitalization” efforts launched by the city in the 1950s and 1960s, including the construction of the Civic Arena and surrounding parking lots. Besides the August Wilson House, the neighborhood features historical homes and venues that remind visitors of its cultural heyday. Some of these include the YMCA, the New Granada Theater, and the Hill House Kaufmann Auditorium. The scene of fierce resistance during the Civil Rights movement, the neighborhood also reminds us of the connections between today’s Black Lives Matter movement and the days of Martin Luther King.

Click here to view a photo essay presentation about the August Wilson House and its history.

Works Cited

Harris, Charles "Teenie". Billboard inscribed “Attention: City Hall and U.R.A. No Redevelopment Beyond This Point! We Demand Low Income Housing for the Lower Hill, C.C.H.D.R., N.A.A.C.P., Poor People’s Campaign, Model Cities,” at Crawford Street near intersection of Centre Avenue, Hill District. 1969, Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh. https://collection.cmoa.org/objects/48e8a97d-8992-45ed-a473-e12e16c83d2c.

Simon, Ed. An Alternative History of Pittsburgh. Belt Publishing, 2021.

“The Greater Hill District Master Plan.” City of Pittsburgh., https://pittsburghpa.gov/dcp/hill-district.

Wilson, August. Two Trains Running. New York: Plume, 1993.