In 1916, the Wilkinsburg Train Station opened with a three-day celebration and so much fanfare that more than 100,000 people are said to have attended. But when Amtrak discontinued service to the city in 1975, the station shut down, marking the end of an era for the once-prosperous city. For half a century, it sat rotting in a state of disrepair, dilapidated and stuck with a massive hole in its roof.
But if you look inside today, you’d hardly be able to tell it was the same building.
That’s the fault of Wilkinsburg’s community leaders and the Wilkinsburg Community Development Corporation, who spearheaded a $6.5 million restoration effort beginning in 2016 with the goal of preserving the station’s Beaux-Arts architectural style and honoring the venue as a historic landmark.
Article by Ollie Gratzinger – Featured in the Pittsburgh Magazine, September 24, 2021