Grant Building

Grant Building

View of the Grant Building from Mt. Washington.
General information
Type Commercial offices
Architectural style Art Deco / Art Moderne
Location 310 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Coordinates 40°26′15″N 79°59′51″W / 40.43750°N 79.99750°W / 40.43750; -79.99750Coordinates: 40°26′15″N 79°59′51″W / 40.43750°N 79.99750°W / 40.43750; -79.99750
Construction started 1927
Completed 1929
Cost $5.5 million
($75.8 million today)
Height
Roof 147.8 m (485 ft)
Technical details
Floor count 40
5 below ground
Floor area 400,000 sq ft (37,161 m2)
Lifts/elevators 12
Design and construction
Architect Henry Hornbostel
Eric Fisher Wood
Developer W. J. Strassburger
Main contractor Dwight P. Robinson & Company
References
[1][2][3][4]

The Grant Building is 40-story, 147.8 m (485 ft) skyscraper at 310 Grant Street in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The building was completed and opened on February 1, 1929[5] at a cost of $5.5 million ($75.8 million today). The art deco building's facade is built with Belgian granite, limestone, and brick. It was famous for a radio antenna that rose roughly 100–150 feet from the roof of the tower which had an aviation beacon that spelled out .--. .. - - ... -... ..- .-. --. .... or P-I-T-T-S-B-U-R-G-H in Morse Code. The beacon could be seen as far away as 150 miles (240 km) on clear nights. A smaller version of the beacon, still flashing out the name of the city remains to this day, although malfunctions with the relay switch have caused it to spell "P-I-T-E-T-S-B-K-R-R-H", and eventually "T-P-E-B-T-S-A-U-R-G-H" before being repaired on July 27, 2009.[6]

The tower on the roof also served as the broadcast antenna for radio station KDKA Pittsburgh. The radio station made its first broadcast from the building's third floor.[7]

Gallery

See also

References

Further reading

External links

Media related to Grant Building at Wikimedia Commons

Preceded by
Koppers Tower
Pittsburgh Skyscrapers by Height
485 feet (148 m)
Succeeded by
K&L Gates Center
Preceded by
Bell Telephone Building
Pittsburgh Skyscrapers by Year of Completion
1929
Succeeded by
Koppers Tower
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