The "h" was added to "Pittsburgh" after our 1st Pittsburgh renaissance in 1946. Any building like this one which pre -dates the renaissance.

[Pittsburgh was without an "h" only between 1890 to 1911. The full story is here. - tterrace]

Below is the same view from July of 2011.

Why were so many train stations named "Union Station"?

[Because they were served by more than one railroad. - Dave]

The vaulted ceiling actually says Pittsburg rather than Pittsburgh, since the station was built during the time all place names were supposed to be standardized. That's my favorite part!

Unfortunately, the enormous train shed at the back of the building is gone. Today, if you take a train out of Pittsburgh, you leave from a tiny little metal building below and to the left of the building.

Still, this is a marvelous Pittsburgh landmark, made extra imposing by its siting. Because of the hill and the train lines, there's nothing around it. When you drive up Liberty Avenue from downtown, you round a corner and there it is in front of you.

Wow! I didn't realize that this structure still exists intact, which is amazing in this day and age. I was in it as part of a rail journey from Philly, in the summer of 1956, to Beaver PA, to begin working at my first career job for the Koppers Company in Kobuta, on the Ohio River. The only other time I was in that RR station was in June 1994, when my family came with me to see our eldest son graduate from Pitt Law School.

I live here, I practice here, I am still amazed at how many of the great buildings still exist. Sometimes I have to remind myself to look up and gaze at the fabulous architcture of the buildings in Pittsburgh. BTW the parade yesterday started right here, at what is now the Pennsylvanian.

Look at number of wires on the telephone pole to the left. And it probably carried a small fraction of what one line would today.

It is really nice to see that some of our historic architecture still stands. It seems that so many of the modern buildings get torn down after 25 - 30 - 40 years and replaced with another disposable building.

In 1902, the Pirates were champs of the National League. I doubt Honus Wagner did a mosh pit jump into the crowd during the victory parade like Troy Polamalu did yesterday though. Absolutely gorgeous building, and it's great that it is still there!

Congrats Super Bowl XLIII Champion Pittsburgh Steelers!

. . . at least the main building does -- and the entry way (there must be another word for it) is much more impressive when you stand in the middle of it and consider the vaulted ceiling.

Not only is the building still there, but you can now live in it.

http://www.thepennsylvanian.com/