Westinghouse Air Brake Company General Office Building
| Westinghouse Air Brake Company General Office Building | |
|---|---|
| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
 | |
| Location: | Marguerite and Bluff Sts., Wilmerding, Pennsylvania |
| Coordinates: | 40°23′31″N 79°48′27″W / 40.39194°N 79.8075°WCoordinates: 40°23′31″N 79°48′27″W / 40.39194°N 79.8075°W |
| Area: | 2 acres (0.81 ha) |
| Built: | 1890 |
| Architect: | Osterling,Frederick J.; Janssen & Cocken |
| Architectural style(s): | Renaissance, Romanesque, Chateauesque |
| Governing body: | Private |
| Added to NRHP: | March 06, 1987 |
| NRHP Reference#: | 87000376 |
The Westinghouse Air Brake Company General Office Building (Known locally as The Castle or Library Hall) in Wilmerding, Pennsylvania is a building from 1890. It was listed on the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation in 1975, National Register of Historic Places in 1987. Constructed by architect Frederick J. Osterling, the building has a four-sided clock tower, which was operated by a system of chains and pulleys. Additional designs and remodeling were done by Janssen & Cocken in 1927, which added the "Executive Wing", containing executive offices as well as conference and dining rooms.
This building contained the offices of the Westinghouse Air Brake Company, founded by George Westinghouse in 1869. The architectural style is a mix of Renaissance Revival and Romanesque. It was destroyed by a fire on 8 April 1896; the foundation, being made of brick, stone, and cement survived, however, and the structure was rebuilt upon the same foundation. It was during this reconstruction that the clock tower was added. At the time, the entire first floor was designed for employees' use, with accommodations such as a library, fully-equipped gymnasium, restaurant, swimming pool, and bowling alleys.
The building also housed a boiler house and light station, that supplied both steam and power to the plant, as well as various businesses in the community, such as the Wilmerding YMCA. Currently, it houses The George Westinghouse Museum, which is operated by Wilmerding Renewed, Inc. The museum is a non-profit organization that is run by volunteers. In 2007, the museum merged with the Heinz History Center.
References
Retrieved from : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westinghouse_Air_Brake_Company_General_Office_Building
