Notable buildings by street Greensburg Downtown Historic District (Greensburg, Pennsylvania)

1 notable buildings street

1.1 ehalt street
1.2 harrison avenue
1.3 main street
1.4 otterman street
1.5 pittsburgh street

notable buildings street
ehalt street

ehalt street named jacob ehalt (1821–1885), german immigrant owned hotel on harrison avenue.

train station (1911)



greensburg train station (101 ehalt street, @ corner of harrison avenue) designed architect william cookman pennsylvania railroad in style has been described jacobean revival. pennsylvania railroad initiated service greensburg in 1852, , temporary structure served station few years. in 1860, one-story red brick station constructed, , passengers walked across tracks board westbound trains. in 1900s railroad expanded 2 tracks 4 tracks, , tracks elevated create more level right-of-way locomotives. these changes necessitated new station, current structure. when opened in 1911, 4 active tracks passed station, , there 2 passenger platforms, 1 platform serving 2 eastbound tracks , 1 platform serving 2 westbound tracks. station on level below tracks, passengers walk though pedestrian tunnel , stairs 1 of 2 platforms. currently, there 2 tracks passing through station, each served separate platform. amtrak provides regular passenger train service. old waiting room has been renovated use restaurant, , old baggage facility rented offices.

harrison avenue

harrison avenue named william henry harrison.

penn towers (137 harrison avenue), formerly penn-albert hotel, opened in 1923 , 1 of city s tallest structures, used housing senior citizens. designed edward j. nelson, has red brick facade , georgian revival details. building has 8 11 floors, depending on whether mezzanine-type floors or half-floors counted. main entrance on harrison avenue, hotel patron walk though short arcade lined shops, , go half-flight of stairs lobby, adjoined restaurant. ballroom on mezzanine level, , @ top there roof garden dancing , other events, open on sides, , later entirely enclosed. 2 highest guestroom floors, marked decorative frieze on facade, used suites designed long-term occupancy. in hotel s original name, penn referred william penn, , albert referred initial owner, john albert sheetz. article in 1923 magazine lists types of room , rates:


main street

in order north south:

bank , trust building (1896)



christ episcopal church (145 north main street) sandstone structure in gothic revival style, dating 1889.
union trust building (102 north main street) 2 story red brick building classical details built in 1921, once served bank , office facilities, including headquarters of westmoreland-fayette coal , coke company. westmoreland cultural trust acquired building in 2004. in current state, building has various retail , professional tenants, conference center operated trust.
sears department store (101 north main street), used offices, two-story brick classical revival structure built approximately in 1930.
bank , trust building (41 north main street) four-story 1896 romanesque revival building.

westmoreland county courthouse (1908)



westmoreland county courthouse (2 north main street) county s fourth courthouse, built 1906-08. remarkable dome, reminiscent of u.s. capitol, , interior atrium dominated grand staircase. architect william kauffman designed building in style has been variously described beaux arts, italian renaissance, , french renaissance. exterior has granite facade, , interior has 15 wall , ceiling murals artist maurice ingres.
1 north main street built in 1928 bank limestone facade in classical revival style. barclay-westmoreland trust, mellon bank, , later citizens bank.
first commonwealth bank (111 south main street), first national bank, later southwest bank, seven-story red brick building in classical revival style, built in 1924. paul bartholomew, designed troutman s , ymca, served architect.
st. vincent de paul (126 south main street) mccrory s, 1 of greensburg s 5 , 10s or variety stores. 1920s building used thrift shop society of st. vincent de paul. interior , exterior have changed little days 5 , 10 except basement level has been closed public.
masonic temple building (132 south main street) 4 story building italianate cast iron facade, used law offices. built in 1872, oldest building in historic district.


masonic temple (1872)



troutman s department store (202-226 south main street) once city s largest department store, used offices , seniors housing. has 6 stories limestone , terracotta facade in italianate style. main portion designed paul bartholomew , built in 1923, 1960s-era addition extending through south pennsylvania avenue.
first presbyterian church of greensburg (300 south main street) english gothic style church built in 1917, designed boston architect ralph adams cram, designed cathedral of saint john divine, new york, , many of buildings of princeton university.

otterman street

this street named after ludwig (or ludwick) otterman (originally ottoman) (1738–1791), settler.

palace theater (21 west otterman street), formerly manos theater, 3 story red brick structure art deco characteristics has been restored use live entertainment venue. original architects leon h. lempert , son of rochester, new york, , interior murals louis grell. initially, 1926 building had offices on second , apartments on third floors, shops , theater lobby on first floor, , combination billiard hall , bowling alleys in basement. on east side of palace theater, adjoining theater (variously known lomison opera house, keaggy theatre, , strand theater) torn down provide space courtyard , auxiliary facilities palace theater. renovations completed in september 2004 added megan s suite, expanded two-level suite table seating guests enjoy refreshments before show or during intermission.
stark / james building 3 story brick building @ corner of west otterman street , harrison avenue. older portion stark hotel (35, 39, , 41 west otterman street), built in 1889 , later known merchants hotel, , still later known new merchants hotel. extreme eastern segment of building house belonging mrs. c. h. stark, , predates 1889 date attributed stark hotel whole. easternmost segment believed include elements of 1796 structure. carved stone segment embedded in east wall, visible pennsylvania avenue, states cryptically, rebuilt 1888 1796 . hotel appealed traveling salesmen, , in final years provided cheap accommodations elderly tenants. westmoreland cultural trust acquired building in 2001, , tastefully renovated retail , office use. adjacent building, james building (33 west otterman street), acquired westmoreland cultural trust in 1996, , 2 structures managed single building.

cope hotel (1893)




pittsburgh street

note if streets had been named logically, pittsburgh street have been first street. there no first street in greensburg.

cope hotel (22 west pittsburgh street) 1 of greensburg s oldest hotels, built in 1893, romanesque revival red brick building 3 stories, plus attic level , basement level retail outlets fronting on south pennsylvania avenue. bears name of cyrus p. cope, operated tavern on site, , owner of hotel when built. in 2009-2010, upper floors renovated use student housing.




^ westmoreland county genealogy project (information jacob ehalt on webpage discusses son, charles f. ehalt)
^ westmoreland cultural trust, greensburg train station, archived copy . archived original on 2006-04-30. retrieved 2006-10-26. 
^ library of congress, built in america database, http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/habs_haer/
^ greensburg train station new restaurant . tribune-review (greensburg, pennsylvania). trib total media inc. 2010-04-02. retrieved 2010-04-11. 
^ penn albert of greensburgh (sic), pennsylvania: designed, built , furnished local people . hotel monthly. 31 (360): 52–53. march 1923. 
^ westmoreland cultural trust, union trust building, http://www.westmorelandculturaltrust.org/union_trust.htm
^ smith, helene; swetnam, george (1991) [first published 1976]. guidebook historic western pennsylvania (revised , enlarged ed.). pittsburgh, pennsylvania: university of pittsburgh press. p. 332. isbn 0-8229-5424-9. 
^ smith, helene; swetnam, george (1991) [first published 1976]. guidebook historic western pennsylvania (revised , enlarged ed.). pittsburgh, pennsylvania: university of pittsburgh press. p. 333. isbn 0-8229-5424-9. 
^ donnelly, lu; h. david brumble iv; franklin toker (2010). buildings of pennsylvania: pittsburgh , western pennsylvania. charlottesville, virginia: university of virginia press. p. 211. isbn 978-0-8139-2823-4. 
^ westmoreland cultural trust, stark/james building, http://www.westmorelandculturaltrust.org/stark_james.htm
^ smith, helene; swetnam, george (1991) [first published 1976]. guidebook historic western pennsylvania (revised , enlarged ed.). pittsburgh, pennsylvania: university of pittsburgh press. p. 335. isbn 0-8229-5424-9.