Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Merchant Street Bridge Project
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SEPTEMBER 2019 Identification of Historic Properties Report Norfolk Southern Railway Company/ Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Merchant Street Bridge Project City of Pittsburgh Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Prepared by Prepared for Norfolk Southern Railway Company Atlanta, Georgia Michael Baker International, Inc. Moon Township, Pennsylvania IDENTIFICATION OF HISTORIC PROPERTIES REPORT NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILWAY COMPANY/ PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION MERCHANT STREET BRIDGE PROJECT City of Pittsburgh Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Prepared for Norfolk Southern Railway Company Atlanta, Georgia Prepared by Michael Baker International, Inc. Moon Township, Pennsylvania September 2019 THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK ABSTRACT Norfolk Southern Railway Company (Norfolk Southern), in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), proposes to rehabilitate or replace the ca. 1905 Pennsylvania Railroad: Main Line (Pittsburgh to Ohio State Line): Bridge (Merchant Street). The bridge carries the Pennsylvania Railroad: Main Line (Pittsburgh to Ohio State Line), also known as the Fort Wayne Line, rail corridor over Merchant Street. The bridge and the associated railway are part of the Pittsburgh and Fort Wayne Rail Lines (together referred to as the Pittsburgh Line), which is owned and operated by Norfolk Southern. The project assessed in this study is located in the City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania (Figure A‐1). The purpose of this report is to present to the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Officer (PA SHPO) the results of the historic resources survey and National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) eligibility assessment that was conducted to identify historic properties within the project’s area of potential effects (APE). All properties within the APE that were forty‐five (45) years of age or greater (constructed prior to 1973) were surveyed and evaluated for NRHP eligibility, if no previous eligibility determination existed. This report is submitted for the purpose of consultation and compliance with Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Act 120 of P.L. 356 (Act 120), amended Section 2002, Act No. 1978‐273 (as amended as Act No. 1988‐72), as codified at Title 37 of the Pennsylvania Code, 37 Pa.C.S. § 101 et seq. (History Code), as applicable. All work was conducted by Michael Baker International, Inc. (Michael Baker) of Moon Township, Pennsylvania, on behalf of Norfolk Southern. Architectural historians surveyed all historic‐age resources within the APE in April 2018. The intensive‐ level survey conducted for this report identified two previously recorded historic resources and one newly identified historic resource, for a total of three resources within the APE. Of the previously recorded historic resources, one was listed in the NRHP and appeared physically unchanged since the time of determination (Allegheny Commons Historic District). An updated Pennsylvania Historic Resource Survey Form (HRSF) was not created for this resource. One previously recorded historic resource was previously determined NRHP eligible (Pennsylvania Railroad: Main Line [Pittsburgh to Ohio State Line]: Pittsburgh City Segment, MP PC‐1.20), though the documentation did not articulate contributing features. Therefore, project historians resurveyed the portion of the Pennsylvania Railroad: Main Line within the APE, identified contributing features, and prepared an updated HRSF, including an updated recommendation of NRHP eligibility. Finally, project historians identified one additional historic resource within the APE, the Pennsylvania Railroad: Main Line (Pittsburgh to Ohio State Line): Bridge (Merchant Street). The bridge is recommended eligible for listing in the NRHP as a contributing element to the NRHP‐eligible railroad corridor historic district. Merchant Street Bridge Project Identification of Historic Properties Report i ABSTRACT THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK Merchant Street Bridge Project Identification of Historic Properties Report ii TABLE OF CONTENTS A. Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 1 A.1 Project Description .................................................................................................................... 1 A.2 Statement of Purpose and Need ............................................................................................... 1 A.3 Purpose of Study ....................................................................................................................... 2 A.4 Project Location & Determination of the Area of Potential Effects ......................................... 5 B. Methodology ............................................................................................................................... 7 B.1 Background Research Methodology ......................................................................................... 7 B.2 Historical Research Methodology ............................................................................................. 7 B.3 Field Survey Methodology ........................................................................................................ 7 B.4 Documentation Methodology .................................................................................................. 7 B.5 Archaeological Resources Methodology ................................................................................... 8 C. Results of Background Research ................................................................................................... 9 C.1 Use of Historical Maps for Locating Historic Resources ........................................................... 9 C.2 Previously Recorded Historic Resources ................................................................................. 10 D. Context & Property Types .......................................................................................................... 13 E. Field Results ............................................................................................................................... 15 E.1 All Historic Resources Recorded on HRSFs ............................................................................. 15 F. National Register Eligibility Recommendations ........................................................................... 17 F.1 Resources Recommended Eligible .......................................................................................... 17 F.2 Resources Recommended Not Eligible ................................................................................... 20 G. Summary .................................................................................................................................... 21 G.1 Resource Count ....................................................................................................................... 21 G.2 Eligibility Count ....................................................................................................................... 22 H. Sources ...................................................................................................................................... 23 I. Appendices ................................................................................................................................ 25 I.1 Qualifications of Preparers I.2 Updated HRSFs and HRSFs for Newly Identified Historic Resources I.3 Agency Coordination I.4 List of Invited Consulting Parties and Proposed Consulting Party Meeting Schedule Merchant Street Bridge Project Identification of Historic Properties Report iii TABLE OF CONTENTS, FIGURES, AND TABLES LIST OF FIGURES Figure A‐1: Project Location Map, showing the approximate location of the Merchant Street BridgeProject on USGS mapping. ........................................................................................ 4 Figure A‐2: Merchant Street Bridge APE as depicted on the Pittsburgh West, PA, 1:24,000 quadrangle map, (USGS 1997). ........................................................................................... 5 Figure C‐1: Merchant Street Bridge Project APE showing previously recorded historic resources. .......................................................................................................................... 11 Figure C‐2: The Pennsylvania Railroad Main Line, at Merchant Street............................................... 12 Figure C‐3: Allegheny Commons Historic District from near Merchant Street. .................................. 12 Figure E‐1: Aerial photograph of the Merchant Street Bridge Project APE, showing previously recorded and newly identified historic resources. ........................................................... 16 Figure F‐1: Pennsylvania Railroad Main Line near Merchant Street. ................................................. 18 Figure F‐2: A stone retaining wall along the southwest edge of the rail corridor is recommended as a contributing element of the railroad corridor historic district. ........ 18 Figure F‐3: The Merchant Street Bridge is recommended as a contributing element of the railroad corridor historic district. ...................................................................................... 18 Figure F‐4: Wrought‐iron fencing is recommended as a contributing element of the railroad corridor historic district. ..................................................................................................