Alpha Terrace Historic District, Historic district in East Liberty, Pittsburgh, United States
The Alpha Terrace Historic District features twenty-five stone rowhouses along North Beatty Street with Queen Anne and Romanesque revival details from the late 1800s. These buildings, located at 716-740 and 721-743, showcase detailed stonework and architectural ornaments typical of that era throughout the block.
These rowhouses were built during the late Victorian era when East Liberty served as a residential enclave for Pittsburgh's industrial leaders. The district gained recognition from the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation in 1979 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.
These rowhouses were built as rental properties for the well-off, and some housed executives from U.S. Steel who worked in the city. The uniform design and careful placement show how this neighborhood was once a sought-after address for the upper-middle class.
You can view the rowhouses from the street easily without needing to enter private property to see the stonework and details. Any changes to the exteriors of these buildings require approval from the Historic Review Commission, which helps keep the block looking consistent over time.
The architectural firm Murphy & Hamilton designed these stone structures with Richardsonian Romanesque influences, a distinctive style of the 1890s. The carefully coordinated group demonstrates how intentionally this block was planned and built as one cohesive residential ensemble.
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