McKeesport was once a bustling, working class city, with a population of over 50,000 people. It was the second largest city in Allegheny County, behind Pittsburgh. Downtown McKeesport was full of people during the day, from office workers and steel-workers to shoppers. McKeesport boasted several fine department stores, movie palaces, restaurants, and nightlife. The city was hit hard by surburbanization in the 1960s, when Eastland Mall opened and retail began trickling out. In 1976, several downtown landmarks and city blocks burned to the ground. By the 1980s, the collapse of the steel industry put the final nail in McKeesport's coffin. The city today is a hollow shell of what it once was. The population stands at 19,731, a far cry from its glory days. There are abandoned buildings all around, many with historic character and significance. Many more have fallen down and burned over the decades, leaving great empty parcels of urban prairie. Still, there are some gorgeous buildings left, like some of the ones I have photographed below.
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| McKeesport skyline, from Port Vue. |
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| View of Downtown McKeesport. |
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| Victorian overlooking Downtown McKeesport from Port Vue. |
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| Abandoned Victorian Mansion at 626 Market Street, in downtown McKeesport. It has been deteriorating for years. The building is currently owned by the Redevelopment Authority of McKeesport. |
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| Once grand homes on Shaw Avenue. |
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| A pair of abandoned Victorians on Shaw Avenue. |
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| Downtown McKeesport |
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| City Hall and YMCA |
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| Fifth Avenue |
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| "Masonic Temple" |
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| A McKeesport landmark, built 1866. |
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| The faded "Penn-McKee Hotel" was once McKeesport's grand hotel. It is now vacant and shuttered. |
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| Very old house |
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| Abandoned church |
One correction, Jonathan: The Redevelopment Authority only took possession of 626 Market St. (the former Eagles lodge) this year. It's been deteriorating for many years. It was previously owned by something called the "Museum Hair Institute."
ReplyDeleteThank you for the correction! I fixed it. I love your blog, btw.
ReplyDeleteLast time I was in town I rode down to look at those houses (cuz I love them and would sink everything I had into them given the chance) I did not know the names of the streets and I could not find them. were they demolished? My father bought a former funeral home on Jenny Lind in McKeesport and gutted it and redid it. It is his wish to get a tax base back into that city and restore it. Unfortunatley his house is almost like a 10k sqft embassy or island -we are safe inside but after dark we hear gunshots etc..He has tried to get the city to see him the half burnt down building across the street for parking and gardening but they would rather let a dilapidated house stand then work through the paperwork. Another thing is all the riverfront propety US Steele is sitting on and not developing or using--develop...make it better...or forfeit I say.-- T. Turnbull
ReplyDeleteRecently bought a house in McKeesport on foreclosure. After sinking considerable money and time I have to say in the beginning I did not like the area, but after seeing it come to life, have started to see it in a new light. The areas in question, are a lot of the inner parts where you find abandoned housing, etc. These slowly being sold off, and you may start to see a revival of the area. They police I have to say from watching them in my experiences are extremely pro-active. Have noticed, when they get a serious call, they are on it like no tomorrow. With that said, I believe, based on actions of people like myself willing to come in and invest and help bring the area new life. It will be a matter of no time before this area comes back. Not sure to its full glory, but it will come back, there is no doubt in my mind. Its just a matter of unloading the houses to new owners that are willing to come in and invest. Either provide motivation through tax rebates, and discounts for the larger buildings, even providing tax-free incentives to investors willing to take the risk or possibly bring jobs. Its really the attitude of the local politicians. I'm coming from Long Island, NY and I'm willing to give McKeesport a chance. McKeesport is no different than parts of Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx in my opinion. Regards, SH.
ReplyDeleteSo sad to see what's become of my old home town. I remember many of the buildings shown and walked past most of them in my youth. Even the old Penn-McKee where my wife and I had our wedding reception back in '79.
ReplyDeleteMOST OF THA FALL BESIDE THE STEEL MILLS....WAS the hud projerct that movesd harrison village into houses that hud bought....the new 'OWNERS" COULD NOT MAINTAIN THE HOUSES ... on their walfare and food stamp budget... and the increase of drug CRACK HOUSES....brouht the neighborhood down those who could move did....including my parents,brother ,sister and myself.....ex DUQUESNE AVE...had an apt building that was turned into A CRACK HOUSE....the city had to tear it down to get the filth out of it..... as go MCkeesport....
ReplyDeleteHi Jonathon, I seen your blog page but first I seen the two Victorian houses on Pinterest
ReplyDeleteand fall in love, I am a interior designer and it hurt me to see the historic houses
that ones have been some ones home and pride just standing there and falling
in pieces. Thank you for sharing with us all those amazing photos.
It all started in the mid 1970's when the older original residents started to die off and their family wanted no part of the city. We lived in the heart of 7th ward and my parents had several businesses within that area. Our family was very large with many uncles and aunts, brothers and sisters and not one lived in McKeesport after 1979 except for my grandparents (both deceased by 1984). My parents decided enough was enough in 1977 and moved. The problems was not with one group but the overall trash that moved into the areas and into homes that were transformed into section 8 housing. You had for a very long time people who cared about their neighborhoods, schools and city but that all changes when you have people renting and no responsibilities. I love McKeesport and have written many articles about the city but gave up hope many years ago. You know most of those homes that you see along Shaw avenue etc were built by my great grandfather and grandfather along with other family members when they were very young. I was absolutely sick when I drove down Jenny Lind Street 6 years ago and from that point on I never returned to see what has turned into a nightmare. McKeesport had many chances to turn itself around throughout the 1980's and 1990's but failed leadership wanted no parts of any improvement. They would of rather collect government grant money to keep the street lights on instead of improving the overall quality of life in that once great town. The other problem was also the age and neglect that sent many of these great homes into rubble. In 1987 there was a push to preserve many if not all of the great homes in areas like Shaw Ave, Library, Jenny Lind, Versailles Ave etc but like anything else it a collective effort of many to make it happen and nobody wanted to step up to the plate and make it happen. We see the results. To close my heart just sinks seeing the pictures of these once great homes, homes that I can vividly remember visiting as a child. Mckeesport is just a memory in my book.
ReplyDeleteMy dad was born in Mckeesport and so was I. I moved to Florida more than 15 years ago and it's sad to see it so broken and withered. I wish I could go back in time and see some of these beautiful homes in their heyday. What did they look like, who lived there, did they sit on those massive porches in the summer?
ReplyDeleteI am so sad that McKeesport looks even worse than the last time I visited there(2003). My relatives grew up there and I can remember attending several weddings and Christmas parties in the Penn-McKee Hotel. I grew up in Port Vue and I cannot even count how many hundreds of times I have crossed the Fifth Ave Bridge to go shopping downtown. I hope that the positive comments about people investing and cleaning up the area do indeed happen, although some things have deteriorated so badly from age and neglect. I do wish to thank Jonathon Denson for publishing this for us to view.
ReplyDeleteI moved to McKeesport about three years ago from the west coast and have seen some inprovement. I respect and admire the history of McKeesport and have hope for its future. The only way that it will get better though is if we stop saying "it USED to be great and now its just a pit", this is my home now and I am tyred of people that lived here 20 years ago bashing the city.
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