A brief history of the University of Pittsburgh

When Pitt was first established in 1787, it began as a one-room log cabin. Since then, it… When Pitt was first established in 1787, it began as a one-room log cabin. Since then, it has grown into a conglomerate of more than 50 buildings, and its main academic building, the Cathedral of Learning, is the second-tallest educational building in the world.

In the late 1700s, Pitt was originally built Downtown as a private boy’s school, but the University then moved to its Oakland location in 1910, said Pitt Pathfinder Amanda McCabe, a junior. A replica of the original log cabin now stands next to the Cathedral.

Robert C. Alberts wrote in his book, “Pitt: The Story of the University of Pittsburgh,” that the foundation of the University was primarily because of Hugh Henry Brackenridge’s efforts.

Brackenridge, a Philadelphia resident during the 1780s, traveled from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh in order to adapt it to his taste. According to Alberts, Brackenridge wanted to civilize and educate it, improve its cultural life and correct the morals of its people.

With these goals in mind, Brackenridge founded the University – then called an academy – and as the city’s population grew, so did the University’s attendants. By the early 1900s, Pitt had added the School of Economics (later called the School of Business Administration) and the School of Education.

In 1926, the Cathedral of Learning began its construction under the administration of Chancellor John Bowman and continued through the Great Depression until 1939.

A story is often told that before construction began, Bowman found himself Downtown with a fellow colleague one afternoon, when the colleague noted that they were lost and could not find the University – it was at that point that Bowman knew the structure he built had to make a lasting impression on its viewers.

But the Great Depression was taking its toll on the city, and the Cathedral’s construction was suffering along with it. McCabe said that in order to obtain additional funds, administrators went to different nationality groups and asked for donations. Once the donations were given, Pitt built a nationality room in the Cathedral in each group’s honor.

Currently, there are 26 of these rooms, including the German Room, the English Room and the African Heritage Room. Two of these classrooms are closed, while the other 24 classrooms are used for teaching.

McCabe said that the majority of the classrooms were built and decorated with materials that originate from each nationality’s country.

The Cathedral was also partially funded by approximately 97,000 schoolchildren during the Great Depression, each of whom paid a dime to buy a brick for the Cathedral, according to Pitt’s website.

In 1938, Heinz Chapel was completed. Originally a gift from H.J. Heinz, the founder of Heinz Food Company, the non-denominational chapel now hosts a variety of religious services and marriage ceremonies for Heinz employees and Pitt alumni.

In the 1970s, Pitt began building Posvar Hall on the site of the old Forbes Field, home to the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1909-1970.

Brick walls from the third base line and the outfield were incorporated outside of the building. And inside, home plate is preserved in its original position underneath a clear cover on the floor of Posvar’s ground floor.

In recent years, Pitt has made a number of additions, including the construction of four new residence halls: Bouquet Gardens, Sutherland Hall, Pennsylvania Hall and Panther Hall.

Since its earliest construction phases in the 1700s, Pitt has grown at a rapid pace, acquiring many surrounding buildings and territories. Today, it is keeping with that precedent and shows no sign of slowing down.