"The first buildings of Pittsburg were of logs, some of which were unhewn; then came rude stone structures made from material quarried nearby, and these in turn were followed by brick buildings, for with an abundance of clay and fuel, it was an easy matter to burn brick. In none of them was there any attempt at architectural beauty. Most of them consisted of four square walls, with small windows and doors, thus displaying every evidence of economy. The interior finish of the early houses displayed more taste and beauty than the exterior, for it was easier to carve and fashion in wood than in stone…. Nevertheless there was a beauty in the simplicity of the walls that gradually developed a style which in modern days is called Colonial architecture, and which even yet predominates in Pittsburg." Boucher's Century and a half of Pittsburg.
"In 1815 the buildings of a public character were 'a handsome octagon Episcopal church, a handsome and spacious Presbyterian church, also a Covenanters, German Lutheran and Roman Catholic church, and an Academy, all of brick;' a court house, jail, three incorporated banks, a dramatic theatre, a Masonic hall, three market houses, one in the Diamond and two in Second street. Both the court house and market house in the public square, called the Diamond, were built of brick, and some of the mercantile and financial buildings were of a substantial character." Killikelly's History of Pittsburgh.
"When this city and vicinity was surveyed by the author of this treatise, in October, 1815, there were in Pittsburg 960 dwelling houses, and in the suburbs, villages, and immediate outskirts, about 300 more, making in all 1260, and including inhabitants, workmen in the manufactories, and labourers, upwards of 12,000 inhabitants." Darby's Emigrant's guide, 1818.
"Grant's-hill, an abrupt eminence which projects into the rear of the city, affords one of the most delightful prospects with which I am acquainted; presenting a singular combination of the bustle of the town, with the solitude and sweetness of the country. How many hours have I spent here, in the enjoyment of those exquisite sensations which are awakened by pleasing associations and picturesque scenes! The city lay beneath me, enveloped in smoke—the clang of hammers resounded from its numerous manufactories—the rattling of carriages and the hum of men were heard from its streets—churches, courts, hotels, and markets, and all the 'pomp and circumstance' of busy life, were presented in one panoramic view. Behind me were all the silent soft attractions of rural sweetness—the ground rising gradually for a considerable distance, and exhibiting country seats, surrounded with cultivated fields, gardens, and orchards." Hall's Letters from the West, 1828.
"Pittsburg is a considerable town, generally built of brick…. The site is romantic and delightful. It is well known as a manufacturing place, and once almost supplied the lower country with a variety of the most necessary and important manufactures. But the wealth, business, and glory of this place are fast passing away, transferred to Cincinnati, to Louisville, and other places on the Ohio. Various causes have concurred to this result; but especially the multiplication of steam-boats, and the consequent facility of communication with the Atlantic ports by the Mississippi. There is little prospect of the reverse of this order of things. The national road, terminating at Wheeling, contributes to this decay of Pittsburg." Flint's Recollections of the last ten years, 1826.
"It is laid out in strait streets, forty and fifty feet wide, having foot-walks on each side. Watch-boxes are placed at convenient distances, and the police of the city (except in lighting) is well regulated. From the number of manufactures, and the inhabitants burning coal, the buildings have not that clean appearance so conspicuous in most American towns. The houses are frame and brick, in the principal street three story high.
"Outside of the town, some log houses yet remain. The number of inhabitants in 1810, was 4768; they are supposed to be now near 8000. The manufactures, carried on in the neighbourhood, out of the borough, employ many hundred people. The inhabitants, are Americans, Irish, and English. The Americans are most of them of German and Irish descent. The public buildings are a jail, fort Fayette barracks, a court house, market house, bank, and several churches." Palmer's Journal of travels in the United States, 1818.
"The adjoining hills contain inexhaustible quarries of sand rock, suitable for grindstones; and several establishments, for the manufacture of these useful articles, are extensively conducted. As no marble is brought hither, except from the neighbourhood of Philadelphia, those quarries also supply the citizens with gravestones. Near Breakneck, I noted that mica was contained in the sand rock and this singular addition is also found here, in all the strata of that stone which I have seen." Thomas's Travels through the western country in 1816.
"6 mo. 14.—Having been detained, day after day longer than we expected, this morning about sunrise, we left Pittsburgh with all the joy of a bird which escapes from its cage.
'From the tumult, and smoke of the city set free,'