Allegheny Arsenal
Location:
276 39th St, Pittsburgh, PA 15201
Description:
The Allegheny Arsenal, established in 1814, served as a vital supply and manufacturing hub for the Union Army during the American Civil War, and tragically became the site of the largest civilian disaster of the conflict. Situated in Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania, the arsenal's location was absorbed into the city of Pittsburgh in 1868.
Today, the area encompasses Arsenal Park, spanning nine acres, alongside Arsenal Middle School, a county health services complex, and a sizable condominium development. Concerns regarding the deteriorating state of the arsenal structures were raised by officials from the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation in 2012.
Initially founded by the U.S. Army Ordnance Department near Pittsburgh, the arsenal occupied 30 acres of land bordering the Allegheny River in Lawrenceville, its boundaries marked by 39th Street, 40th Street, and Penn Avenue, with Butler Street serving as the main thoroughfare.
During the Civil War, the arsenal flourished, particularly in the production of cartridges, which became a priority. Civilian employment surged from 308 to over 1100 workers, with a significant portion employed in the main lab, notably comprising women engaged in cartridge manufacturing.
Presently, the explosion site lies within a ballfield in Arsenal Park. Although most arsenal structures have been demolished, four buildings remain: the powder magazine, repurposed as a maintenance shed for the park, two magazine buildings located at the Clack Health Center, and a former officers' quarters on 39th Street. Additionally, a Quartermaster Corps insignia from 1814, originally part of the gate, has been preserved and is now displayed on the old powder magazine. These surviving structures, along with sections of the stone wall encircling the former arsenal, have been designated as contributing properties to the newly established Lawrenceville Historic District in 2019.
