Benedum–Trees Building

Courtesy of Brian Crawford

Location:

223 Fourth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Description:

The Benedum–Trees Building, located at 223 Fourth Avenue, is a distinguished nineteen-story neoclassical office tower completed in 1905. Designed by architect Thomas H. Scott, the structure was originally commissioned by Caroline Jones Machesney—making it the first skyscraper in Pittsburgh ordered and built by a woman—and was known as the Machesney Building until 1911–1913, when it was sold to oil magnates Joseph Trees and Michael Late Benedum and renamed accordingly. Its exterior showcases elegant terra-cotta and buff brick façades, classical Corinthian columns, elaborate cornices with dentils and egg‑and‑dart motifs, and bay windows at the base. The ornate lobby is adorned in Italian marble, bronze fixtures, and coffered plaster ceilings with gold-leaf accents. The fifteenth floor once housed the personal offices of Trees and Benedum for decades.

Today, the building is managed as a condominium office tower and houses various foundations—including the Benedum Foundation—along with law firms and professional organizations. It is a recognized Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation historic landmark and is a contributing structure to the Fourth Avenue Historic District, an area once known as Pittsburgh’s “Wall Street.”