Burke Building

By Nyttend - Own work, Public Domain

Location:

209-211 Fourth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Description:

The Burke Building, located at 209–211 Fourth Avenue, stands as Pittsburgh’s oldest surviving office building. Designed in the Greek Revival style by John Chislett—recognized as the city’s first professional architect—the three-story sandstone building was completed in 1836 for attorneys Robert and Andrew Burke. It narrowly escaped the Great Fire of 1845 and remains the only large-scale Greek Revival commercial structure still standing in downtown Pittsburgh.

Its modest yet dignified facade includes a pedimented central bay flanked by fluted columns, while the interior preserves many original features: a central staircase connecting all floors, four fireplaces, wood plank floors and rafters crafted from pine, tulip poplar, and white oak, tin ceilings in select rooms, interior window shutters, and a rare double-door safe on the second floor.

Over the years, the building has hosted a wide variety of tenants—from a daguerreian photography studio and barbershop to an art studio, restaurant, and an insurance agency—highlighting its flexible commercial heritage. In the mid-1990s, it became headquarters for the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, which invested in historically sensitive restoration that lovingly preserved original materials while integrating green design principles. In 2010 the Conservancy sold the building and granted a preservation easement to the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation, ensuring its exterior will be protected forever.

Situated directly adjacent to the modern PPG Place complex (constructed in the 1980s), the Burke Building provides a striking contrast between mid-19th-century classical architecture and postmodern glass towers—an enduring symbol of Pittsburgh’s evolving urban identity.