Trip #515 Leipsic Way to Natchez Street, Mount Washington, Pittsburgh took place on November 4, 2020, and was published on November 16, 2020.
The topic of historic preservation typically stirs up a debate, and reasonable arguments abound for all sides. But for every significant location, building, or object that people try to preserve or restore, hundreds more languish in obscurity. The word ruin is both a verb and a noun, and we tend to categorize both as unfortunate, sad, or eerily mysterious and the result of catastrophic life-altering events. But in reality, ruins have been a part of daily existence since we started walking upright, making things, and communicating with one another. Preservation is the exception, and ruins the norm, as it is what naturally transpires when routine care ends. Our built world rises and falls, and in between those cyclical waves, a few artifacts are suspended in time for a time, but never indefinitely.
Field Notes: While Bob Regan counted 13 here, I think he may have only been referring to the sidewalk steps that are right off of Natchez Street. The full connection from Leipsic to Natchez is quite a bit more!
See the Risograph print of this photo and story in the Mis.Steps Shop.
Want to visit these stairs? You can locate them on the Pittsburgh City Steps Plan website!
Be a good neighbor! Have you visited these stairs and found them in poor condition or that illegal dumping (large items like tires, old furniture, and construction debris) and trash were abundant in the area? There are two things you can do to take action and make our city steps cleaner and safer for everyone! First, grab a photo if you can, and submit a report to Pittsburgh 311. All problems, both broken stairs, and railings, as well as trash and dumping, should be reported to the city. You can easily do this online or by calling.
