Trip #582 Rectenwald Street, Mount Oliver, Pittsburgh took place on April 18, 2021, and was published on May 5, 2021.
The old Saint Joseph’s church and school loom large from the top of the hill; its massive size commands attention from all directions. The concrete stairs leading up to Cathedral Street are over 70 years old, but most of the homes are far older and trace their origins to when Pittsburgh was Pittsburg, and dirt roads were being paved with Belgian blocks and red bricks. I study a house with a front porch situated on the corner. For over a dozen decades, it’s likely held innumerable baby strollers, chairs, flowering plants, delivery boxes, and people. Today, the house still has a faded prettiness that speaks to a bygone era. I imagine that at one time, it might have attracted admiration from congregants traveling the stairs to and from Mass. But, like many beauties from the days of long ago, they declined to be photographed, and the Spectra respected their wishes despite my dismay.
Field Notes: You know, the Polaroid picks some interesting times and ways for not working properly! The old house on the corner is just wiped from the record here – but thankfully I still captured the stairs, street, and church. Crazy!
Love city steps? Get yourself the latest issue of Mis.Steps: Our Missed Connections with Pittsburgh’s City Steps! Each copy is unique and features 10 randomly selected “trading cards” of Pittsburgh’s 739 public stairways. Visit the Mis.Steps online store to see all issues and place your order.
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.
