Trip #682 Andick Way, Beechview, Pittsburgh took place on December 14, 2021, and was published on January 17, 2022.
The word “Johnetta” is stamped on the brick at my feet, and it grabs my attention. Pittsburgh might be the city of bridges, a city of steps, but it’s also a city of bricks. Brick houses and bricked streets abound (even hiding under modern-day siding and asphalt), and you can’t travel far without spotting them. Over the four and a half years I’ve spent traveling the 90 neighborhoods and photographing city steps, I’ve seen more than my fair share of old bricks and blocks, but I can’t recall ever spotting one with this name imprinted. So, like most curious people with a smartphone, I start poking around, and lo and behold, I discover that Johnetta, PA was a company-town established in 1892, near Kittanning in Armstrong County. Home to the US Sewer Pipe Company, the business boasted the title of “largest of its kind in the nation” and manufactured over 100,000 bricks every day in a 24/7 operation. Billed as a clean and welcoming town with all the infrastructure and social amenities workers and families could want, Johnetta flourished until 1924, when Pittsburgh Plate Glass became the new owner and operator. But by 1929, only six people remained in what had quickly become a ghost town. And of those billions of Johnetta bricks produced over the years, this one made its way to Beechview—a reminder of the labor, the people, and their story.
Field Notes: This long flight of steps leads to (and from) the Beechview Elementary School. The flight also has another segment that leads alongside the playground (see Trip #655). Unlike that section, which was re-built in 2021, this section is older – dating to 1960 or perhaps before. Also, the expired Polaroid Spectra version of this image came on surprisingly well! In a creepy melty way. 🙂
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.
