Trip #83 Butler Street to Sawyer Street, Stanton Heights, Pittsburgh took place on November 21, 2017, and was published on January 17, 2018.
It could be a copyediting oversight, or it could simply be that the stars aligned so the Sawyer Street stairs could get another 15 seconds of fame. In Bob Regan’s book, “Pittsburgh Steps,” this location is listed twice, once without the step count and once with. I thought perhaps Sawyer had two separate flights to Butler from either end of its narrow path (it has two ends with a “missed connection” in the middle), but if that had been the case in days gone by, at some point the second flight was torn down as commercial interests developed near the 62nd Street Bridge. I could have skipped over the duplicate, but my rule is that I visit EVERY entry on the list at the back of the book. So, here I am again. And actually, I’m glad I stuck to the rule because I just noticed this crazy looking piece of wood I didn’t see on the prior visit! Even in the most familiar places, you’re certain to find something you haven’t seen before if you look carefully.
Field Notes: Same location as the Stanton Heights Trip 82. It appears the entry is listed twice in the “Pittsburgh Steps” book, although this entry has a build date and the prior one does not.
Want to visit these stairs? You can locate them on the Pittsburgh City Steps Plan website!
See the Risograph print of this photo and story in the Mis.Steps Shop.
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. If the location has an abundance of illegal dumping and trash, also contact Allegheny Cleanways, letting them know the location and the nature of the garbage. Thank you!!
