Home History Grant Building: A beacon of Pittsburgh’s past

Grant Building: A beacon of Pittsburgh’s past

by Michael Polzella

In 1929, the Grant Building towered over its namesake street. Once the tallest Steel City skyscraper, it cost $5.5 million to construct (equal to $78.4 million today). Its true claim to fame was not height or price, however. It was the 150-foot rooftop antenna that spelled out Pittsburgh in Morse Code.

The tower was also a broadcast antenna for KDKA radio. The building housed KDKA’s studios in the 1930s. Although the original beacon is gone, a smaller version remains.

The building served as a hub for Pittsburgh’s corporate giants in 1929 and continues to do so today.

– Beth Turnbull, WordWrite Communications

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