Frick Building, Pittsburgh

The Frick Building, in Downtown Pittsburgh, is named after Henry Clay Frick, a notable industrialist known for his involvement in coke production and the development of commercial buildings in the city. It holds a significant place in history as it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Constructed adjacent to a building owned by his former business partner turned rival, Andrew Carnegie, the Frick Building was strategically designed to overshadow Carnegie's structure, symbolizing Frick's ongoing feud with him.

Opening its doors on March 15, 1902, with 20 floors initially, it claimed the title of the city's tallest building. However, alterations in the surrounding landscape in 1912 led to its basement becoming the main entrance, resulting in debates over whether it should be credited with 21 stories.

Designed by Daniel H. Burnham of D.H. Burnham & Company, Chicago, the Frick Building is one of the surviving projects out of eleven planned designs for Pittsburgh by the firm.

Noteworthy features include the top floor reserved for The Union Club of Pittsburgh, adorned with a balcony, handcrafted ceiling, and ornate brass fixtures. Originally serving as H.C. Frick's personal office and a gathering place for wealthy industrialists, it even housed Frick's personal shower on the 19th floor, a technological marvel of its time.

The building's lobby boasts a stunning stained-glass window by John LaFarge, depicting "Fortune and Her Wheel" (1902), along with bronze sentinel lions by sculptor Alexander Proctor (1904) and a bust of Frick by sculptor Malvina Hoffman (1923).

At one point, the building served as the headquarters for Frick's family whiskey business, Old Overholt, overseeing its operations across the United States.