Market Place

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Market Place
Neighborhood Central Business District
Origin of name Market Square
Wikipedia Market Square (Pittsburgh)
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North Diamond (1881–1910)
Portion North side
Origin of name North side of the Diamond
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East Diamond (1881–1910)
Portion East side
Origin of name East side of the Diamond
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South Diamond (1881–1910)
Portion South side
Origin of name South side of the Diamond
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West Diamond (1881–1910)
Portion West side
Origin of name West side of the Diamond
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Byng Street (1910–1914)
Portion North side
Origin of name Tom Byng, character in "The Head of Iron"
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Drummond Street (1910–1914)
Portion East side
Origin of name James Drummond, character in "The Head of Iron"
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Marjorie Street (1910–1914)
Portion South side
Origin of name Marjorie Drummond, character in "The Head of Iron"
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Graeme Street (1910–1914)
Portion West side
Origin of name Graeme Stewart, character in "The Head of Iron"

The square called Market Square today was part of George Woods' original plan of Pittsburgh in 1784, though it was given no name in Woods' map. It was situated at the intersection of Market Street and Diamond Alley (today's Forbes Avenue).[1] It was used as a public market, called the Diamond Market, Diamond Square, or just "the Diamond" for its shape. This is the origin of the name Diamond Alley (and today's Diamond Street). Other markets in the city were also called diamonds, such as the Allegheny Diamond (today's Allegheny Commons).[2][3] Market Street predates Market Square on maps, having appeared on John Campbell's "military plan" of 1764,[4] but, presumably, even if the square itself did not yet exist in 1764, some area nearby must have been used as a market to suggest the name of the street.

By 1815 a courthouse and market house had been built in the Diamond.[5][6][7][8] In 1852, after a new courthouse had been built on Grant's Hill (at the same location as the current Allegheny County Courthouse), the old courthouse in the Diamond was replaced by a second market house.[9][10][11][12] The two market houses stood on either side of the path of Market Street through the square, and the four sides of the square became four short streets. The west side of the square led into Union Street (today's Graeme Street), and the east side led into Market Alley or Masters Alley (today's McMasters Way). Maps from 1872, 1882, and 1889 show Union Street and Masters Alley extending along the sides of the square.[10][13][14] In 1881 the sides of the square were officially named North, East, South, and West Diamond.[15][16] The Hopkins atlases added the word "street" to the ends of these names.[17][18][19]

In 1910, over 900 streets were renamed by a city ordinance to eliminate duplicates. North, East, South, and West Diamond in the Triangle conflicted with identically named streets in Allegheny, so both sets of streets were renamed. In the Triangle, North Diamond became Byng Street, East Diamond and Masters Way became Drummond Street, South Diamond became Marjorie Street, and West Diamond and Union Street became Graeme Street. (In Allegheny, North, East, South, and West Diamond Streets became Moody, Weiser, Stobo, and Burd Streets, respectively.)[20][21][22][23]

George T. Fleming wrote in 1914 that Graeme Street was named for Dr. Graeme, "a member of Gov. Denny's council, and the father-in-law of Lieut.-Col. Joseph Shippen, who served on the staff during the [Forbes] expedition."[24]

But the names Graeme, Drummond, Marjorie, and Byng were assigned as a set. These four names are characters in "The Head of Iron," a historical novel written in 1908 by Pittsburgh journalist Burd Shippen Patterson.[25] Patterson was the secretary of the Western Pennsylvania Historical Society and was consulted by Robert Clark, the Pittsburgh deputy city clerk, in the process of choosing the new street names.[26]

Patterson's novel tells the story of Graeme Stewart, a fictional young Scottish soldier (partly inspired by Hugh Mercer, for whom Mercer Street is named), brilliant at every manly pursuit, who manages to play a heroic role in every battle of the Jacobite rising of 1745, the Braddock Expedition, the Kittanning Expedition, the Forbes Expedition, the Siege of Fort Pitt, and later, it is implied, the American Revolution. Meanwhile he meets (and immediately becomes a personal favorite of) such figures as Prince Charles Edward Stuart, General Edward Braddock, Colonel George Washington, and General John Forbes. His neighbor and friend Colonel James Drummond (possibly inspired by James Drummond, 3rd Duke of Perth) is with Graeme on the Jacobite side in Scotland; after the Stuart defeat, he flees with his family to Pennsylvania, and Graeme follows them there several years later. Drummond's daughter Marjorie begins the novel as a girl about seven years old, but over the course of the book she matures and becomes Graeme's love interest and eventually his wife. Tom Byng is a strangely persistent minor character who meets Graeme incidentally as the associate of an enemy captain in several episodes; when the captain is killed about halfway through the book, Byng decides to follow Graeme and thereafter appears recurrently in various unimportant roles. Though the title page describes the story as a romance, most of the book is a long series of military battles; the first hint of romantic attraction does not appear until the second half, and it takes almost four-fifths of the book to get to the love story. The novel was written for the sesquicentennial of Forbes' 1758 capture of Fort Duquesne and the founding of Pittsburgh; Patterson served as the secretary of the general committee of citizens for the city's celebration.[27][25][28]

It appears that Patterson's novel was quickly forgotten, and most of the new street names also soon disappeared: another city ordinance in 1914 changed the names of the streets around the perimeter of Market Square (that is, Byng Street, Marjorie Street, and parts of Drummond and Graeme Streets) to Market Place. The same ordinance also changed the names of Moody, Weiser, Stobo, and Burd Streets in Allegheny back to North, East, South, and West Diamond Streets, respectively.[29][30][31] The part of Drummond Street between Fifth Avenue and Market Square had been renamed McMasters Way several months earlier.[32] But the segment of Graeme Street from Fifth Avenue to the northwest corner of Market Square still carries that name today.

The street around the perimeter of Market Square seems to be officially named Market Place to this day; this is the name shown on the city map produced by the GIS Division of the Pittsburgh Department of City Planning.[33] However, current street signs merely say Market Square.

References

  1. ↑ George Woods. A Draught of the Town Plat of Pittsburgh, Surveyed for John Penn, Jr., and John Penn, by George Woods, May 31st 1784. 1784. Reproduced as "Original plan of Pittsburgh" in plate 19 of Atlas of the Cities of Pittsburgh, Allegheny, and the Adjoining Boroughs, G. M. Hopkins & Co., Philadelphia, 1872 (Historic Pittsburgh 1872p019). [view source] woods-plat
  2. ↑ George T. Fleming, ed. Pittsburgh: How to See It: A Complete, Reliable Guide Book with Illustrations, the Latest Map and Complete Index. William G. Johnston Co., Pittsburgh, 1916. Google Books 02NAAAAAYAAJ; Internet Archive bub_gb_02NAAAAAYAAJ, pittsburghhowtos01flem. [view source] how-to-see-it
  3. ↑ George Swetnam. "Diamond St. name defended by history: Forbes never touched it." Pittsburgh Press, May 7, 1957, pp. 1, 4. Newspapers.com 148045514, 148045722. [view source] swetnam-diamond
  4. ↑ John Campbell. Plan of Lots in Pittsburgh—1764. 1764. Reproduced in William G. Johnston, Life and Reminiscences from Birth to Manhood of Wm. G. Johnston, Knickerbocker Press, New York, 1901 (Google Books N-QEAAAAYAAJ; Historic Pittsburgh 00adj9508m; Internet Archive lifereminiscence00john); in George T. Fleming, "Flem's" Views of Old Pittsburgh: A Portfolio of the Past Precious with Memories, p. 5, Geo. T. Fleming, Pittsburgh, 1905 (HathiTrust 011204797, 100770599; Historic Pittsburgh 31735056290277; Internet Archive flemsviewsofoldp00flem; LCCN 08028848); in George T. Fleming, "History told in Pittsburgh street names: Some commemorative designations have been lost, but others are still in use to recall the story of their selection: Haphazard municipal nomenclature," Pittsburgh Gazette Times, Nov. 29, 1914, sec. 5, p. 2 (Newspapers.com 85906737); in George T. Fleming, "Vickroy tells of surveying new city: Laying out of Market, Liberty and other arteries in Pittsburgh detailed: Much speculation," Pittsburgh Gazette Times, Apr. 1, 1917, sec. 5, p. 2 (Newspapers.com 85873662); in George T. Fleming, "History from an old map: Masson's map of Pittsburgh, 1805, further considered—Campbell's plan of 1764, Woods and Vickroy's complete plan of 1784—the old military plan unwillingly retained—Vickroy's deposition quoted: Pioneer names enumerated as lot owners; Historic characters recalled by names on Masson's plan—explanation of numbering of lots and some mention of freeholders—Imlay's topographical description of 1793," Pittsburgh Gazette Times, July 16, 1922, sec. 2, p. 2 (Newspapers.com 85913850); in George T. Fleming, Fleming's Views of Old Pittsburgh: A Portfolio of the Past, p. 10, Crescent Press, Pittsburgh, 1932; in George Swetnam, "Ferry Street historic, one of oldest in city: Backward switch gives recognition to man undeserving of honor," Pittsburgh Press, Nov. 25, 1954, p. 16 (Newspapers.com 149015965); in Bruce J. Buvinger, The Origin, Development and Persistence of Street Patterns in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, p. 21; and in Bob Regan, The Names of Pittsburgh: How the City, Neighborhoods, Streets, Parks and More Got Their Names, p. 57, The Local History Company, Pittsburgh, 2009, ISBN 978-0-9770429-7-5. This map is often called the "military plan of Pittsburgh." [view source] campbell
  5. ↑ Wm. Darby. Plan of Pittsburg and Adjacent Country. R. Patterson and W. Darby, Philadelphia, 1815. Historic Pittsburgh DARMAP0197, DARMAP0198. Reproduced in John W. Reps, The Making of Urban America: A History of City Planning in the United States, p. 207, Princeton University Press, Princeton, N. J., 1965 (LCCN 63023414); and in Bruce J. Buvinger, The Origin, Development and Persistence of Street Patterns in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, p. 24. Also reproduced as "Plan von Pittsburg und Umgebungen" in Bernhard, Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (Heinrich Luden, ed.), Reise Sr. Hoheit des Herzogs Bernhard zu Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach durch Nord-Amerika in den Jahren 1825 und 1826, vol. II, following p. 200, Wilhelm Hoffmann, Weimar, 1828 (Internet Archive reisesrhoheitdes00bern, reisesrhoheitdes00inbern). [view source] darby
  6. ↑ History of Pittsburgh and Environs, vol. 2. American Historical Society, New York and Chicago, 1922. Google Books 3staAAAAYAAJ, TPUMAAAAYAAJ; HathiTrust 011262563; Internet Archive historypittsbur00yorkgoog, historypittsbur02socigoog. [view source] history-pgh-environs-2
  7. ↑ Lewis Keyon. Map of Pittsburgh and Its Environs. Johnston & Stockton, Pittsburgh, 1835. Historic Pittsburgh DARMAP0577; 1835 layer at Pittsburgh Historic Maps (https://esriurl.com/pittsburgh). [view source] keyon
  8. ↑ Lois Mulkearn and Edwin V. Pugh. A Traveler's Guide to Historic Western Pennsylvania, pp. 39–40. University of Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, 1954. Historic Pittsburgh 31735057894978. [view source] mulkearn-pugh
  9. ↑ The Cities of Pittsburgh and Allegheny, with Parts of Adjacent Boroughs, Pennsylvania. 1855. Historic Pittsburgh DARMAP0089; https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~1688~130047; https://collections.lib.uwm.edu/digital/collection/agdm/id/32240; 1855 layer at Pittsburgh Historic Maps (https://esriurl.com/pittsburgh). In George W. Colton, Colton's Atlas of the World: Illustrating physical and political geography, J. H. Colton & Co., New York, 1856 (https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/view/search?q=Pub_List_No%3D0149.000). [view source] colton
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Atlas of the Cities of Pittsburgh, Allegheny, and the Adjoining Boroughs. G. M. Hopkins & Co., Philadelphia, 1872. http://historicpittsburgh.org/maps-hopkins/1872-atlas-pittsburgh-allegheny; 1872 layer at Pittsburgh Historic Maps (https://esriurl.com/pittsburgh). [view source] hopkins-1872
  11. ↑ William G. Johnston. Life and Reminiscences from Birth to Manhood of Wm. G. Johnston. Knickerbocker Press, New York, 1901. Google Books N-QEAAAAYAAJ; Historic Pittsburgh 00adj9508m; Internet Archive lifereminiscence00john. [view source] johnston
  12. ↑ A. A. Lambing and J. W. F. White. Allegheny County: Its Early History and Subsequent Development, pp. 90–91. Snowden & Peterson, Pittsburgh, 1888. Google Books 6bY-AAAAYAAJ; HathiTrust 008957728, 100693049; Historic Pittsburgh 00aee8946m; Internet Archive centennialhistor00lamb; LCCN 18008828. [view source] lambing
  13. ↑ Atlas of the Cities Pittsburgh and Allegheny. G. M. Hopkins & Co., Philadelphia, 1882. http://historicpittsburgh.org/maps-hopkins/1882-atlas-pittsburgh-allegheny; 1882 layer at Pittsburgh Historic Maps (https://esriurl.com/pittsburgh). [view source] hopkins-1882
  14. ↑ Atlas of the City of Pittsburgh, vol. 1. G. M. Hopkins & Co., Philadelphia, 1889. http://historicpittsburgh.org/maps-hopkins/1889-volume-1-atlas-pittsburgh; included in the 1890 layer at Pittsburgh Historic Maps (https://esriurl.com/pittsburgh). [view source] hopkins-1889-vol-1
  15. ↑ "An ordinance establishing the names of avenues, streets, lanes and alleys of the City of Pittsburgh." Pittsburgh city ordinance, 1881, no. 33. Passed Feb. 28, 1881; approved Mar. 4, 1881. Ordinance Book 5, p. 212. In Municipal Record: Minutes of the Proceedings of the Select and Common Councils of the City of Pittsburgh, for the Year 1880, pp. 213–234 (Internet Archive pghmunicipalrecord1880). [view source] ordinance-1881-33
  16. ↑ J. F. Diffenbacher. J. F. Diffenbacher's Directory of Pittsburgh & Allegheny Cities for 1882–'83: Embracing a general directory of residences of citizens, full classified business directory, register of public institutions, benevolent societies, and city government; directory of the streets, secret societies, schools and churches, twenty-sixth [sic] annual issue. Diffenbacher & Thurston, Pittsburgh, 1882, pp. 39, 44, 46, 49. Historic Pittsburgh 31735051650889. [view source] diffenbacher-1882
  17. ↑ Real Estate Plat-Book of the City of Pittsburgh, vol. 3, plates 4–5. G. M. Hopkins & Co., Philadelphia, 1900. http://historicpittsburgh.org/maps-hopkins/1900-volume-3-plat-book-pittsburgh. [view source] hopkins-1900-vol-3
  18. ↑ Real Estate Plat-Book of the City of Pittsburgh, supplement to vol. 3. G. M. Hopkins & Co., Philadelphia, 1903. http://historicpittsburgh.org/maps-hopkins/1903-volume-3-supplement-plat-book-pittsburgh-central. [view source] hopkins-1903-vol-3-supp
  19. ↑ Atlas of Greater Pittsburgh. G. M. Hopkins & Co., Philadelphia, 1910. http://historicpittsburgh.org/maps-hopkins/1910-atlas-greater-pittsburgh; 1910 layer at Pittsburgh Historic Maps (https://esriurl.com/pittsburgh). [view source] hopkins-1910
  20. ↑ "Councils to fix names of streets: Will pass finally on new selections ordered reported favorably by surveys committee—Historical Society aids City Clerk Clark: Some changes which are recommended." Pittsburg Press, Jan. 27, 1910, p. 5. Newspapers.com 141338336. [view source] councils-to-fix-names-of-streets
  21. ↑ "An ordinance changing the names of certain avenues, streets, lanes and alleys in the City of Pittsburgh." Pittsburgh city ordinance, 1910, no. 715. Passed Mar. 31, 1910; approved Apr. 5, 1910. Ordinance Book 21, p. 342. In Municipal Record: Minutes of the Proceedings of the [Select and Common Councils] of the City of Pittsburgh for the Years 1909–1910, appendix, pp. 312–328, Devine & Co., Pittsburgh, 1910 (Google Books doQzAQAAMAAJ; HathiTrust uiug.30112108223832; Internet Archive Pghmunicipalrecord1909). Reprinted in the Pittsburgh Post, Apr. 19, 1910, pp. 10–11 (Newspapers.com 86611990, 86612022), Apr. 20, pp. 10–11 (Newspapers.com 86612278, 86612297), and Apr. 21, pp. 10–11 (Newspapers.com 86612601, 86612625). [view source] ordinance-1910-715
  22. ↑ "An ordinance establishing the names of the avenues, streets, lanes and alleys in the City of Pittsburgh." Pittsburgh city ordinance, 1910, no. 716. Passed Mar. 31, 1910; approved Apr. 5, 1910. Ordinance Book 21, p. 359. In Municipal Record: Minutes of the Proceedings of the [Select and Common Councils] of the City of Pittsburgh for the Years 1909–1910, appendix, pp. 328–381, Devine & Co., Pittsburgh, 1910 (Google Books doQzAQAAMAAJ; HathiTrust uiug.30112108223832; Internet Archive Pghmunicipalrecord1909). Reprinted in the Pittsburgh Post, Apr. 29, 1910, pp. 12–16 (Newspapers.com 86616256, 86616285, 86616314, 86616333, 86616343), and Apr. 30, pp. 12–16 (Newspapers.com 86616643, 86616672, 86616694, 86616726, 86616748). [view source] ordinance-1910-716
  23. ↑ Real Estate Plat-Book of the City of Pittsburgh, vol. 2. G. M. Hopkins & Co., Philadelphia, 1914. http://historicpittsburgh.org/maps-hopkins/1914-volume-2-plat-book-pittsburgh. [view source] hopkins-1914-vol-2
  24. ↑ George T. Fleming. "Wood's [sic] plan of Pittsburgh: Thomas Vickroy's account of the survey of 1784 and parts taken in city's early life by Craig and Bayard." Pittsburgh Gazette Times, Dec. 13, 1914, sec. 2, p. 2. Newspapers.com 85908612. [view source] fleming-woods
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Burd Shippen Patterson. "The Head of Iron": A Romance of Colonial Pennsylvania. T. M. Walker, Pittsburgh, 1908. Google Books rw8ZAAAAYAAJ; HathiTrust 008612936; Historic Pittsburgh 00awk9111m. [view source] patterson
  26. ↑ "'Ridiculous' and 'silly,' a 'huge joke': Changes of street names bring criticism on Clerk Clark; telephones ring—sharp queries keep wires hot: Historical Society indorses the work." Pittsburg Press, July 28, 1909, pp. 1–2. Newspapers.com 141334964, 141334983. [view source] ridiculous
  27. ↑ Eliza O. Denniston. "Book reviews." The Index, vol. 19, no. 14, Oct. 3, 1908, pp. 9, 18. Google Books g2dJAQAAMAAJ. [view source] denniston
  28. ↑ "Pittsburgh stops to scan the past: World's workshop sets next week apart for celebration." Mount Pleasant Journal, Oct. 1, 1908, p. 3. http://digitalcollections.powerlibrary.org/cdm/ref/collection/sstlp-newsp/id/34754. [view source] pittsburgh-stops
  29. ↑ Real Estate Plat-Book of the City of Pittsburgh, vol. 1. G. M. Hopkins & Co., Philadelphia, 1923. http://historicpittsburgh.org/maps-hopkins/1923-volume-1-plat-book-pittsburgh; included in the 1923 layer at Pittsburgh Historic Maps (https://esriurl.com/pittsburgh). [view source] hopkins-1923-vol-1
  30. ↑ Assessment Plat-Book of the City of Pittsburgh, vol. 10. G. M. Hopkins & Co., Philadelphia, 1929. http://historicpittsburgh.org/maps-hopkins/1929-volume-10-assessment-plat-book-pittsburgh-central. [view source] hopkins-1929-vol-10
  31. ↑ "An ordinance changing the names of certain streets in the City of Pittsburgh." Pittsburgh city ordinance, 1914, no. 372. Passed Oct. 20, 1914; approved Oct. 22, 1914. Ordinance Book 26, p. 319. Reprinted in the Pittsburgh Post, Oct. 31, 1914, p. 10 (Newspapers.com 88654234). [view source] ordinance-1914-372
  32. ↑ "An ordinance changing the name of Drummond street, between Fifth avenue and Byng street, to 'McMasters way.'" Pittsburgh city ordinance, 1914, no. 245. Passed July 7, 1914; approved July 8, 1914. Ordinance Book 26, p. 187. Reprinted in the Pittsburgh Post, July 15, 1914, p. 13 (Newspapers.com 86510040). [view source] ordinance-1914-245
  33. ↑ City of Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh Department of City Planning, GIS Division. https://gis.pittsburghpa.gov/pghmap/. Linked from https://pittsburghpa.gov/innovation-performance/interactive-maps. [view source] pgh-city-planning-map
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