Wall collapse forces Pittsburgh to raze historic Brashear lens factory

Pittsburgh is demolishing the historic John A. Brashear factory in the North Side because a wall collapsed Monday night onto an occupied apartment building next door, a city official said Tuesday.

Brashear, a world-renown scientist and philanthropist, worked in the factory to make mirrors and lenses for telescopes until his death in 1920.

The National Registry of Historic Places lists Brashear's house and factory on Perrsyville Avenue. The factory has been vacant for nearly 20 years, and was in poor condition, neighbors said.

It's tragic, said Janet Gunter, a longtime Perry Hilltop resident. No one stepped up to preserve the building. Everybody knew it was in bad shape. Now it's gone and you can't replace history.

Maura Kennedy, who heads the city's Department of Permits Licenses and Inspections, said she issued an emergency demolition order because a wall collapsed about 10:30 p.m. Monday.

Jaydell Minniefield Construction Services Inc. of Hazelwood began razing it Tuesday morning. The city is paying the company $235,000, Kennedy said.

It's unfortunate, but the structure has gotten to a point where it is imminently dangerous, so we needed to take it down immediately, Kennedy said.

The American Red Cross is providing shelter to residents of the apartment building, which was evacuated. Residents won't be permitted to return until city inspectors certify the building is safe, she said.

Brashear was a founder and director of the Allegheny Observatory in Riverview Park and created lenses for telescopes worldwide. He was known in Pittsburgh as Uncle John for the philanthropic work he did and once was named as Pennsylvania's most eminent citizen.

His home still stands on Perrysville Avenue near the factory. He died in 1920 at age 79. His ashes are interred with his wife's in Allegheny Observatory.

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Wall collapse forces Pittsburgh to raze historic Brashear lens factory