Fort Pitt Blockhouse

The Fort Pitt Block House was constructed in 1764 as a defense mechanism for Fort Pitt during the French and Indian War. The Block House is the only structure from Fort Pitt that is left standing. It is also the oldest authenticated structure in Western Pennsylvania and is a National Historic Landmark of the Forks of the Ohio.

After the British abandoned Fort Pitt, the Block House was used as a trading post and served as the headquarters for the Continental Army during the American Revolution. When Fort Pitt was demolished, the Block House was turned into a single-family home in 1785, and then a multi-family residence in the 1840s, with one family living in the upstairs room and another living downstairs. During the 19th century, the Block House became one of many tenement houses in the Point District, one of the poorest and most densely populated areas of Pittsburgh.

The Fort Pitt Block House is still privately owned and operated by the Fort Pitt Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Much of its architectural fabric is intact. The stone foundation, bricks, and timber elements are mostly original to its 1764 construction.

The Fort Pitt Block House marker was dedicated on Friday, May 8, 1959. The marker reads: "One of Fort Pitt's outworks, this blockhouse or redoubt stood near the western bastions and is the only surviving structure of that fort. Built in 1764 by Col. Henry Bouquet."

Visit the Block House for yourself! Admission is free!