Grant's Hill

Though it may be hard to imagine now, a giant hill once stood at the intersection of present-day Grant Street and Fifth Avenue. Over the years, the city made three attempts to grade the land, cutting it down by a total of 33 feet after the last attempt. This hill was known as "the hump." For an idea of just how high Grant's Hill was, look at the Frick Building on Grant Street. When "the hump" existed, the pillars on the front facade were on ground level. Now they are well above street level.

While this hill was a pain for developers of the 19th century, it was a strategic piece of land in the mid 1700s, during the time of the French and Indian War. In 1757, General James Grant was major of the 77th Regiment of Foot (Montgomerie's Highlanders). In September 1758, Grant was assigned to lead 800 militia men and officers in an advance against the French at Fort Duquesne. He split his force, hoping to encourage a French attack that he could surprise and overwhelm them.

Grant had no wilderness experience, and was ambushed on the hill by both French and Indian soldiers. Grant and 18 of his men were taken prisoner. He was paroled soon after and tried to blame the defeat on the colonial militia for failure to follow orders.

The Grant's Hill marker was donated by the Daughters of the American Revolution on June 10, 1901. The marker reads: "On this hill, the British under Major James Grant were defeated by the French and Indians from Fort Duquesne, September 14, 1758."