To the right is the former Polska Szkola built in 1898. Continue down S. 15th St. one half block to Breed St. A couple of doors down on the left from the intersection is St. Adalbert Church. This is one of only two churches on the South Side in operation since the consolidation among Catholic parishes.
StepTrek Route: Gold Route 2018
Gold Route 2018
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* Pedestrian Bridges
At the request of SSSNA & Slopes residents, the City and railroad completed this footbridge and another at S. 10th St. in 2002. The trestle is made of the same COR-TEN steel as the U.S. Steel tower downtown. The brown rust serves as a protective coating over the steel frame. The bridges reinstated pedestrian access between the Slopes and Flats. Another SSSNA effort brought safety lighting to the two bridges. At the end of the bridge, descend 59 steps.
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S. 15th St. Steps
On S. 15th St., descend the 26 steps along left side to Clinton St. At Clinton, descend 60 steps to the footbridge over the Norfolk Southern Railroad.
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* Cholera Plague of 1849
In 1849, a deadly cholera plague hit Pittsburgh. The parish could not find enough burial places for its deceased members. Parishioners prayed to St. Roch and vowed to keep a day holy if the plague would cease. It did. Another plague hit the South Side in 1853 but no members of St. Michael died. Cholera Day is observed each August in Prince of Peace Parish on the South Side. The church was closed through a consolidation within the parish and has been redeveloped into condominiums.
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* St. Michael Church
The influence of the church was strong in the Slopes. St. Michael parish started in a house in 1848 where the church front now stands. Designed by Charles Bartberger of Stuttgart, Germany, the church was built between 1855 and 1860 on land donated by German immigrants. The surrounding land reminded them of the Rhine River valley. Though it has a gothic spire, the overall style is Rhineland Romanesque Rival similar to rural Bavarian churches.
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S. 15th St.
Pause a moment. You will make a right on S. 15th St., but ahead is the former St. Michael Church.
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* St. Michael Parish
At 44 Pius is the former St. Michael’s Madchen Schule and previous home of the Veronica’s Veil playhouse. The theater hosted a series of plays throughout the year but was most famous for its Passion play, Veronica’s Veil. Performed during Lent, it was said to be the longest running play in American community theater. These buildings were part of St. Michael’s Parish. The complex on the left includes the Burning Bush, which offers a retreat center for quiet meditation in overnight rooms.
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Pius St. Cont.
Continue along Pius toward town. The former convent at 66 Pius Street, on the left, is now a condominium complex. The building was once part of St. Michael Parish.
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* All Wars Memorial
Just past 107 Pius St., overlooking South Side Flats, is a small, but well-kept All Wars Memorial. Tucked behind a gate and row of shrubs, the site honors veterans. State Elm Street funds permitted extensive improvements that included landscaping, fencing, sidewalks and new flagstone. The memorial, completed and rededicated on September 11, 2007, is maintained by Slopes residents.
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Pius St.
Continue along Pius. At 178-180 Pius is UUBU6, a local restaurant favored by StepTrek volunteers. New signage throughout the Slopes point out public stairs such as S. 18th St. Steps, located before 107 Pius St.