Continue past Clinton to set of steps dropping through the trees. Descend the 60 stairs to the footbridge over the Norfolk Southern Railroad.
StepTrek Route: Gold Route 2024
Gold/West Route 2024
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S. 15th St.
Make right before St. Michael Church and descend the 26 steps along left side to Clinton St.
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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 successor to St. Michael Parish.
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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. The church was closed through a consolidation of parishes and has been redeveloped into condominiums.
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* St. Michael’s 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 offered a retreat center for quiet meditation in overnight rooms.
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Pius St. Cont’d.
Continue along Pius toward town. St. Michael Parish buildings once occupied this stretch of Pius St. The former convent at 66 Pius Street, on the left, is now a condominium complex. You’ll make a right on S. 15th St., but here is some background on the parish.
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* All Wars Memorial
Just past 107 Pius St., overlooking South Side Flats, is a small, but well-kept memorial. Tucked behind a gate, 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.
Take left. Signage throughout the Slopes point out public stairs such as S. 18th St. Steps, located after 113 Pius St.
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Yard Way Steps
Make left and descend 38 steps to Gregory St. and the final 13 steps to Pius St. The last set of stairs were rebuilt in time for the first StepTrek in April 2000. In addition to providing a fascinating tour of this hillside neighborhood, the StepTrek encourages the city to make repairs to existing stairways for public safety.
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Magdalene St.
Turn right and walk along Magdalene. Notice the views over the rooftops of downtown and Hill District. Continue to Yard Way Steps, which are after 28 Magdalene.