Pittsburgh Cemeteries

Author: Father Pitt

  • Brown Pyramid, Homewood Cemetery

    Like the Huhn pyramid in the Allegheny Cemetery (but on a much larger scale), this is a classical interpretation of the Egyptian pyramid, with proportions more like those of the Pyramid of Cestius along the Appian Way than like those of a true Egyptian pyramid. It is striking enough that it appears in much of the Homewood Cemetery’s publicity. It was designed by Alden & Harlow and built for William Harry Brown, banker and heir to a shipping empire, in 1898. Mr. Brown’s firm was the largest shipper of coal on the rivers, which obviously made him quite a pile of money.

  • George Mesta Mausoleum, Homewood Cemetery

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    A fine example of the Egyptian style that was very popular among Masons in the early twentieth century. George Mesta owned a machine shop in Homestead. It was (and this is not an exaggeration) a mile long. His wife Perle (also buried here) ultimately made more of a mark on the world after George died in 1925: she moved to Washington and became the city’s top hostess. President Truman made her ambassador to Luxembourg, where she navigated the minefield of American-Luxembourgeois relations with aplomb.

    The picture above was from 2014. Below, three pictures from 2022.

    George Mesta mausoleum
    George Mesta mausoleum
    George Mesta mausoleum

  • Berg Obelisk, Smithfield East End Cemetery

    The basic shape of the obelisk is set, so to speak, in stone; but the base and the material allow for quite a bit of variation. A well-chosen material like this makes the Berg family’s obelisk stand out in a forest of obelisks, guiding Bergs to the family plot across the wide landscape of the cemetery.

  • Reinhold Monument, Smithfield East End Cemetery

    Elaborate and imposing, this monument is particularly eclectic in its influences, but harmonizes them effectively.

    See more recent and more detailed pictures of the Reinhold monument.

  • Albert C. Opperman Mausoleum, Homewood Cemetery

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    The mausoleum itself is tasteful, but not particularly distinguished. The stained glass inside, however, is signed by F. X. (Franz Xavier) Zettler of the Royal Bavarian Stained-Glass Manufactory, Munich, and it is an extraordinary piece of art.