Pittsburgh's Last Wooden Street

Street paved with wood. Zack Weinberg (cc by-sa 2.0)

Clocking in at just 250 feet long, this tree-lined residential street in Pittsburgh’s Shadyside neighborhood is constructed from around 26,000 wooden blocks.

Roslyn Place is the last wooden street in Pittsburgh, and one of only a handful of wooden streets left in the world. The road was originally installed in 1914 by Thomas Rodd, during the time when wood-block paving was thought to help deaden some of the cacophony caused by horse-and-wagon traffic.

The old road has managed to survive for over a century in the automobile age. Designated a historic landmark, it underwent a community-backed restoration in 1985. Residents of the 18 homes that border Roslyn Place still keep wooden blocks on hand to perform spot repairs. One of Roslyn Place’s former residents, Allan Jacobs, features this amazing wooden street in his book, Great Streets.

Know Before You Go

The neighbors are very friendly and proud of their street, but I'd recommend parking nearby and walking to Roslyn Place; it's not a through street, so it can be difficult to maneuver in and out.