Hunt Armory


Hunt Armory is an armory located at 324 Emerson Street in the Shadyside neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was designed by Pittsburgh architects W.G. Wilkins Co.. Announced on August 29, 1909 and budgeted at $450,000 it was completed by 1916. The armory was named after Spanish–American War hero, metallurgist, and industrialist Captain Alfred E. Hunt, best known for founding the company that would eventually become Alcoa, the world's largest producer and distributor of aluminum. The Hunt Armory occupies an entire city block covering an area of, also reported as 1.84 acres.
For many years, it was used as the city's main auditorium. Until the Pittsburgh Civic Arena was completed in 1961, the Hunt Armory was the largest auditorium in Pittsburgh and was frequently the host for concerts and political events including:
In 1952, the venue launched the "Pittsburgh crusades" of the Reverend Billy Graham.
Although superseded in size in 1961, the Armory remains in use.
It hosted the Handmade Arcade.
The Armory is closed for military use. Historically appropriate redevelopment is planned under the City's Urban Redevelopment Authority. Hunt Armory has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places since November 14, 1991. It received City of Pittsburgh historic landmark status on February 25, 2014.