"Blackened as they are by decades of Pittsburgh smoke, their solemn monumental presence, as they sit now among the broken rubble of the vanishing Post Office, is undeniably memorable." --James Van Trump, Life and Architecture in Pittsburgh
In 1966, downtown Pittsburgh lost its grand post office on Fourth Avenue, yet another casualty of the city's ambitious urban renewal effort known as the Pittsburgh Renaissance. The building--a French Renaissance imitation of the Allegheny County Courthouse--was replaced with a parking lot. However, several statues were saved from demolition by the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation, including this one. It originally was a trio, but its two accompanying statues now sit outside the parking garage in Station Square. Although most of the hundreds of drivers who pass this intersection daily are likely unaware of the statue's historic past, it does its job well, subtly urging us to preserve old buildings so their beautiful statuary is not relegated to a Rite Aid parking lot for eternity.
On the back of its lid, this cache also contains the coordinates to Stone Maidens: Children's Museum (GCAGPXW) on the North Side.