"I Have Called the Place Pittsburgh" --
The Block House in 1872

Scanned
illustration of the Block House.

"Before his departure on the expedition to the Muskingum country, he had erected outside the main walls of Fort Pitt the pentagon shaped little blockhouse that has remained to us. It was intended as an outpost for riflemen to prevent surprise by any enemies entering within the outer fortifications by reason of low water in the rivers and the draining of the ditches. The original rifle holes may be seen in the building. Fort Pitt was five sided, necessitating the block house likewise. In the wall of the block house Bouquet place the stone tablet that is now seen there, reading: 'A. D. 1764, Coll Bouquet.' The abbreviation is with two ls, an old time form, and after the A and D are stars. After the date and the abbreviation, 'Coll.' is a sign that resembles the letter S on its side."




* Return to "I Have Called the Place Pittsburgh"