Pittsburgh Curiosities: The Secret Doughboy
Our monthly look at oddities around the region.
The historical Pennsylvania National Bank Building is a curiosity itself. Sandwiched between Penn Avenue and Butler Street at the fork in the road, the trapezoid-shaped building towers above a busy intersection, eternally guarded by the Doughboy statue, a memorial to those who served in the World Wars.
Since Desmone Architects remodeled the building, the Doughboy has a ghostly double — you just have to know where to look. Stroll down Butler and turn around just when you pass the original edge of the building; outlined in the wall, you’ll see a silhouette of the statue, as if the Doughboy is casting his shadow straight through the building.
It’s one of a number of remarkable details, including a small piece of the Berlin Wall, that Desmone has added to the structure.
Find It! Butler Street, Lawrenceville, directly across from 3485 Butler St.