The Crumbling Edifice: The Unfortunate Demise of the Penn-Lincoln Hotel

The Penn-Lincoln Hotel is an abandoned hotel in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania that is scheduled for demolition.

Once a resplendent jewel along the Lincoln Highway, the Penn-Lincoln Hotel now stands as a grim reminder of the inexorable march of time and the fragility of even the grandest of human endeavors. This iconic structure, located in the borough of Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, has succumbed to years of neglect and decay, its opulent past now a mere specter haunting its dilapidated halls.

In the halcyon days of the 1920s, a group of civic-minded citizens banded together to form the Wilkinsburg Hotel Company, their vision fueled by a desire to erect a first-class establishment to cater to the needs of travelers along the famed Lincoln Highway and those arriving via the Pennsylvania Railroad Station. To bring their dream to fruition, they enlisted the architectural prowess of Benno Janssen, whose illustrious portfolio included such esteemed edifices as the William Penn Hotel, the Pittsburgh Athletic Club, and the former Kaufmann’s Department Store in downtown Pittsburgh.

Janssen’s masterful design culminated in a 70,000 square-foot, six-story tower boasting 150 opulent rooms, its grand opening celebrated on the 1st of June, 1927, amid much fanfare and anticipation. Alas, the glory days of the Penn-Lincoln Hotel were fleeting, and the inexorable passage of time ushered in an era of decline that would ultimately lead to its abandonment in 1995, when it was converted into apartments.

Despite its storied past and architectural splendor, the once-grand Penn-Lincoln Hotel now stands as a crumbling relic, its rehabilitation deemed prohibitively costly by an extensive study. As such, the grim specter of demolition looms over this once-proud landmark, with funding already secured to consign it to the annals of history.