Stephen Foster Memorial - Pittsburgh's Songwriter

Stop on University of Pittsburgh Campus Walk, a free self-guided tour.

You've almost certainly sung a song by the man this building honors. Stephen Foster, born in Pittsburgh in 1826, wrote 'Oh! Susanna,' 'Camptown Races' and 'Beautiful Dreamer,' and he is often called the father of American popular music. Many of his best-known songs were written for blackface minstrel shows, a reminder that his legacy is more complicated than the tunes.

Charles Klauder, the Cathedral's architect, designed this Gothic memorial to match, and it was dedicated in 1937. Businessman Josiah K. Lilly had gathered more than 10,000 Foster items, and he and his son Eli paid almost half of the building's cost when the collection came to Pitt.

Today the memorial does double duty. Its two theaters, the Charity Randall and the Henry Heymann, are home to Pitt's theatre arts department, and the Center for American Music keeps Foster's manuscripts, recordings and his piano. Check the center's website for when the museum is open.

Did you know?: Foster died in New York City in 1864 at just 37, reportedly with only 38 cents in his pocket.

Photo op: From the Forbes Avenue sidewalk, frame the memorial's Gothic front with the Cathedral of Learning towering behind it.

Accessibility: The Forbes Avenue sidewalk is level and paved. For theater or museum access details, check the Center for American Music or theatre department websites.