The History of Blacks in Pittsburgh has always been centered in the Hill District. In the past 100 or more years the Hill District has changed. The map of 1858 show the three rivers, the Lower Hill and Downtown as the focus for living and business. The Middle and Upper Hill are all farmland. In the 1850's there were various businesses located in the downtown area by Blacks. Even at this early stage of the city Blacks of Pittsburgh were contributing in all forms to the city. From 1940 to 1960 a massive reconstruction of the Hill was occurring and the demise of a great era was ending. The Lower Hill, sometimes called Little Haite was being demolished to make way for the Civic Arena, which was completed in 1964. In the video "Wylie Avenue Days" the lower hill is shown as a thriving community that enabled African Americans to work and live close to their homes. In the 1950's this was the place to be if you wanted to have a great Friday and Saturday night out on the town. The video also shows how the blacks in the community worked together to insure that their community did not lack anything. There were black owned business from restaurants, hotels, bars, printing offices and more. These pages show only a small representation of the business and activities on the Hill. In 1957 as the photo shows a great portion of the hill was gone and the plans for the new redevelopment was in motion. Many of the Lower Hill Landmarks were being demolished to make way for progress. With the reconstruction the Lower Hill was gone as well as an era of exceptional pride for African-American of the Hill. The demolishing stopped at Wylie and Crawford where St. Benedict the Moor has stood since 1891. The Hill is currently in a new phase to rebuild and make this part of the city of Pittsburgh even better than it was in the 1950’s.