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Crawford Grill # 1 ( Ad Photo)
1401 Wylie Avenue, Lower Hill District

Opened in 1931 was owned by William A. (Gus) Greenlee, the owner of the Pittsburgh Crawfords baseball team and numbers baron. Known for its black entertainers, the Crawford Grill was patronized by an interracial crowd. Notable musicians like Billy Eckstein and Johnny Mathis played there, as did Walt Harper. Closed in 1952 after a fire. Was torn down for Civic Arena construction

Crawford Grill # 2 ( photo)
2141 Wylie Ave, Hill District
Opened in 1943 as a companion to the first Crawford Grill, this also became a major center for black social life in the Hill. Gus Greenlee owned this location as well. The crowd was even more racially mixed than in Crawford Grill Number One, drawing people from all over the city with the common goal of enjoying an evening out.

Crawford Grill # 3 ( Ad Photo)

Pennsylvania Avenue on the North Side in 1948, which went out of business in 1955.


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African American Historic Sites Survey of Allegheny County. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, PA, 1994