August Wilson



Born under the name Frederick August Kittel Jr, August Wilson's determination earned him the status of being one of America's greatest ever playwrights, and an important voice in his generation. He wrote the famous Century Cycle, a collection of 10 plays with all but one of them set in the Hill District of Pittsburgh.

The Hill District



August Wilson grew up in the Hill District during its heyday in the 1950. Chock full of jazz clubs, restaurants, churches, and synagogues, it was a community with a beating heart and a music of its own...
A mural of August Wilson
But April 4th, 1968 changed all of that. Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated. Outraged, some of the Hill’s residents came together, and their anger boiled over into fiery riots, burning many buildings, such as the Mainway Supermarket (click here for more), the community’s grocery store. Thousands fled to other parts of Pittsburgh. The Hill was scarred.
Hill District Riots in 1968


But the Hill District is making its own comeback. The August Wilson House, renovated and rebranded as a community center for the arts, empowers artists to express themselves and find their voice. There are plans to renew the Crawford Grill back to the heart of a community on the rise.


Take a tour of the Hill with some of these sites! Hover over the dot and click on the popup to take the tour. The instructions to the left of the map serve as a guide.



Start with Freedom Corner Memorial
(dot 1).

Then take a page out of August Wilson and let yourself wander – make your own journey by choosing the order of the rest of the dots you click.

KEY

1. Freedom Corner
2. August Wilson House
3. Crawford Grill
4. 1839 Wylie Avenue