PI T T S B U R G H : W I L S O N ’ S CI T Y S O U L A N D

While August Wilson did not spend his entire life in Pittsburgh, his formative years there had a huge influence on his life and his work. He returned to the city often after moving away, and nine of his ten Century Cycle plays take place in Pittsburgh’s Hill District. The Pittsburgh, and Hill District, of today have changed drastically from Wilson’s childhood, but the touchstones that held a special place in Wilson’s heart and work are part of the playwright’s and Pittsburgh’s story.

Weil School

August Wilson’s home until the age of 13, this house is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Wilson used the house as the conceptual setting for Seven Guitars, which takes place in the backyard of a similar home. The home is currently under renovation, with plans for it to reopen as a cultural center for The Hill District in honor of August Wilson’s legacy. Read more about The August Wilson House here: augustwilsonhouse.org.

Wilson was an avid library-goer as a child and throughout his life, letting books capture and ignite his imagination. This branch of the Carnegie Library system in Wilson’s childhood neighborhood has taken on new life as a mosque in recent years.

If you are in Pittsburgh and would like to visit locations highlighted in Wilson’s plays, or important in Wilson’s life, the following resources can be your guides:

Wilson frequented this library and his local branch after he dropped out of school and took his education into his own hands. The expansive collection and huge reading rooms gave Wilson space to explore his interests.

August Wilson’s Pittsburgh – The New York Times

Following August Wilson – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

August Wilson: Pittsburgh Places in His Life and Plays by Laurence A. Glasco