The Crawford Grill: The Epicenter of Jazz Music in the Hill District of Pittsburgh
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
Images
Men and women depicted enjoying their night at the Crawford Grill No. 1, c 1938-1945. "The Grill" continued to attract large crowds and jazz legends to its revolving stage and continental bar.
Historical marker depicted outside of the Crawford Grill No. 2 location.
William "Gus" Greenlee was not only the founder and owner of Hill District's Crawford Grill, he was also a leader in Pittsburgh's African American community. Gus Greenlee also later owned the Pittsburgh Crawfords Negro League baseball team.
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
The Crawford Grill was best understood as a club that served its community in the outgrowth of racial injustice and prejudice. Gus Greenlee entered the entertainment industry in the pursuit of creating a place where people can escape these social and societal standards. Gus Greenlee acquired the business in 1932 where he dedicated his time to remodeling and staffing the Grill. Greenlee held a grand opening for the Crawford Grill on Christmas Eve of 1933.
The Crawford Grill No. 1 was located at 1401 Wylie Ave. within a hotel known as the Leader House. The first Crawford Grill was three-story, and the third floor was specifically reserved for VIP members. The audience that populated the establishment was racially and socially mixed, which provided people a comfortable and freeing atmosphere. "The Grill" continued to soar in admiration by attracting famous jazz musicians, including Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Billy Eckstine, and Stanley Turrentine. However, the Crawford Grill No. 1 remained in business until 1951 when the building was destroyed in a fire then the remains were demolished in 1959 as a part of the development of the Civic Arena.
With so much success, Greenlee partnered with Joseph Robinson in 1943 to open a second Crawford Grill on Wylie Avenue and Elmore Street in the Hill District where Robinson’s son, William “Buzzy” Robinson, ran the club for nearly 60 years. The Crawford Grill No. 3 opened in 1948 on Bidwell Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. After Greenlee's death in 1952, Robinson received ownership of the remaining two Crawford Grills. The third Crawford Grill closed its doors in 1955 due to the lack of popularity and crowds it produced. The Golden Age of Jazz had started and ended with the Crawford Grills.
After Robinson's death in 1982, the ownership of the remaining Crawford Grill No. 2 was passed onto William "Buzzy" Robinson. Buzzy had sold the business in 1992 but still retained ownership of the building. The Crawford Grill was honored by the Pennsylvania Historical Museum Commission on April 7, 2001, and dedicated a state historical marker at the second Crawford Grill location. This memorable establishment closed two years later in 2003. After the closing of Crawford Grill No. 2, Buzzy sold the site in 2006. In 2010, local sources claimed that several investment groups and private individuals purchased the building in hopes of preserving the legacy with the future establishment of a new restaurant/nightclub.
Sources
Arnold, Karen. “Showing the Love for Crawford Grill No. 2, a Once Swinging Hot Spot in Pittsburgh.” Pennsylvania Historic Preservation, 11 Feb. 2019, pahistoricpreservation.com/showing-love-crawford-grill-2/.
“Crawford Grill.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 29 Mar. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crawford_Grill.
O'Neill, Annie. “Long-Dormant Center of Hill Jazz Scene Seeks a New Life.” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 28 June 2007, www.post-gazette.com/ae/music/2007/06/28/Long-dormant-center-of-Hill-jazz-scene-seeks-a-new-life/stories/200706280377.
Reporter, Daily Mail. “Black and White Images Capture the Rise and Fall of Great American Jazz Bar The Crawford Grill.”
Daily Mail Online, Associated Newspapers, 30 Apr. 2012, www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2137151/Black-white-images-capture-rise-fall-great-American-jazz-bar-The-Crawford-Grill.html.
Smith, Brady. “Let's Learn from the Past: The Crawford Grill William ‘Gus’ Greenlee Pittsburgh Crawfords.” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 7 June 2017, www.post-gazette.com/life/my-generation/2017/06/08/Let-s-Learn-from-the-Past-The-Crawford-Grill-2/stories/201706080058.
Smith, Brady. “The Crawford Grill: Heinz History Center.” History Center, 2 Feb. 2021,www.heinzhistorycenter.org/blog/western-pennsylvania-history/the-crawford-grill.
Image credits to the Teenie Harris Archive Collection.
https://pahistoricpreservation.com/showing-love-crawford-grill-2/
https://www.post-gazette.com/life/my-generation/2017/06/08/Let-s-Learn-from-the-Past-The-Crawford-Grill-2/stories/201706080058