Iconic South Side clock to shine brighter

On Thursday at 8:30 p.m., the face of the iconic clock above Pittsburgh’s South Side will be illuminated brighter than ever.

Pittsburgh Brewing Co. in East Deer has invested in updating the lights and look of the largest clock face in the U.S., which was built in the 1930s by the Audichron Company.

The owner of the building — and the clock — Pete Milan reached out to Pittsburgh Brewing about the opportunity, Pittsburgh Brewing president Todd Zwicker said Friday. The company decided this was a good collaboration, Zwicker said. When it lights, it will illuminate in Pittsburgh Brewing’s red and white.

Zwicker declined to give the cost to refresh the clock.

”It is an iconic clock, not just in Pittsburgh but across the country and the world,” Zwicker said.

The clock is controlled by a photocell, which detects light intensity and turns it on if it’s dark during the day (in addition to being lit nightly).

Originally known as the Duquesne Brewery Clock, it is 60 feet across — nearly twice the size of Big Ben, the clock in London – and covers more than 3,000 square feet. Its minute and hour hands — longer than a box truck and heavier than a grand piano — weigh a combined 4,300 pounds.

It was first located on Mount Washington and later moved to its perch above the Duquesne Brewery in 1961. The clock wasn’t far from Pittsburgh steel mills, where thousands of people saw it on a daily basis.

One of its slogans was “Have a Duke!” in the 1960s and it was also a billboard for Coca-Cola and AT&T.

Zwicker said that Pittsburgh Brewing is a recognizable brand and that Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers talked about it on the Pat McAfee show.

“Many generations have engaged with the brand,” Zwicker said. “Iron City is a recognizable Pittsburgh brand like Heinz Ketchup. It’s part of the fabric of this city.”