Statement of Significance (as of designation - January 20, 1999):
Between June 29 and November 21, 1892, much of the nation followed the events of a labor strike outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that pitted the Carnegie Steel Company against one of the strongest labor unions at the time. During the strike at the Homestead Steel Works, the Bost Building served as the local headquarters for the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers and as the base for American and British newspaper correspondents reporting the events. The confrontation turned bloody when Pinkerton guards approached Homestead on barges in a failed attempt to reclaim the Steel Works from the striking workers and their supporters. The Bost Building is the best surviving structure associated with this important strike.

The Bost Building has undergone two years of renovations at a cost of $4.5 million. The state contributed $2.4 million toward the renovations, while the federal government added $2 million and private donors gave $100,000. Located in one of Pennsylvania's 11 designated state heritage regions, it will now serve as the main visitors' center for the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area. The renovated Landmark building includes a third floor exhibit hall, restored rooms used by union leaders during the events of 1892, when the Homestead Lockout and Strike, one of America's most dramatic labor episodes, occurred. The Bost Building also houses offices for the Steel Industry Heritage Corp., the nonprofit that oversees the heritage region