In this issue:4

Hope and Help for Historic Religious Properties

10Fifth-Forbes Update

The Road to Salvation:On to City Council

14Across at Last!

Pittsburgh’s Bridges:Architecture and Engineering

Now Available

16The Grable Foundation

Contributes to OurEducation Program

20Year 2000 Workplan

Approvedpreservation, diminutive. Recently mayorshave warmed up the bulldozers againand are demolishing hundreds of acres offine historic buildings, just like the 1950sand 1960s, in the name of “progress.” In fact, many of the ideas advanced todayto revitalize cities are exactly the same asthose advanced in the mid-20th century:stadiums, convention centers, subsidizedretail in the urban core, expressways tothe countryside.

One of the most harmful sources ofmoney that does incredible damage toour cities, our towns, and our country-sides is federal, state, and local highway

funding. An astronomicalamount of money is still avail-able for the roadway systemsthat have proven again andagain that they do not work,that they breed congestion,cause the maiming and killingof people, and cost us a gargan-tuan loss of historic buildings,main streets, farm buildings,and quality of life each year.

While as preservationists we have devoted some of ourresources to educating the

young, we have not done nearly enough.We need to arm our population with theinformation of the usefulness and thesuccess of historic preservation. We needto make clear the hurt of all kinds causedby those who believe in clearance andrebuilding, together with that caused by those who believe in the endlessreplacement of the countryside with abuilt environment.

If I were to select two ingredients asthe primary ones needed to achievemore than a nominal victory, I wouldpoint to education first. We still have anenormous task of educating governmen-tal and philanthropic leaders, corporate

executives, indeed all those who figurein the decision-making process. The grass-roots people are with us; they are in factus. But we need to tower over the land-scape like redwoods, not little blades.We must keep educating young peopleso that as generations change, the newleaders will share our point-of-view.

Second, of course, we need money.However, it can come in many forms.To have our hands on cash is the best ofall possible worlds, but to spend it welland to leverage it, to use it to influenceas well as to acquire, and to demonstratehow old buildings can be used is acomplex task.

In addition, we need to understand allthe different ways that we can affect theflow of money. Historically our mostsignal triumph in that regard was the 25 percent historic preservation taxcredit which turned thousands of devel-opers into preservationists. We need theHomeowner’s Tax Credit now.

But we also need to understandbanking, financing, corporate financialstructures, governmental programs,foundation needs, and alternative waysto aid and abet the economics of thosewho could invest in preservation.

We have succeeded in building preser-vation into “the system,” but we havenot succeeded in making it the system.We have often achieved success bysallying forth and doing a project andshowing that it works. We need to finda way to exhibit those models so thatthey will inspire thousands of otherswho are investing in their communitiesbut without a preservation ethic.

We must tackle the new centurybased on the assurance that theevidence of the old one shows wehave useful answers to contempo-rary dilemmas.

Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation1 Station Square, Suite 450Pittsburgh, PA 15219-1134www.phlf.org

Address Service Requested

Nonprofit Org.U. S. PostagePA I DPittsburgh, PAPermit No. 598

PHLF NewsPublished for the members of the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation No. 156 February 2000

The Evidence Is In

P r o t e c t i n g t h e P l a c e s t h a t M a k e P i t t s b u r g h H o m e

Arthur P. Ziegler, Jr.

For its fiftieth anniversary publication,the National Trust for Historic Preser-vation asked Landmarks’ presidentArthur Ziegler to write an essay on theprogress of the preservation movement.We reprint it here with permission, fromthe Fall 1999 issue of Forum Journal.

“We must educate young people so that as generations change, the new leaders willshare our point of view,” writes Arthur Ziegler. Here, students from McKnightElementary are touring Pittsburgh with Landmarks (see page 16).

YES, WE PRESERVATIONISTSHAVE COME A LONG WAY.NO, WE HAVE NOT BY ANYMEANS ARRIVED. Starting with anintrepid band of determined women atMount Vernon, the preservation move-ment has achieved significant progressin saving buildings, monuments, towns,neighborhoods, main streets, and land-scapes. We have woven the idea ofpreservation into the thinking of plannersand government leaders, and into thelaw itself. The grassroots communityeverywhere supports the idea of preser-vation, and philanthropic and govern-mental money has flowed our way. The movement has strong leadership, infact so strong that the president of theNational Trust, Richard Moe, couldmobilize the forces to defeat Disney’shuge project that was to have beenimplanted in the Virginia countryside.

A movement originally founded onthe leadership of individual leaders invarious cities now has a cadre of profes-sionals, B.A.s and M.A.s, staffs andbudgets, boards and volunteers, allacross the United States. We may notalways be listened to, but we are heard.

Three quarters of acentury of evidence is in,and our ideas have gener-ally been proven right. Our opposition to urbanrenewal, to the demolitionof major buildings symbol-ized by the loss of thePennsylvania RailroadStation in New York, ourbelief in reviving neighbor-hoods through the commit-ment of residents to theirhistoric buildings, economic development preservation projects likeours in Pittsburgh at Station Squarehave proven themselves to be sound, to work. Those projects antithetical toour principles have generally proventhemselves not to work, whether it wasurban renewal, festival markets, malleddowntowns, or main street pedestrian-izations. Almost all have proven to bethe deleterious ideas that we originallyopposed.

But we are not there yet. We are stilla limited grassroots effort with lesssupport than the environmental move-ment and with far less money. Publicand private budgets are still, for historic

We havesucceeded in

buildingpreservation into

“the system,”but we have not

succeeded in making it the

system.

Special Fifth-ForbesNewsletter toBe PublishedIn order to keep our members fully informed inregard to the Fifth-Forbesredevelopment issue, weexpect to publish a specialissue devoted exclusively to the fast-breaking developments.

In the meantime, see thecenterspread of this issuefor news of our efforts overthe past several months andour position.

A detail from the G.C. MurphyCompany Building of 1930, H. E. Crosby architect, slatedfor demolition.

P a g e 2 P H L F N e w s • F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 0

PHLF News is published four times each year for the members of the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation, a non-profit historic preservation organization serving Allegheny County. Landmarks is committed to neighborhoodrestoration and historic property preservation; public advocacy; historic landscape preservation; and education andmembership programs. Special issues, devoted to a particular theme or program area, are published on occasion.

© 2000 Pittsburgh History & Landmarks FoundationDesigned by Pytlik Design AssociatesPhotographs by Clyde Hare, Jim Judkis, and William Rydberg/PHOTON

Arthur P. Ziegler, Jr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PresidentLouise Sturgess . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Editor/Executive DirectorCathy Broucek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Assistant to the PresidentElisa J. Cavalier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . General CounselTom Croyle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ComptrollerMary Lu Denny . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Director of Membership ServicesMary Ann Eubanks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Education CoordinatorBarry Hannegan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Director of Historic Landscape PreservationThomas Keffer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Superintendent of Property MaintenanceWalter C. Kidney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Architectural HistorianJack Miller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Planned Giving OfficerLinda Mitry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Staff AccountantAlbert M. Tannler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Historical Collections DirectorGregory C. Yochum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HorticulturistRonald C. Yochum, Jr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Assistant for Public Policy and CIO

Charlotte AbercrombieAlan L. AckermanKaren K. AgostinellaSteven P. AlbertJudy AlbingerAllegheny WatersheadAngela AluiseCindy AmbroseRex A. AndersonMark A. AnstisMr. & Mrs. Charles Shaw

ArensbergLinda BahamGeorge C. Bandik, Ph.D.Mr. & Mrs. David BarnettDeborah BaronJames E. Barrick, Ph.D., P.E.Ellen C. BatesMr. & Mrs. Lester F. BeckerLeo BeilWesley BellBellevue Elementary SchoolJoanna BeresRichard J. Bertin and familyMelicent BielichMartha and Cole BlasierMartin A. BlumAlan BluntMr. & Mrs. Kenneth Blunt

and familyNeenah BoaxGloria S. BodekJulie L. BoucekMrs. Fred C. BowersPaul Bowker and familyBarbara BrandesJeffrey M. BranniganDaniel J. BrashearDouglas S. BrashearMr. & Mrs. James E. BrashearDavid BraunMary and Russell BrignanoDiane BritzLynn B. BrostoffEdward BrownJames E. BrughL. Edward BrungraberBenjamin E. BrunnerLinda and Robert BurrowsMrs. John W. BurwinkelMr. & Mrs. John W. Burwinkel,

Jr. and familyGregory R. BykowskiRandall W. Casciola and familyChristine A. Casillo and familyPeter David Cavaluzzi and familyBarry ChadSally ChadamGloria Gray CheckleyBrett A. ClarkPatrick C. Clark and FamilyAndrea V. Clarkson and familyKeith H. Cochran and Mary M.

MazziottiLeatrice and Abraham Cohen

and familySally and Richard CohenRobert T. CombsCommunity Involvement

Foundation/Tickets for Kids

Community Library of AlleghenyValley

Tom CoppolaChristine M. CourtyJoseph F. D’AndreaJamini and Greg DaviesKathryn R. DavisHeather M. & Theodore A.

Dengel Sarah K. DerenJames V. Dermitt and familyDickson Intermediate SchoolBarbara Dimeling and familyBrian A. DiPietroBill DiSabatoMary Beth Doheny and

Tom SemichBeatrice DomerAnn Marie DonahoeE. Gerry DudleySusan K. DuerksenDonald A. Dukelow and familyMrs. William S. DuncanJeanette C. Dunn, M. D.

and familyRobert Eardley, Jr.Eat’n Park RestaurantsMargaret Baker EdmundsHeidi A. EdwardsKent A. EdwardsGlenn EgnacheskiClaire and Bill EmeryDianne EnglishBarbara Eusace and Harry F.

Eustace IVMary G. EvansJohn EvosevicMichele FaberWilha Jean FallonMary K. FavingerRena Feingold and familyRuth S. FergusonLewis J. FernandezMegan C. FialkovichDeborah FirestoneSusan and Paul FleischackerNicholas G. FlocosH. T. Foley, M.D. and familyRichard Foley and familyLaVerne FormanMary Catherine and Steve FranksSheri L. FranzBarbara FritzMr. & Mrs. R. FrumermanMr. & Mrs. Dennis L. Fullerton

and family Brown FultonCathy Gatto-OliverBradley E. Gentile and familyHeidi Gerhard and

Joseph LawrenceFrank GoldbronnMark GoldmanLinda and Ed GoldstonRita J. Gould and familySusan E. Gove, Ph.D.Bradley D. GrantzGail L. GrattonMatthew GrebnerBenjamin F. Greene

Salem GrimmDr. & Mrs. Stephen L. GuinnAnne and Fred GunnMr. & Mrs. Peter F. HackettMr. & Mrs. Jerome P. HahnConstance E. HalletHanley Library of University of

Pittsburgh in BradfordGeorge J. HarrisProfessor Howard HarrisMel HarrisNathan HartRalph Hartford and familyJoseph A. Healy and familyScott D. HeberlingPeggy HeelyH. W. HenningerSuzanne HersheyGrace HigginsCarl Hildebrandt and Susan Holm

and familyHill District Community

CollaborativeArthur G. Hoffmann, Jr.

and familyDr. William L. HoffmanDavid HoggElizabeth H. HorvathJane and James HoseyCarrie E. HutskoMarion HyleMr. & Mrs. Edward C. Ifft, Jr.

and familyAllen W. InglefieldLisa M. IntrieriWendy Jo IrmerElizabeth Ifft JacobMr. & Mrs. Fredrick M. Jacob II

and familyKent James and Marianne

Wizda, M.D.Bridget A. Jefferson and familyJefferson Elementary SchoolCarol JensenRobert L. JohnMary K. JohnsDavid A. JohnstonMartha W. JordanThomas A. JosephiMargaret JoyceKathy M. JozefovSuzanne Kantor and familyRose M. KaranzasMr. & Mrs. John Kartsonas

and familyKaren L. Katunich and familyErin M. KellyAnn Kelton and familyMarita D. KennaKentuck KnobFritz KesslerKiski Area School DistrictRobert N. KohmanJohn KolojejchickDave KosickDrew Koval and Teresa WolkenJoyce A. and Richard A. KushonBetty C. Labun and familySusan LamiDr. Diane Beynon Landers

Welcome New Members(as of December 31, 1999)

Your support strengthens Landmarks and helps us accomplish our goals. We look forward to your participation in our work and special events.

James R. LangGretchen G. LankfordCharles P. LawtonStephen R. Lee and Yoko TaiJeff LemleyJohn LeonardSarah T. LibsonTinsy LipchakArleen and Sandy LipsmanMr. & Mrs. H. Lewis Lobdell

and familyRichard H. LunnFrank M. Lyle and familyWilliam G. MacLarenCarol MacPhailDana Bolster Madison and familyMr. & Mrs. Thomas O. Maffei

and familySara R. MaheenFlorence C. ManningMarket Square AssociatesMr. & Mrs. Jan A. Marks

and familyAudrey G. MasalehdanPalmer J. Masciola III and familyLaurie A. Mason and familyRobert E. McCueSuzy McKain and familyMatthew Richard McNuttMelissa McSwigan and familyDr. & Mrs. William J. McVayAnne and Tom Medsger

and familyMiriam P. MeislikElizabeth S. MilliganMichael MillisWilliam H. MilonMinadeo Elementary SchoolHoward A. MinskyElise Moersch and familyMoon Middle SchoolDeborah E. MoranPeter H. MossMt. Gallitzin AcademyDr. Edward K. MullerNancy and Michael MurphyWanda NameyAubrey A. NavarroRoseann NeatrourJane J. NeiserDaren and Jennifer NicholsonEdward A. NicholsonNordic FisheriesMary Novario and familyJean M. NutcherLelia O'Callaghan and familySusan OlaharskiLillian Orzechowski and familyDorothy C. OttMegan E. PainterLaura and Thomas PangburnLorraine C. PerryShane D. PerryWesley C. PickardPittsburgh Downtown PartnershipMr. & Mrs. William Poole

and familyChristopher PotterTara PotterD. John PowersJoAnn PrattLisa PricePrince Charming CarriagesPrince of Peace SchoolMrs. Andrew C. PyrosRay R. Queen and familyDaniel A. Radke and familyMatthew J. RaganMr. & Mrs. Edward V. Randall, Jr.

and familyWilliam A. Real and

Pamela J. GearySimon G. Reichbaum and familyJennifer RempelPaul RettgerMary and Fred RichardsonVioleta F. RodriguezSara M. RooneyLaurie Caswell RosenbergJoan Rowan

Maryanna Rowsick and familyJohn D. RuskinPaul RyanWilliam RydbergSonja and Tim SailorSt. Margaret SchoolWilliam B. Salsbury, Jr.Betty SanfordGary R. SantmyerMr. & Mrs. L. F. Sargert

and familyJoseph Scalamogna and familyEleanor M. Schenker and familyBrian John SchillingerWilliam J. Schnippert and familyCarol Schramke and Carson LaneJane S. SchultzRose ScillaJean SeymourEddie ShawVirginia SheppardThe Reverend William S. ShirleyJean M. SilvernailJanice Marie SimakRuth D. SimpsonAbram A. SingerDonald J. SivavecDaniel G. SkantarAdelaide Smith and familyCharlotte Smith and familyMr. & Mrs. Norman R. SmithRonald F. SmitsRobert Smucker and familyBroderick S. SmylieMr. & Mrs. Carl SpaederWilliam M. SperryKimberly D. StatlerDorothy M. StenzelSharon SternCathy StevensDavid W. StevensonMarge StevensonJean L. Stoehr and familyMisty SuhoskiEmily M. SullivanCol. George R. SurmanEmily and Oscar SwanJohn SweigartPeggy SweigartLinda TabakinWendy TamNatasha J. TaylorBrienne S. TerrilKaren Vachon ThanerJohn L. ThomasMr. & Mrs. Robert R. ThomasJanet ThorneSharon TimberLisa TobozFarley Toothman and familyP. J. TrenorTsunehisa J. Tsuda and familyDr. Clyde E. Vogeley, Jr.Councilman Sala UdinAmanda L. UrbanAlan Van WhyConnie and Bill VetterKatherine VidakovichSusan WaggonerS. James WallaceJana and George WalczakM. Barbara WaltersJames Weddell and familyFaith WeinsteinNan WeizenbaumCharles E. WellmanKaye E. Wentling and familyWest End A. M. E. Zion ChurchWest View PTADr. & Mrs. George R. WhiteAndrew Wickerham and familyRonald J. WielockWildlands ConservancyMr. & Mrs. Joseph K. WilliamsAlice WiltonLawrence E. WoodCassie WrightNaomi YoranFrank ZiaukasCatherine and James Zora

P H L F N e w s • F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 0 P a g e 3

Wilda Wible AikenThe Allegheny FoundationConrad C. M. ArensbergMichael Baker CorporationMr. & Mrs. G. William BissellH. M. Bitner Charitable TrustLaura Lee and Charles H. Booth, Jr.Mr. & Mrs. David M. BrashearJudith and James BrashearCarl Wood BrownThe Buhl FoundationCB Richard Ellis/PittsburghAnne L. and George H. Clapp

Charitable and Educational TrustCity of PittsburghColumbia Gas of PennsylvaniaConsolidated Natural Gas CompanyCounty of AlleghenyDay & Night PressThomas DemkoMary DeWinter FundDollar BankMr. & Mrs. George C. DormanThayer H. DrewDuquesne Light CompanyEllwood Group, Inc.Tim EnglemanFaith Center Church of God in ChristFannieMae FoundationFederal Home Loan Bank of PittsburghHenry and Mary Louise GailliotIda and Mark Gleeson

Geoffrey H. GoldbergHarry C. GoldbyThe Grable FoundationMarion and Sylvan GreenHDR Engineering, Inc.Philip B. HallenDoris M. HarrisPhipps HoffstotThomas O. Hornstein Charitable FundMilton G. Hulme Charitable

FoundationThe Roy A. Hunt FoundationTorrence M. Hunt Fund for

Special ProjectsClyde F. and Beatrice S. HuweJendoco Construction CorporationThe Mary Hillman Jennings

FoundationDr. & Mrs. R. L. Kelley, Jr.Monna J. KidneyWalter C. KidneyR. N. KohmanGrant McCargoPamela K. McCarterSamuel and Judith McClungMary A. McDonoughKatherine Mabis McKenna

FoundationJack A. McKinnon, Jr.Andrew W. Mellon Educational &

Charitable Trust FundMr. & Mrs. Kenneth L. Menke

Neighborhood Housing ServicesEliza Scott NevinConstance O’NeilPNC BankPNC Bank Charitable Trust

CommitteePPG Industries FoundationEvelyn Bitner PearsonPittsburghscape/Joel LevinsonMarirose and John RadeletMarjorie M. Richardson and

Sherwood RichardsonSargent Electric Company, on behalf

of Light the BridgesSally and Loren SiegelHoward M. Slaughter, Jr.Estate of Delores M. SmithFurman South IIIFrank L. StanleyMarguerite M. SteckPatricia Thauer FundKaarin Van AusdalDr. & Mrs. Albert C. Van DusenVillage Garden Club in SewickleyWQED PittsburghThe Walden TrustWestinghouse Airbrake CompanyThe Westinghouse FoundationDr. & Mrs. George R. WhiteArthur P. Ziegler, Jr.Emma Ziegler FundVinnie D. Ziegler

Major Donors in 1999Without the support of the following people, businesses, and foundations, the PittsburghHistory & Landmarks Foundation would not be able to accomplish as much as it does. For abrief overview of all we accomplished in 1999, please see the listings of “1999 Facts” on mostodd-numbered pages in this issue.

• The Allegheny Foundation, for support of our Historic Religious Properties Fund;

• Claire M. Bassett, AIA, for her gift in honor of Mr. & Mrs. Knox Bassett;

• David and Janet Brashear, for their ongoing support ofLandmarks’ education, membership, and preservationprograms;

• Cathy Broucek, for her gift in memory of Robert Wardrop;

• Carl Wood Brown, for his contribution to his NamedFund to support Landmarks’ publications;

• Ruth and Richard Brunermer, for their donations inhonor of Vinnie Ziegler, and in memory of Mrs. Margaret Plue and Sylvan Green;

• CB Richard Ellis/Pittsburgh, for support of ourdowntown walking tour program;

• Chevron Corporation, for its gift in honor of Stephanie Sladek;

• The Anne L. and George H. Clapp Charitable andEducational Trust, for its support of our historicpreservation and education programs;

• Thomas Demko, for his gift to support our educationprograms;

• The Ellwood Group, for support of our preservationefforts in downtown Pittsburgh;

• Mary G. Evans, for her gift in honor of Paul Ryan;

• The Faith Center Church of God in Christ, for its gift in memory of Verna Slaughter Shields;

• FannieMae Foundation, for support of our historicpreservation and education programs;

• Susan Faulk, for her gift in honor of James Weddell;

• The Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh, for itssupport of the Preservation Loan Fund;

• Marion Green, for her gift to support our historicpreservation and education programs;

• Doris M. Harris, for her support of our historicpreservation and education programs;

• H. J. Heinz Company Foundation, for its gift in honorof M. M. Dodgen;

• Colleen Hess, for her gift to support our Award orMerit program;

• Henry Phipps Hoffstot III, for his gifts to support ourHistoric Religious Properties Fund, PreservationServices Fund, Library Fund, and education programs;

• The Milton G. Hulme Charitable Foundation, for itsgift to support our historic preservation services andeducation programs;

• Dr. & Mrs. R. L. Kelley, Jr., for their gift in memory of Robert M. Jacob;

• Walter C. Kidney, for his gift in honor of Mrs. Lois Monahan;

• The May Foundation, for its gift in honor of Douglas Trumpower;

• The Katherine Mabis McKenna Foundation, for itsgenerous support of our preservation efforts in regardto Fifth-Forbes and throughout Allegheny County;

• Mellon Financial Corporation, for its gift in honor ofJanis R. Carey;

• PNC Bank, for its ongoing support of our PreservationLoan Fund and preservation programs;

• PPG Industries Foundation, for its gift in honor ofPhilip L. Wyche;

• Albert M. Tannler, for his gift in honor of Mrs. Albert Tannler;

• The Westinghouse Foundation, for its gift in honor ofHoward J. Bruschi;

• Dr. & Mrs. George R. White, for their gift in support ofour historic preservation and education programs;

• Judith and James White, for their gift in support of ourhistoric preservation and education programs;

• Arthur P. Ziegler, Jr. and Vinnie D. Ziegler, for theirgifts to support our historic preservation and educationprograms.

Recent Contributions & GiftsThrough their contributions, the following people are strengthening the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation.

Thankyou foryour

support!

1999 FactsCorporate Members(as of December 31, 1999)

BenefactorsCB Richard Ellis/PittsburghColumbia Gas of Pennsylvania, Inc.Ellwood Group, Inc.Federal Home Loan Bank of PittsburghHighmark Blue Cross Blue ShieldMatthews InternationalMylan Laboratories, Inc.Oxford Development CompanyPNC BankPittsburgh Steelers Sports, Inc.Victoria Hall

PatronsAlpern, Rosenthal & CompanyBeckwith MachineryDollar BankEat’n Park RestaurantsGreater Pittsburgh Convention & Visitor’s BureauMolly’s TrolleysNational City Bank of Pennsylvania

PartnersAllegheny Valley Bank of PittsburghBaker Mellon Stuart Construction, Inc.Bell AtlanticBognar and CompanyBruce Plastics, Inc.The Buncher CompanyBurrell Group, Inc.California University of PennsylvaniaChatham Village Homes, Inc.Chubb Group of Insurance CompaniesClearview Project Services CompanyDelta International MachineryDuquesne Light CompanyESB Bank, F.S.B.Fayette BankFerry Electric CompanyGateway EngineersGraham Realty CompanyGreat American Federal Savings & Loan AssociationGreater Pittsburgh Chamber of CommerceThe Gustine Company, Inc.Hayes Large ArchitectsFrank P. Hess & Company, Inc.Hilb, Rogal and Hamilton CompanyHorty, Springer & Mattern, P.C.International Society for Measurement and ControlJ&H Marsh & McLennanKeystone State Savings BankKirkpatrick & LockhartLandmarks Design AssociatesLaurel Savings BankMBI/McGaughey Buses, Inc.Market Square AssociatesMellon BankNeville Chemical CompanyNordic FisheriesNorthSide BankPenn Liberty AssociationPerkins Eastman Architects, P.C.Pittsburgh Downtown PartnershipPittsburgh Hilton & TowersPort Authority of Allegheny CountyPrince Charming CarriagesRossin FoundationSargent Electric CompanySesame Inn RestaurantsTempus Creative ServicesTRACO WindowsA. J. Vater & CompanyWestin William Penn HotelWest View Savings BankWorkingmen’s Savings Bank, F.S.B.

AssociatesPytlik Design Associates

Epiphany Roman Catholic Church inthe Hill District used a $3,000 grant torepair the large stained-glass windowVisitation of the Magi that was damagedduring the storm of 1998. An adjacentwindow now is being repaired, andfamilies who have given $10,000 and$7,000 have assumed the care of twoother windows.

A $3,000 grant put Episcopal Churchof the Nativity in Crafton over the topin its drive to replace the roof over the nave.

Stone is no longer falling from theFirst Presbyterian Church of Pittsburgh,downtown, in part because of a $1,500grant from Landmarks that was used torepair and re-point masonry on exteriorwalls. Although Landmarks’ grant wasa small portion of the total repair cost,it was used in a special campaign for the membership and is believed to haveencouraged donations that totaled$100,000.

There is a new door to the ToyLending Library of the First UnitedMethodist Church of Pittsburgh inShadyside, thanks to its $3,000 grant,and the gutters, soffits, and fascias havebeen replaced at Glenshaw ValleyPresbyterian Church as a result of its$2,500 grant.

The Bride’s Room at Old St. Luke’s inScott Township, damaged after a flood,was restored and improved with a$3,000 grant. (See the article on page 5.)

Michael A. AccettaAlan L. AckermanConrad C. M. ArensbergFrances McK. ArmstrongPatricia P. BagdonEsther L. BarazzoneMr. & Mrs. Alfred R. BarbourMr. & Mrs. William C. BarnesWilliam J. BaumgartenJoseph M. BerenbrokWilliam C. BickelAudrey J. BishopEdward N. BlairMr. & Mrs. H. Vaughan Blaxter IIIBarbara BonnettElizabeth R. BradleyDavid and Janet BrashearThomas C. Camarda

Betty M. ChorbaThe Anne L. & George H. Clapp

Charitable and Educational TrustJoan M. ClarkJanet S. CleverBasil M. CoxFrank and Janet CoyleJohn J. CrowleySandra M. DankoOlive Y. DaviesDr. & Mrs. John P. Davis, Jr.Day & Night PressRose Marie DaytonWilliam J. DixonDodson Engineering, Inc.Rachel J. DonaldsonMr. & Mrs. George C. DormanMr. & Mrs. Arthur J. EdmundsMr. & Mrs. Paul C. EmeryMr. & Mrs. George W. ErnyDonald K. FelsingRichard D. FlinnFrancis T. FordMr. & Mrs. Henry J. Gailliot/John and

Eve GibbsDr. & Mrs. James GilmoreMr. & Mrs. Mark S. GleesonHarry C. GoldbyLois I. GongawareStephen C. GraffamLee M. HallerMartha M. HannaMr. & Mrs. James H. HardieNancy A. Hart

Joyce HochardMildred C. HoffmannHenry Phipps Hoffstot IIIMr. & Mrs. Hale Holden, Jr.M. P. HuessenerMr. & Mrs. Harry T. Hutchinson, Jr.Mr. & Mrs. Jay K. JarrellMr. & Mrs. Paul R. JenkinsMartha W. JordanMonna J. KidneyWalter C. KidneyMrs. James Pinckney KinardR. N. KohmanAaron P. LevinsonRichard L. LinderMr. & Mrs. Joel O. LubenauFrank M. LyleDorothy K. LynchDom MagasanoRichard E. MaineBernard Kent MarkwellEvelyn A. MasonGrant McCargoMr. & Mrs. Samuel A. McClungRobert E. McCue, M.D.Mr. & Mrs. David G. McCulloughEdward S. McKenna, Esq.Melissa M. McSwiganAnne B. MetcalfWilliam A. Meyer, Jr.Mary K. MichaelyMr. & Mrs. Bill MistickKatherine C. MorganP. F. Muck

Richard J. MunschEvelyn L. MurrinEliza Scott NevinEleanor Howe NimickMr. & Mrs. John S. OehrleSusan M. OlaharskiMr. & Mrs. Nathan W. PearsonCarol ProrokQuail Hill FoundationMr. & Mrs. John T. RadeletMr. & Mrs. Dan RooneyJoedda SampsonVirginia W. SchatzMr. & Mrs. A. Reed SchroederRichard K. SeckingerFrieda G. ShapiraAlvin P. Shapiro, M.D.Ruth D. SimpsonDonald SivavecMr. & Mrs. Garrett L. StaufferMildred M. StevensonMr. & Mrs. W. William StoufferMr. & Mrs. Martin W. SturgessMarlys A. WatkinsFrances H. WilsonJacqueline H. WilsonJane M. WissnerFannie J. YountArthur P. Ziegler, Jr.Vinnie D. ZieglerMr. & Mrs. Jack Zierden

P a g e 4 P H L F N e w s • F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 0

Thanks to Landmarks’ Historic ReligiousProperty Seminar and Grant Program,Donald J. Fails writes that “the bright,vibrant colors and gentle, softer hues ofthe glass are now glowing for all thatenter” the McGinnis PresbyterianChurch of Pitcairn. And the bells of St.Anthony’s Chapel, writes Cecilia Guehl,“once again can be heard throughoutthe neighborhood.”

Now in its third year, Landmarks’Historic Religious Property Program ismaking a difference in many neighbor-hoods. “The most remarkable aspect of our Historic Religious PropertyProgram,” says trustee Alice Greller, “is that Landmarks’ members andfriends contribute all the money, throughyear-end gifts, that are then awarded toworthy churches and synagogues.” Lead grants in 1997, 1998, and 1999from trustee Constance O’Neil enabledLandmarks to respond to the needs ofmany organizations.

Landmarks’ seminar and grantprogram is one of only a few in thenation serving historic religious propertyowners. A grant from the AlleghenyFoundation in 1994 enabled Landmarksto study the needs of historic religiousproperties locally and devise an effectiveprogram. According to Richard Moe,president of the National Trust forHistoric Preservation, “Protectinghistoric religious structures is one of the most important tasks faced bypreservationists. The value of thesebuildings goes far beyond religion. They play an enormously significantrole in a community’s life and sense ofplace….Failing to meet that challenge[of saving historic religious structures]will mean the loss of landmarks that

truly function as the hearts and souls of their communities.”

In 1997 and 1998, Landmarks gavemore than $80,000 to 28 churches andsynagogues in Allegheny County. Lastyear, Landmarks awarded $58,500 ingrants to 24 religious institutions. Themaximum amount any institution mayreceive is $3,000 and the money mustbe used for “bricks and mortar” pro-jects. Landmarks’ grants usually arematched by contributions from othersources and have enabled churches andsynagogues to tackle both big and smallprojects, ranging from restoring stained-glass windows to repairing walls androofs damaged by rain.

News of ImprovementsThroughout the CountyDuring her internship with thePittsburgh History & LandmarksFoundation, Anne Gailliot contactedpast grant recipients in an effort todocument the program’s success. She learned the following:

In response to Landmarks’ $2,000grant to Bellefield United PresbyterianChurch in Oakland, two members ofthe congregation donated a total of$10,000 towards the restoration of thestained-glass windows. Landmarks’investment helped show the congrega-tion the importance of repairing thewindows, a project that the church isapproaching one window at a time.

Mrs. Barbara Thompson of BrownChapel A.M.E. Church on the NorthSide reports that “Landmarks hashelped in adding new life to BrownChapel with its financial assistance.While there is much work remaining tobring our building up to where it shouldbe, we are thankful to see improvementstaking place. This has engendered a newsense of pride in our people, and we cantruly say like Nehemiah, ‘the peoplehave a mind to work.’”

A stained-glass window depicting St. Bartholomew was repaired with a$1,500 grant to Calvary EpiscopalChurch in Shadyside.

The sanctuary at Calvary UnitedMethodist Church in Allegheny Westhas been freshly painted, thanks to a$1,500 grant from Landmarks.

Membership GiftsWill Fund Year 2000Historic ReligiousProperty ProgramWe thank the following for so generouslyresponding to our year-end appeal.(Contributions received as of December 31, 1999)

Hope and Help for Historic Religious Properties

Anne Gailliot presents a grant award.

Historic Religious Property award recipients, 1999.

Pastor Janet B. Grill of St. AndrewLutheran Church in Oakland informedus that Landmarks’ grant “made repairsof leaded-glass windows possible in away that maintains the integrity of ourbuilding. For this we and our neighborsthank you.”

With a $3,000 grant, West EndA.M.E. Zion Church repaired its looseslate roof, painted the gutters, andinstalled a French drain for a naturalspring under the church.

Your Contributions Are NeededMoney from Landmarks is makinga difference. If you have not yetmade a year-end gift to Landmarks,please make a new year’s gift toour Historic Religious PropertyProgram. Contributions in anyamount are welcome, and checksmay be made payable to “PHLF”with a reference to “HRPP.” Your gift will help us meet theneeds of the growing number ofhistoric religious property ownerswho apply to this program forassistance. Thank you!

Old St. Luke’sReportsWe have admired the endlesswork of the volunteers at Old St. Luke’s Church andthe burial ground in ScottTownship near the NevilleHouse. Through raising small

amounts of money (including grants from Landmarks’ HistoricReligious Property Program) and an enormous quantity of volun-teer labor, the Gothic stone church of 1852 has been restored and is open for weddings, special events, and holiday and summerservices. In Old St. Luke’s latest report, the Auxiliary announcedthat it now has a web page “www.oldstlukes.org.” In 1999, morethan 40 weddings took place in the church. Eight families alreadyhave booked weddings in 2000.

November 18, 1999

Dear Friends:

Although this note is late in being sent, it could not be moresincere in our expressions of appreciation for your very generousgrant of $1,500.00 for the McGinnis Presbyterian Church ofPitcairn. As our application stated, we applied the funds to thefirst phase of our work to restore and protect the beautifulstained glass in the Church building.

Phase one involved the removal of large circular stained glasssections beneath a domed skylight above the main sanctuary,repairing the sections, adding steel rod supports, cleaning andsealing the work. They then returned the glass to its place beneaththe skylight. A second large rectangular stained glass plate overan assembly area was also repaired, cleaned, sealed and reinforced.Fortunately, they were able to do the work at the Church and didnot have to take it to their shop as with the other. In addition theyreplaced some broken sections in two outside windows.

No one of the current congregation was here to know how theglass looked when it was originally installed in 1916 but, surely, itcould not be more beautiful than it is now. The bright, vibrantcolors and gentle, softer hues of the glass are now glowing for allthat enter to enjoy. Over the past eighty-six years a lot of railroadsmoke and dust did its work in hiding the true beauty.

We are grateful for your financial support and appreciative forthe concern you demonstrate through your continued good work.May God bless you, each and every one!

Sincerely,

Donald J. Fails, TreasurerMcGinnis Presbyterian Church

October 9, 1999

Dear Mr. Ziegler:

On behalf of Father W. David Schorr and the members of theSaint Anthony’s Chapel Committee, I want to thank you for thegrant of $3,000.00 from the Pittsburgh History & LandmarksFoundation for the restoration of the bells in Saint Anthony’sChapel on Troy Hill.

The necessary work on the bells has been done and they arenow being rung and once again they can be heard throughout theneighborhood.

Thank you again, and best wishes for the continued success ofthe Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation.

Sincerely,

Cecilia GuehlSecretary, Saint Anthony’s Chapel Committee

October 11, 1999

Hi Tom,

I really appreciated your feedback and availability to review the Zion Christian Church building on Friday with Pastor Danand me.

I will never look at brick or cement the same again!

Blessings,

Fran Leifheit

1999 Facts

P H L F N e w s • F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 0 P a g e 5

Letters of ThanksWe are pleased to reprint a few of the letters we have receivedfrom Historic Religious Property award recipients.

Church Benefits fromLandmarks’ Assistance,Fortunate Coincidences,and the Generosity of ManyIn 1992, our trustee Richard M. Scaiferead that Greater New Hope BaptistChurch in Scott Haven, PA had burned to the ground under suspicious circum-stances. At his request, AlleghenyFoundation trustees awarded a $25,000grant, to be administered by Landmarks,to the Reverend Marie Jones so she couldrebuild her church.

On September 22, 1999, Reverend Jonespurchased a building at Second Avenueand Almeda in Hazelwood. Since thebuilding was formerly a bar and café andin need of major improvements in orderto pass building codes, Tom Keffer, super-intendent of property maintenance atLandmarks, offered his assistance andadvice. A new furnace was purchased and installed; new plumbing wasinstalled; and Landmarks donated andinstalled two stained-glass windows.

Meanwhile, Tom also was providingassistance to the Zion Christian Churchat 2019 Brownsville Road, one ofLandmarks’ Historic Religious Propertyaward recipientsin 1999. PastorDan Cramermentioned toTom that theyhad an extraorgan, as well assome extrahymnals andchoir robes. Tom madearrangements to have theseitems transportedto Greater NewHope. JulieSlavonic, a good friend of Greater NewHope, also donated an organ.

There is still much to do, but theGreater New Hope Baptist Church hastruly been blessed in receiving contribu-tions from more than 600 people andchurches, including time, money, andproperty, so that it may return to servingthe needs of the community. Inspired by the dedication of Reverend Jones inher efforts to establish a new churchhome, Zion Christian Church made agenerous Christmas gift to Greater NewHope. Reverend Jones plans to open theChurch in the Spring.

Tom Keffer and the Reverend MarieJones

A bar and café in Hazelwood is beingconverted into Greater New HopeBaptist Church.

St. Paul’s Baptist Church, Point Breeze.

Historic ReligiousProperty GrantRecipientsOn September 24, 1999, Landmarks hosted its third annual Historic Religious PropertySeminar and Grant Program at St. Paul’s BaptistChurch in Point Breeze.Alice Greller, Chair ofLandmarks’ HistoricReligious PropertyCommittee, announcedgrants totaling $58,500to 24 churches and tech-nical assistance awards to five others. The grantswere made possiblethanks to year-end con-tributions received frommembers and friends ofLandmarks. The grantrecipients were:

Allegheny Unitarian Universalist Church,Mexican War Streets

All Saints Roman Catholic Church, Etna

Beulah United Presbyterian Church, Churchill

Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church, Central North Side

Calvary Episcopal Church, Shadyside

Calvary United Methodist Church, Allegheny West

Calvert Memorial Presbyterian Church, Etna

Christian Fellowship Center Church of God in Christ, Woods Run

Epiphany Roman Catholic Church, Hill District

First Lutheran Church, downtown

First Presbyterian Church of Pittsburgh,downtown

Homestead United Presbyterian Church,Homestead

McGinnis Presbyterian Church, Pitcairn

Nativity Episcopal Church, Crafton

Old St. Luke’s, Scott Township

St. Anthony’s Chapel, Troy Hill

St. Benedict the Moor Church, Hill District

St. Mary of the Mount Church, Mt. Washington

St. Matthews A.M.E. Zion Church, Sewickley

St. Nicholas Croatian Catholic Church, Millvale

Sts. Peter & Paul Ukrainian Orthodox G.C. Church, Carnegie

St. Stanislaus Roman Catholic Church, Strip District

Smithfield United Church, downtown

West End A.M.E. Zion Church, Elliott

In addition, five churches were awardedtechnical assistance from Landmarks’ staff:

Original Church of God Deliverance Center,Manchester

Round Hill Presbyterian Church, Elizabeth Township

St. Andrew Evangelical Lutheran Church,Shadyside

Zion Baptist Church, McKeesport

Zion Christian Church, Inc., Carrick

Alice Greller

A GIFT of appreciated securities or real estate can create lifetime income for you and provide the Pittsburgh

History & Landmarks Foundation with much-needed resources to restore historic houses, churches, schools, parks,

and gardens in the Pittsburgh region. You can help revitalize a main street in one of our neighborhoods, provide

restored housing for low- to moderate-income residents, or put an empty church or school back into use.

Landmarks can put your assets to good work while bringing you:

• Lifetime income from your gift;

• Public acknowledgment of your gift;

• Federal and estate tax savings;

• Avoidance of probate costs;

• Disposition of real estate and elimination of ownership costs and liability (minimum value required);

• The satisfaction of making a significant gift to preserve our westernPennsylvania heritage;

• Honorary life membership in Landmarks (minimum contribution required).

Call Jack Miller to discuss these donor options (412) 471-5808.

P r o t e c t i n g t h e P l a c e s t h a t M a k e P i t t s b u r g h H o m ePITTSBURGH HISTORY & LANDMARKS FOUNDATION

One Station Square • Suite 450 • Pittsburgh, PA • 15219-1134 • www.phlf.org

P a g e 6 P H L F N e w s • F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 0

LandmarksUnderwritesPCRG StudyWith a grant to the PittsburghCommunity ReinvestmentGroup (a consortium of neigh-borhood organizations in thecity), Landmarks is once againunderwriting the annual studyof lending practices in the pastyear. The study helps bothneighborhood groups andfinancial institutions ascertainand meet credit needs in low- and moderate-incomePittsburgh neighborhoods in compliance with theCommunity Reinvestment Actof 1977, and is very beneficialto our historic inner-city neighborhoods.

Landmarks helped organizethe PCRG in 1988 so thatneighborhoods and lendinginstitutions could work withone another positively and sothat more mortgage financingwould be available to financeprojects that generally had notreceived such funds. As aresult, more than $2.5 billionin lending-institution financinghas been made available toindividuals, small businesses,and neighborhood organiza-tions for housing and smallprojects in the past decade.Landmarks’ Preservation LoanFund has participated in manyof these programs.

Landmarks underwrote muchof the operating cost of thePCRG for the first five years ofits life and has since paid for theannual lending report which isissued by the Mayor.

MAKE YOURGIFT COUNTTWICEYou may be able to double the valueof your membership or gift contribu-tion to Landmarks if you or yourspouse are employed by one of themany companies that generouslymatch employee contributions to non-profit institutions. Check with youremployer to secure the appropriateform; then, submit this form toLandmarks with your contribution.We will complete our section of theform and forward it according to yourcompany’s instructions.

We thank the following companieswhich matched employee contribu-tions to Landmarks in 1999:

The Buhl FoundationChevron Products CompaniesConsolidated Natural GasCompanyR. R. Donnelly & Sons CompanyFannieMae FoundationH. J. Heinz CompanyIBM CorporationThe May FoundationMellon Financial CorporationPPG IndustriesThe Westinghouse Foundation

Members TourPittsburgh WoolPrior to the Fall of 1999, mostPittsburghers did not know about thePittsburgh Wool Company on the NorthSide. This all changed when the City ofPittsburgh announced it was going todeclare the property along the AlleghenyRiver legally blighted; take the propertyby eminent domain if necessary;demolish the 1883 building; and givethe cleared land to the H. J. HeinzCompany for its expansion purposes.

For several months, tensions werehigh. There were many debates, editori-als, and public hearings about whetherthe property was “blighted” or “his-toric.” The Institute of Justice fromWashington, D.C. was poised to sue theCity on behalf of Roy and Jeff Kumer asowners of Pittsburgh Wool.

Landmarks interceded, believing thatthe history of Pittsburgh Wool—thecompany and its industry, not neces-sarily the actual building—needed to be preserved. We convened meetingsinvolving the Kumers, the City, the H. J. Heinz Company, the Heinz

Endowment, the Historical Society ofWestern Pennsylvania, Dr. DavidRotenstein, and Landmarks to craft apreservation plan.

Fortunately this story has a reason-ably happy ending. Mr. Kumer reachedan agreement with the City; the processof wool-pulling will be recorded indrawings and a video, to be kept at theSenator John Heinz Pittsburgh RegionalHistory Center; and the Kumers agreedto allow Landmarks to hold a finalseries of tours through its shop onNovember 20 and 21. With Jeff Kumeras the tour guide, Landmarks’ memberswere treated to a unique experience andmesmerized with facts about the lastwool “puller” in the United States.

Jeff Kumer explainshow wool was pulledfrom the hides andsorted into bins byquality.

These large rotating drums, designed by Roy Kumer and made out ofmahogany, were used to prepare the hides prior to grading and shipping.

The number of hides of variousgrades processed each day wererecorded on this board.

1999 FactsPreservation IssuesNot since the 1960s have so many preservationissues been of concern to us. Major historicpreservation issues included:

Beacon Gardens, Squirrel HillUnfortunately, this property, designed byFrederick G. Scheibler, Jr., has been severelycompromised. When a developer proposedpaving the wooded central area, an integral partof the architecture, Landmarks presented twoalternatives, both supported by the HistoricReview Commission. Nevertheless, the firstoption was turned down by the City publicsafety department and the Zoning HearingBoard objected to the second option. The lack ofintra-department cooperation helped lead to thedemise of the property’s most significant feature.(Please see page 8.)

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh,Allegheny Regional Branch, North SideThe library may lose its archives or closealtogether. For the sake of the North Side neigh-borhoods, we hope that this will not happen.

Dinwiddie Street, Hill DistrictWhen the City slated a section of row houses fordemolition, we tried to secure the necessaryfinancing to restore them. Although we did notsucceed in this endeavor, we hope to change theway the City uses demolition funds in the futurewhen historic buildings are at risk.

Homestead/Proposed CVS PharmacyLandmarks is continuing its efforts to save 10 buildings in Homestead’s National RegisterHistoric District from being demolished by CVSPharmacy for a 10,000 square-foot, one-storybuilding with a drive-through window. Of the11 most significant preservation problemsnationwide, the National Trust for HistoricPreservation listed the influx of chain drugstoresto urban main streets as the most significantproblem.

Marketplace at Fifth & Forbes, downtownOur efforts and position have been well docu-mented by local and national media. For anupdate, see the articles on pages 10, 11, and 12.

Mellon Bank interior, downtownThis was the historic preservation tragedy of1999. The interior of theMellon Bank Building(including the Italian mar-ble, skylight, and tall Ioniccolumns) was destroyed byLord & Taylor with finan-cial assistance from ourCity. For the first time in itshistory, Landmarks devel-oped and ran a public ser-vice announcement oncable and network televi-sion urging people to voicetheir concerns to Lord & Taylor. Manyresponded!

Murray Hill Avenue, ShadysideWhen a section of Murray Hill abuttingChatham College was nominated for historicdesignation, we worked with residents and theCollege to articulate a mutually acceptableposition.

Pittsburgh Wool Company, North SideAfter the City announced its desire to take thePittsburgh Wool Company and demolish its1883 building, the owners nominated it forhistoric designation. The City’s Historic ReviewCommission denied the nomination. Ultimately,the owners arrived at a financial settlement with the City and the H. J. Heinz Company.Landmarks helped orchestrate a preservationplan for the industry’s books, records, andartifacts. (Please see page 6.)

P H L F N e w s • F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 0 P a g e 7

The toppling of a number of tallsmokestacks at the HazelwoodCoke Plant, at one time an elementof the Pittsburgh Works of Jones &Laughlin, was at least a symbolicend to the last vestige of ferrous-metal production within thePittsburgh city limits. An abortiveblast-furnace enterprise of 1796had begun the industry here, inShadyside, and the crashes on theafternoon of Sunday, July 11, 1999signaled the end. When we pub-lished Pittsburgh’s LandmarkArchitecture in mid-1997, we

could still show columns of steam,rising from the Works’ quenchtowers, as a contemporary phe-nomenon, vertical cumuli 800 feethigh appearing over a hillsidesprinkled with little houses.

Coke production for the ElizaFurnaces of Laughlin & Companybegan on the right bank of theMonongahela in 1884, and by1900 had extended up the river toHazelwood, with hundreds of bee-hive ovens in constant operation.This arrival was extremely badnews for Hazelwood, which hadbeen a very desirable exurb, andfor the more thinly settled Squirrel

Hill further inland. The beehiveprocess allowed a charge of coal tosmolder until carbonizing, burningsome of the volatiles but allowingothers—sulfur compounds, forinstance—to enter the air. As oneresult, the hillsides lost their vege-tation. In 1919 the first by-productovens went into service, trappingoff the volatiles with greater orlesser success, and by 1926 theyhad wholly replaced the beehives.In the mid-1960s, at the height ofactivity for the Pittsburgh Works,there were 315 of them, lookinglike rows of gigantic high-schoollockers. Coal was heated in thenow-unventilated space to 2,200ºFfor 18 to 24 hours. Then end doorsslid up and a large ram pushed the

flaming charge into a quench car,which trundled it to one of twoquench stations, where a showerbath extinguished the fire,imparted cooling stresses thatbroke up the large lumps, and sentup an awesome cloud of steam.Meanwhile, the by-products werebeing processed: tar, ammoniumsulphate, light oil, acids, and gasthat was used to heat the ovens.

For better or worse, gone andnot to be replaced: those frequentsilver plumes, that occasionalstench, those commandingchimneys, that nocturnal flare that actually burned off excess gas but seemed fit to show the wayto Moses and his companions. All cold, forevermore.

Hazelwood Coke Plant GoneWalter C. Kidney

A quench, mid 1990s.

Sylvan [!] Avenue, Hazelwood,1907

Above and below: The Hazelwood Coke Plant, summer 1999.

Beehive coke ovens, early twentieth century.

P a g e 8 P H L F N e w s • F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 0

1910 the practice of squaring greatstones to raise in masses stopped.Concrete was suddenly more expedient,and engineers and architects struggled,mostly in vain, to give it the characterthat the stonework had so effortlesslyassumed. Engineering stonework is notyet an actual rarity around here, butsome day it may be.

Demise of a ScheiblerComplexWhat was once a wonderful example ofgroup cottages by one of Pittsburgh’smost renowned architects, now in thecold of winter looks like a suburbancomplex. The 13 trees that were in thecenter courtyard have been removed;new aluminum windows and smooth, as opposed to raked, mortar joints addto the loss of texture. Fortunately, the rubble retaining wall remains. WalnutCapital Partners, the new owner ofBeacon Gardens, insists that after thenew landscaping is planted and given achance to mature, the complex willregain its semi-rural feel. Although thechanges to this property may be unfor-tunate, the true culprits are the variousCity departments that could not cooper-ate during the planning and historicreview processes.

Hamilton Cottages (now calledBeacon Gardens) was designed byFrederick G. Scheibler, Jr. and openedfor rental in 1914: a quintet of buildingsgrouped around a wooded yard open toBeacon Street in Squirrel Hill.

After Walnut Capital Partners pur-chased the property, it gave a number oftenants notice, and proceeded to makerepairs and alterations. The place wasrun down in conspicuous ways, butchanges made and proposed showed anindifference to Scheibler’s modest detail-ing and the quality of the centralwooded space that led to its nominationas a City Historic Structure. To WalnutCapital’s credit, it was willing to sitdown with Landmarks and the HRC tocraft a compromise.

A plan for on-street parking wasdevised that saved a large portion of theinner courtyard; however, the City PublicSafety Department objected. A secondplan acceptable to the HRC was devisedbut Pittsburgh Zoning refused to issuethe necessary variance without havingthe parking encroach further into thecourtyard.

Due to the lack of cooperationbetween City departments and thecontroversy surrounding the historicnomination of the property, eventuallyPittsburgh City Council voted to rejectthe historic nomination, freeing WalnutCapital to alter the Scheibler property.

Hot Metal BridgeThe Hot Metal Bridge and MonongahelaConnecting Railroad Bridge, built sideby side in 1903, are about to return toactivity. Built to link the Eliza blastfurnaces of Jones & Laughlin’sPittsburgh Works with the Bessemerconverters, open-hearth furnaces, andelectric furnaces that over the yearsturned the newly smelted hot metal intosteel, the bridges will now carry cars.The former J & L property on the South Side, 130 acres in area, will holda multitude of uses, including residen-tial. The right bank of the river isalready under development.

Enrico’sFactoryEnrico’s BiscottiCompany com-pleted its StripDistrict expan-sion project inDecember 1999.The DowntownDesign Companywas the architectretained to renovate the former auto-mobile repair garage, located behindEnrico’s existing storefront at 2022 PennAvenue.

Enrico’s Factory fits right into this1,200 square-foot brick structure at thefar end of a charming alley, now linedwith outdoor café seating. Customersare greeted by a “post-industrial” flyingbiscotto, Enrico’s logo rendered in steel(by John Walter of Iron Eden). A newsteel trellis that will support arches ofivy vines this Spring frames the alleyentrance. The steel structure will alsosupport a series of four murals (byillustrator High Watkins) depictingEnrico’s product and personality.

Downtown Design laid out the newinterior to support Enrico’s expandedbaking facility in a flexible plan thatincludes space for customers to experi-ence “the show,” starring Enrico’slegendary taste treats. The wood fire of a brick oven can be seen as you enter the space and serves as a friendlyinvitation to customers.

Arsenal Park Wall RebuiltAn historic wall fell in July 1999 inArsenal Park and was immediatelyrepaired by City of Pittsburgh workcrews. Their work is superb. The wallwas built around 1812 and was part ofthe Arsenal that once was used by theFederal government during the War of1812. The Arsenal was turned into apark in July of 1907 and is used by local residents.

Other sections of the wall around the Arsenal Park are deteriorating andneed to be repaired in order to preventfurther collapse.

Friendship Landmark onNational RegisterSpinning Plate Artist Lofts, originallythe Whitehill-Gleason Motors sales andservice facility (and later the ConstantinPontiac building) at 5720 FriendshipAvenue, has been added to the NationalRegister of Historic Places. Built in 1926to a design of Maximilian Nirdlinger,the handsome brick building wasadapted by Artists and Cities, a non-profit real-estate development group,and converted to studio and residencespace for artists. Architects for theadaptation were Landmarks DesignAssociates.

Rents range from $390 (efficiency) to$563 (three bedrooms). In New York,the range would be between $2,000 and$3,000 per month. Tenant incomes,however, cannot exceed $17,940 a yearfor one person or $20,520 for two.There is a spacious gallery for tenantson the ground floor. Artists and Citiesreceived one of Landmarks’ Awards ofMerit in 1999 in recognition of thesuccessful renovation. The project is a welcome contribution to the revival of the East Liberty area.

Ventilator PlantAfter a panic in the early 1920s result-ing from a shortage of air, the LibertyTubes received an effective ventilatingplant, placed on the rear of MountWashington on a shelf-like prominence,adjacent to South Hills High School andoverlooking Warrington Avenue. Themild quasi-Gothic styling by StanleyRoush is not an attention-getter in itself,and the tall red stacks even look a littlecomic at first: like gesticulating arms.But one comes to realize that here is agreat local landmark in a very literalsense, organizing the valley spacearound it, framing with its four greatstacks a multitude of views ofAllentown houses, sections of sky,enough different things that, consideringthe variations of light on the stacks andon what is seen between the stacks, ahundred telling photographs are possi-ble. The bright red of the brickwork isunlike anything that it frames, but thecontrast is effective, not jarring.

In mid-year the brickwork was to berepointed, and as the Tubes as a wholeare National Register-eligible, Landmarkssaw to it that this PennDOT facility wasrestored correctly as opposed to cheaply.

Preservation Scene

Lord & Taylor CompletesDestruction of MellonBank InteriorConstruction has moved rapidly on theinsertion of the new four-story Lord &Taylor department store in the formerMellon Bank building at Fifth Avenueand Smithfield Street. In the August1999 issue of PHLF News, we reportedour efforts to persuade Lord & Tayloreither to save the interior, with balconiesbehind the great marble columns, or tooccupy the former Frank & Sederdepartment store diagonally acrossSmithfield Street, or even to build a newstore across Fifth Avenue from Lazarus.

With the prospect of $12 millionfrom the Public Parking Authority, Lord& Taylor chose to remain fixed on theMellon Bank building, and to ignore allpleas for its interior preservation.

When we witnessed the demolition, amachine-like jackhammer was shatter-ing the marble of the floor, the columns,and the furnishings. Preservation ofthese, or at least salvage of any of themarble, was obviously not a considera-tion. It seems possible that two of thegreat Ionic columns may remain, but theothers have been stripped down to thebasic I-sections of steel, prior tocladding in a plainer substance.

That campaign is lost, but more than60 buildings along Fifth and ForbesAvenues and on Market Square are stillunder threat, and the fight continues(see pages 10 and 11).

Another LossAs the Port Authority Busway is con-structed from the Corliss Tunnel toStation Square, one of Pittsburgh’s greatstone walls has been partially, in factlargely, eliminated. Supporting theConrail tracks on the southern side ofthe Ohio River, the wall was well over20 feet high and consisted of huge rec-tangular rock-faced stones. Over it hungtrees and vines, creating a picturesqueeffect. The Port Authority is removing in some places all of the wall and inother places all but about six or eightfeet of it.

The nineteenth century, with itsretaining walls, viaducts, and tunnelportals, created a powerful tradition ofengineering masonry: masonry thatsometimes leapt voids to carry roadsand rail lines but oftener stood passivein its resistance to weights of superstruc-tures or, as in the case of this railroad

retaining wall, to geostatic pressure. We have a familiarity with these assem-bled stones; we turn from the piers ofthe Smithfield Street Bridge to the stone-work beyond the Station Square LightRail station to the retaining wall thatsupports Conrail, the masonry nowbeing ravaged.

In Oakland we see the curved andcuriously textured retaining wall thatseparates Parkman Street and SchenleyFarms from the original slope where the Pitt Campus lies. On WashingtonBoulevard we see a street and a railroad,each on vigorously textured stonearches, approach one another. Around

1999 Facts

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337 Fourth AvenueThe present home of the Engineers’Society of Western Pennsylvaniaand the Pennsylvania Society ofProfessional Engineers began itsexistence in 1898 as the UnionTrust Company. It was the firstPittsburgh work of D. H. Burnham& Co., and cut a very nice figureamong the so-called swaggerbanks—small but O my!—onFourth Avenue. What you see,boldly fashioned in granite, is anunabashedly fictitious architecture,composed of grandly ostentatiousClassical forms, with the habitablespace beginning a few feet furtherin than one might have expected.Eight windows and a doorway peepout through this stony display,hinting at some practical purposebeing served at this address.

The stonework has been fresh-ened with water-blast cleaning andrepointing, and an “architecturalbird control system” was installedon potential resting places. Bracketedlamps and an awning were addedto the entrance, perhaps impartingan effect too soft and small-scaledfor the architecture, which is notreadily domesticated.

Chatham Village onNational RegisterMt. Washington’s Chatham Village,197 units of housing built in cam-paigns of 1932 and 1935, wasentered on the National Register ofHistoric Places in 1999. Originally,the Buhl Foundation sponsored thisdemonstration project of for-profithousing for limited-income familieswith planning and building to avery high standard and on irregularterrain. Clarence Stein and HenryWright, the planners of ChathamVillage, had already applied theseprinciples in Radburn, New Jersey. Architectural critic Lewis Mumfordpraised Chatham Village very highly.

Brick veneer on wooden frame,the house rows were designed byIngham and Boyd, suave architectswith the Board of EducationBuilding in their past and the

Buhl Planetarium in their future. The landscaping was by RalphGriswold. Nothing but the best,then, and the mansion-like ThomasBigham house of c. 1844 for acommunity center besides.

Listing on the National Register,certainly long overdue, givesnational recognition to this beauti-fully maintained community.

House Plaques for the DeutschtownHistoric DistrictInspired by historic house plaquesin Savannah, Georgia, Nick Kyriazihas established a plaque programfor historic houses in the Deutsch-town Historic District. Twentyhouses on Avery and LockhartStreets and Cedar Avenue aremarked with plaques listing thebuilding date, name of the originalowner, and neighborhood name.Homeowners purchase the plaquesthrough the East AlleghenyCommunity Council for about $90.In order to find the informationneeded for the plaques, homeownerseither trace the deeds themselvesand use reason and speculation, orhire Carol Peterson, a Lawrencevilleresident, to complete the research.“The plaques are helping us estab-lish a neighborhood identity, imparthistorical information to residentsand visitors, and better linkhomeowners with their houses and neighborhood,” said Nick.“Our goal is to have every house inthe neighborhood identified with aplaque: come to the DeutschtownHistoric District and see theprogress we are making.”

South Side HistoricDistrict ExpandedOn June 9, 1999, after a long, hardbattle, Pittsburgh City Councilvoted unanimously to expand theexisting East Carson Street HistoricDistrict to include the former LTVsite. As a result of the designation,the design of the planned develop-ment of South Side’s riverfront by the Urban RedevelopmentAuthority will be subject to thereview and approval of the HistoricReview Commission.

In 1993, when the East CarsonStreet Historic District was firstunder consideration, the LTV site(formerly the site of J&L Steel) wasincluded in the proposed bound-aries for the Historic District. Therationale was, in part, that the rela-tionship of the steel plant and theSouth Side community representedan important cultural and socialaspect of the City of Pittsburgh.The two had a symbiotic relation-ship: as the plant flourished so didthe town; as the plant declined, sotoo did the vitality of South Side’sbusiness district. To those in sup-port of the initial nomination, theSouth Side Historic District shouldhave had both elements. But in1993 the possibility of riverboatgambling was a hot issue and the City hoped to attract gaminginterests to the South Side, and theformer LTV site was excised fromthe proposed Historic District.

The South Side Local Develop-ment Company (SSLDC) waited

five years, as required under theHistoric Preservation Ordinance,then renominated the LTV site in1998. The nomination initially wasnot well received by the Departmentof City Planning or the HistoricReview Commission. Undeterred,the SSLDC organized an impressivelist of community businesses includ-ing Goodwill Industries, GeraldMorosco Architects, and MorningGlory Inn, as well as residents andpreservation organizations, to speakon behalf of the nomination.

Landmarks and the SSLDC havebeen working together on the revi-talization of the South Side since1968. We were pleased that CityCouncil understood that the expan-sion of the Historic District wasessential to maintaining the SouthSide’s quality of life and architec-tural integrity.

Pennsylvania HistoricPreservation PlanAn historic preservation plan hasnow been prepared by thePennsylvania Historical andMuseum Commission (PHMC) and Preservation Pennsylvania. The statewide plan was the result ofan extensive series of public forumsacross the Commonwealth. Onewas held in Pittsburgh on May 15,1999, co-sponsored by our organi-zation and Manchester CitizensCorporation. Arthur Ziegler servedon the Plan Advisory Committee.

The plan calls for action in threemajor areas and identifies specificinitiatives that will be undertakento accomplish this agenda:

1. Educate Pennsylvania About OurHeritage and Its Value• Bring Pennsylvania heritage

alive for our children;

• Get the preservation messageout;

• Reach out to elected officialsand key professionals in thepublic and private sectors.

2. Build Better CommunitiesThrough Preservation• Strengthen and expand preser-

vation planning at the local andregional levels;

• Expand the use of preservationas an economic developmentstrategy;

• Make technical assistance moreavailable and useful to citizensand local governments.

3. Provide Strong Leadership at theState Level• Seek increased financial

support for preservation;

• Lead by example;

• Build strong partnerships.

PHMC and Preservation Penn-sylvania will take the lead in tryingto obtain the support of electedleaders, government agencies,businesses, non-profit organiza-tions, and concerned individuals inimplementing the plan over thenext several years.

We particularly thank BrendaBarrett, director of the PHMC, andher associate Michel R. Lefedre fortheir diligent work in preparing theplan which is available from PHMC,P.O. Box 1026, Harrisburg, PA17108-1026.

Landmarks Lends Closeto $1,000,000Landmarks’ Preservation Loan Fund is its mosteffective tool for assisting in neighborhood revi-talization. Thanks to several donations frommajor foundations, the Loan Fund has grownsignificantly in the last few years and, as a result,Landmarks has been able to support moreprojects. For the last four years, Landmarks’loans and commitments were as follows:

1996 4 loans/commitments $474,7501997 7 loans/commitments $684,8001998 6 loans/commitments $892,9001999 8 loans/commitments $942,500

The Preservation Loan Fund is a revolvingloan fund primarily used to make short-term,low- to moderate-interest rate loans to non-profit organizations and government entities (a) for historic preservation and communityrevitalization projects, particularly those affect-ing low- to moderate-income residents, and (b) to preserve, redevelop, improve, renovate,and maintain sites, structures, and districts ofhistorical, architectural, and cultural signifi-cance in the Pittsburgh region.

In 1999, loans/commitments were awardedto the following non-profit organizations:

Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation and FriendshipDevelopment Corporation, for renovation ofthe Compsec Building in East Liberty. The build-ing will house the Dance Alloy and commercialand residential space; loan amount: $237,500.

The City Theatre Company, for renovation of1313–15 East Carson Street on the South Sideinto theatre and retail space; loan amount:$300,000.

Mattress Factory, to purchase 511 JacksoniaStreet in the Mexican War Streets; loan amount:$35,000.

Neighborhood Housing Services, for gapfinancing; loan amount: $20,000.

PHASE, to buy and restore three Mexican WarStreet houses on Buena Vista Street; loanamount: $80,000.

Primary Care Health Services, Inc., in coopera-tion with the Homewood-Brushton CommunityCollaborative, for renovating a building at6803–05 Frankstown Avenue in Homewoodinto a nine-unit apartment building for the“Open Arms Center”; loan amount: $25,000.

South Side Local Development Company, foracquisition of lots and the rehabilitation of sixhouses in the Stella Street neighborhood on theSouth Side Slopes; maximum loan amount:$200,000.

Strength, Inc., for acquisition of 700 WoodStreet in Wilkinsburg; loan amount: $45,000.

Conference Scholarship AwardThanks to a scholarship award from Landmarks,Mary Ellen Leigh was able to attend the annualconference in Washington, D.C. of the NationalTrust for Historic Preservation. Mary Ellen hasdevoted herself to the preservation of H. H.Richardson’s Emmanuel Episcopal Church inManchester. There will be a feature article onthis work in the next issue of PHLF News.

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Let us be clear about our mission withthe Fifth-Forbes retail revitalizationeffort: our goal has been, and continuesto be, to open the public process by:

• drawing upon the widest possibleexperience of public officials, develop-ers, planners, and architects in under-taking downtown revitalizationefforts across the nation; and

• reviewing revitalization proposals inlight of Pittsburgh’s customer base,architectural resources, history, andcultural patterns.

This will enable the City to select thebest plan with the most promisingdeveloper at the lowest public cost. This has been, and is, our goal.

We are not necessarily advancing oneplan although we have presented a plandeveloped by Ehrenkrantz Eckstut &Kuhn Architects (EEK) as an alternativein order to open discussion, and we feelthat there are many ingredients in thatplan that are sound and should beexplored.

The process to date has been closed.Two people, Mayor Tom Murphy and

Deputy Mayor Tom Cox, have selectedone firm, Urban Retail Properties, Inc.of Chicago, which formulated the Fifth-Forbes program and the financing,and are pushing it vigorously. TheMayor’s single-minded plan to date hasalready seen the implementation of twosteps: the destruction of distinguished1900-period buildings on Wood Streetfor Lazarus and the annihilation of the noble interior of the Mellon Bankbuilding for Lord & Taylor.

We believe all of our leaders shouldget as much information as possible toselect the best development deal possi-ble, and to care about the buildings, thebusinesses, and the livelihoods of thepeople now in the Fifth-Forbes area aseveryone works together to formulate a plan to improve the area. We aredisappointed with the narrowness ofthe vision, the lack of interest in learn-ing from others’ experience, and thewillingness to destroy more than 60buildings and possibly 125 businesses(which are supposed to be “relocated”at a cost of $10,000 each!).

The Road to Sa

To the right, we reprint four plans from Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn Architects’proposal, that evolved during three public meetings on September 22, October 14,and November 19, 1999. The proposal is derived from the Pittsburgh streetscape:“The clues are all here,” Stanton Eckstut states, noting that the asymmetricalpatterns, density, and scale of Pittsburgh’s small streets and small blocks compriseone of the finest urban retail districts in this country.

Download the whole EEK plan at www.phlf.org. More than 1,500 people have done just that, resulting in a 250% increase in visitation to our site. Revisions to the plan, further information,and hearing notices will be posted at www.phlf.org. Stay tuned!

Pennsylvania Historical and MuseumCommission Voices ConcernOn January 7, Brenda Barrett, director of the Pennsylvania Historical and MuseumCommission, wrote to Eloise Hirsh, director of City Planning for the City of Pittsburgh,in regard to the Fifth-Forbes redevelopment project. We reprint the majority of her letter,with permission:

Above: Light gray indicates everything that would be retained for restoration andre-use. New construction is shown in dark gray. Under these new buildings, theEEK plan calls for 1,300 new parking spaces. Below: Street-level retail is indicatedin gray for existing historic buildings, and by a dotted pattern for the new construc-tion. The retail in the new building filling Market Square would be limited to food!

Fifth-Forbes Update

January 7, 2000Dear Ms. Hirsh:

The Bureau for Historic Preservation reviews the [Fifth & Forbes RedevelopmentProject] under the authority of the Environmental Rights amendment, Article 1,Section 27 of the Pennsylvania Constitution and the Pennsylvania History Code, 37 Pa. Cons. Stat. Section 500 et seq. (1988).

The proposed Fifth & Forbes Redevelopment Project is located in the GoldenTriangle, an area in Pittsburgh that contains many historic resources.…

The City of Pittsburgh states that the goal of this proposed project is to foster thedevelopment of a distinctive urban center that is safe, economically vital and attrac-tive to residents and visitors that is a unique place with civic places and distinctivearchitecture.…

It is our opinion that this proposed redevelopment project will have a directadverse effect on the Downtown Retail Historic District and may have an effect onadjacent historic properties from new construction, disruption during constructionand shift in retail market.

There are several issues that the City needs to address. The City must be respon-sive to public opinion when projects include substantial amounts of public money.The public participation opportunities described in your cover letter are inadequate.The use of routine City Planning and Historic Review Commission hearings to seekpublic opinion is not adequate for a state and city undertaking that entails signifi-cant public funding. Special public meetings should be scheduled to discuss preserva-tion issues specifically. Please provide us with more detail on how the City willprovide the public with adequate opportunity to comment on this project. The Cityhas identified appropriate parties that have a concern for preservation in Pittsburgh.We request that the City schedule meetings with these concerned parties to ensurethat all possible alternatives are considered.

Certain elements in your conditions analysis are not aligned with your statedgoals. Some of these are:

• Parking is mentioned in the report as a problem. This issue needs to be clarified.Please provide the parking study details to this problem and some of the solu-tions considered.

• The conditions analysis gives vacancy rates as one reason for removal of manyof these buildings. In fact, the statistics you provide do not show a high vacancyrate in this area nor do they show a high vacancy rate above first floors. In addi-tion, there seems to be some discrepancy in the statistics presented in the report.Please provide a breakdown of these vacancies.

• For a public intervention of this scale, justification for the project should beprovided. Please provide the marketing study that demonstrates this redevelop-ment project is necessary and feasible.

• The goals of the project; creating a unique and recognizable urban experience,creating civic places, and connecting to local memory through distinctive archi-tecture, are contradicted by the proposed demolition of nearly 60 historic prop-erties of distinct architectural quality designed by Pittsburgh architects. Pleaseshow how the new construction will be varied and distinctive and how manybuildings will be preserved as a whole.

The Bureau agrees that revitalization of this area would be beneficial. However,we believe there are alternatives that need to be considered. The City’s goals mightbe accomplished through upgrading of Market Square, streetscape improvements,and rehabilitation of historic buildings utilizing tax credit incentives. Selectiveconsolidation of parcels/properties may be called for but sweeping the streets cleanof historic buildings has proven to be destructive to the community in earlier urbanredevelopment projects. Downtown Pittsburgh is already a unique and recognizableplace, has vibrant civic spaces, and retains distinctive architectural character thatevokes and creates a physical connection between the locale and the past.

The activities proposed in the Preservation Plan are not preservation activities.Façade preservation, salvage of architectural details, new design construction guide-lines, and documentation/recordation are mitigation strategies. In our opinion it ispremature to discuss mitigation because other options have not been presented.However, façade retention is extremely risky and we will need information on howthis will be accomplished.

If federal funds, permits, or licenses are required in any phase of this project, acomplete review will be required, before taking any action, in accordance withSection 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended in 1980and 1992, and the regulations (36 CFR Part 800) of the Advisory Council onHistoric Preservation as revised in 1999. These requirements include considerationof the project’s potential effect upon both historic and archaeological resources.

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Historic ReviewCommission FiascoMost stunning of all was the decision of the Pittsburgh Historic ReviewCommission (HRC), chaired by JohnDeSantis since 1990, to allow demoli-tion of buildings in the Market SquareHistoric District with the caveat thatsome facades might be preservedalthough possibly moved to other sites.

At the final hearing of the HRC onJanuary 7, Mr. DeSantis was so eager tostate his decision to vote for demolitionthat he forgot his role as Chairman and,at the conclusion of public testimony,immediately announced that although ithad been a difficult decision for him, hewas in favor of total demolition proposedby Urban Retail. He said he had ago-nized over the decision but in actualityhe had told our president, ArthurZiegler, over a year and a half ago thatthe most the preservation communitycould hope for was the preservation of afew facades.

It is the same Commission, however,that often is extremely fussy about smallchanges that smaller property ownerswish to make to modest buildings. Theyare put through the ordeal of pleasingthe Commission’s high standards ofrestoration while big-time owners arepermitted to wipe our landscape cleanof our major monuments.

National Trust Joins the BattleWendy Nicholas, director of the NationalTrust for Historic Preservation’sNortheast Office, testified to the HRCabout the Commission’s legally man-dated responsibilities to defend CityHistoric Districts. She pointed out thatthe Historic Review Commission underMr. DeSantis is probably the firstHistoric Review Commission in theUnited States, in the past decade, toapprove the demolition of one of thehistoric districts that it had oncedesignated as worthy of preservation!

Richard Moe, president of the Trust, hasasked if the Trust could join in the battleto fashion a better plan for Fifth-Forbes.

The statewide Preservation Pennsyl-vania and our local partner PreservationPittsburgh are also vigorously supportingour desire to oppose total demolition andto get the best plan before the public.

What’s Next?The next step in the approval process isreview of the plan by City Council,which will hold public hearings. Wehave also asked for a special meeting ofCouncil to review the plan that our con-sultants, Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & KuhnArchitects, have formulated. We areasking Council not only to look at thatplan, but to open the process to see ifadditional plans could be advanced. We believe that if Urban Retail does notwish to amend its plan, there are othermajor developers that will feel thatPittsburgh provides a sound opportunityfor retail development.

As a volunteer docent for Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation, I amextending an invitation to Mayor Murphy and his colleagues at City Hall toaccompany any group of area schoolchildren on a “Downtown Dragons” tour.The purpose of these tours is to acquaint school-age youngsters with the extra-ordinary and fascinating historic architectural treasures found in DowntownPittsburgh.

The mayor might be enlightened by seeing how much these youngsters appre-ciate the beauty of the fine workmanship that has endured many years and theinteresting artistic details on many of Pittsburgh’s outstanding historic buildings.

Maybe then Mayor Murphy and his followers will give more thought to theirproposed plans for the new retail development for Fifth and Forbes avenues.

Once the wrecking ball begins to swing, there will not be much to show theyoungsters except empty streets and large parking garages. This is not progress,this is pillage.

The mayor’s plans will turn Downtown Pittsburgh into a humdrum shoppingarea, lacking architectural integrity and little hope for a cultural heritage forfuture generations.

Carol T. Lewis

November 21, 1999

Hurting Future GenerationsCopyright, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 1999, all rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.

alvation: On to City Council

150 students from Westmoreland County toured the Fifth-Forbes area inOctober 1999 and presented models on February 2 and 4, 2000 showing howthey would restore and adaptively reuse the old Donahoe’s Building and theadjacent shallow building facing Forbes Avenue.

We have commissioned a secondphase of work with our planners. Wehave asked them to further delineate thehousing component of our plan, whichcould lead to up to 600 housing units in both new buildings and lofts in thehistoric ones, possibly a 100-unit inn,(the Urban Retail plan has neither hous-ing nor lodging), and determine howthe proposed movie theatre complexcould be placed in the block where theWarner Centre is, using its historiclobby and accommodating retail on the first two floors.

We ask our members and friendsto contact their City Councilrepresentatives and attend theCouncil hearings to make theirfeelings known. Dates will beannounced on our web site atwww.phlf.org.

Above: Housing, up to 600 units (including units in both existing and new struc-tures), is an essential element in the plan. The three new apartment buildingsappear here. The upper floors of almost all of the retained historic buildings arereserved for loft-style apartments. Below: A new street and a series of new arcadesknit the area together and link it with the Cultural District. The small-scale intri-cacy of the area recalls the intense urbanity of the older portions of European cities.

Fifth-Forbes coverage continues on page 12

These schematic plans are still being refined. The definitive proposalswill appear in a subsequent newsletter.

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Barry Hannegan

In late September 1999, Pittsburgh wasvisited by Roberto Gianni, director ofPlanning for Naples, Italy. SignorGianni was on a tour of the UnitedStates, looking for examples of urbanredevelopment, preservation, land usemanagement, and private/governmentpartnerships in housing and urbanrenewal. His agenda was a heavy one,and his stay here of only two days wasundoubtedly chock full of meetings withrepresentatives of the kinds of localorganizations that would be helpful tohim in his research.

His visit was brought to our attentionby the Pittsburgh Council for Interna-tional Visitors which was seeking someone to take Signor Gianni on a walkingtour of the downtown area with partic-ular reference to the proposed restruc-turing of the Fifth-Forbes corridor. We were asked if one of our staff couldaccommodate Signor Gianni, andbecause of my once having been fluentin Italian and having worked in conser-vation matters in Venice, I seemed theinevitable choice to act as our visitor’scicerone.

A sunny morning found SignorGianni, me, and a most welcome inter-preter walking the streets of the centralportion of the city. Our progress oftenslowed to a halt as issues of one kindand another were discussed and as boththe interpreter, who was extremely wellinformed, and I tried to explain to ourvisitor just what were the motivationsand processes for the Mayor’s redevel-opment plan for Fifth and Forbes.Among much else of interest and trueworth that the Neapolitan architect hadto say or suggest were two observationsthat should give us all pause.

He reminded us that in Italy, theentire urban fabric is protected frominappropriate change. Although Italy isoverwhelmingly rich in monuments, all

buildings and spaces are seen as con-tributing to the special quality of a city’svisual and physical character. Hence,there is not the hit and miss designationof some buildings as essential and othersas expendable that we are familiar with(through necessity!) here. The Italianpractice is akin to our creation of his-toric districts, but the regulations therehave teeth, fangs even.

I well remember from my Venetianexperience just how stringent the preser-vation regulations were. Not only did allaspects of the exterior of a buildingrequire retention or restoration to theoriginal state, but all interior walls, open-ings, and architectural treatments had tobe retained, no matter that they couldn’tbe seen or even guessed at from the out-side. I recall, too, when an overreachingproperty owner added a story to anapartment building, the municipalityintervened and required its removal as anabusive intrusion into the historic charac-ter of the structure and its surroundings.The cost of the demolition was of courseborne by the building owner.

In short, the pattern of urban andarchitectural preservation familiar toour Neapolitan visitor is just the reverseof what we know. There, it is the gov-ernment that protects and preserveswhile here it is the government thatcondemns and destroys.

By implication, the private sector isequally culpable. Signor Gianni, aftersome hesitation, bluntly asked me whyit was that so many handsome olderbuildings were so dilapidated. Didn’t theowners appreciate their possessions?What prevented them from keepingtheir properties in good condition? The state of these buildings answers thequestions tacitly but emphatically.

In spite of what is now a longishhistory of preservation, we do not stillunderstand the value of the physicalremains of the past. We still exhibit afrontier crassness in our assumption that

we do not need to care for or to main-tain what we have—there will always bethe capacity to create anew or to moveon to some better situation. Our cultureis and has always been anti-city, in spiteof our having created the ideal imageand reality of the modern city a centuryago. The founding fathers deeply dis-trusted the city; A. J. Downing arguedincessantly for the superiority of thesuburb as a place to live; and plannersof all stripes have over the last centurysapped and reviled the urban core. Little wonder that city buildings and thecity center fare so badly. And here inPittsburgh we have the legacy of theFirst Renaissance with its utter repudia-tion of the city’s historical fabric. Todemolish, to raze, to erase was seen asan absolute good. We still suffer underthis monstrous denial of the function ofcivilization which is to sustain a tradi-tion, a culture, while at the same timeenriching and adding to it.

No one, including our Neapolitanarchitect, would claim that all buildingsin Italy are kept in excellent condition.Resources, particularly in a city of suchingrained poverty as Naples, are limitedindeed and the city planner’s charge iscomplicated greatly. But to whateverdegree possible, the infrastructure iscared for, and the very lack of meansimposes a greater effort at keepingthings as well and sound as is possible.The throw-away mentality prevalenthere would be too great a luxury, toogreat an extravagance even to be consid-ered. And Italy retains its urban andurbane culture; its cities still defineItalian life and its achievements andsustained vigor in a profound way fardifferent from the variations on embar-rassment, hostility, and indifference thatin great part mark our attitudes towardour own cities. Is this just a matter ofdifferent cultural values or are there notperhaps absolute values when it comesto recognition of our history?

Grand BankInteriorDiscovered at240 Fifth AvenueOn January 6, 2000, the PittsburghHistory & Landmarks Foundationannounced the discovery of animposing interior in the building at240 Fifth Avenue, downtown, nowutilized by D & K retailers.

Originally the Exchange NationalBank, the building was erected inPittsburgh in 1922 to the designs

of Weary & Alfordof Chicago. Althoughthe building hasbeen altered, manyelements of theoriginal interiorremain. The panesof a gently archingskylight, approxi-mately 20 feet wideby 45 feet long, arevisible in the bank-ing room through

holes in a dropped ceiling inserted c. 1940; the skylight appears to bealmost completely intact. The ceil-ing surrounding the skylight con-sists of octagonal recessed panelsornamented with central rosettessurrounded by gold-colored leaves.Fluted pilasters (flat columns)embellish walls of simulated stonepanels and protrude above theflooring inserted into the grandtwo-story banking room. Thestairway to the upper floors retainsits mosaic tile flooring and metalbalustrade.

“Weary & Alford specialized inbank design and decoration,” saidAlbert Tannler, historical collectionsdirector at Landmarks. During thefirst three decades of the twentiethcentury, this firm designed build-ings and interiors in California,Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan,Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, andPennsylvania, and their work wasillustrated in Architectural Record,Architectural Forum, Architecture,and Western Architect.

“This bank interior, whenrestored, will once again form anextraordinary retail space,” saidArthur P. Ziegler, Jr., president ofLandmarks, “and it becomes all themore important that it be featuredin the Fifth-Forbes renewal effortbecause of the tragic loss of themagnificent interior of Mellon Bankrecently destroyed by Lord &Taylor.”

Landmarks commissionedPittsburgh architectural firm EDGE Architects to study housingpossibilities in the historic corridor.EDGE Architects feels that theupper floors are well suited for lofthousing. Further studies are nowunderway to develop suggestedplans for this use.

Landmarks would like to havethe opportunity to inspect theupper floors of all the buildings in the Fifth-Forbes area to see ifother fine interiors exist.

Autres pays, autres moeurs

August 28, 1999

City Council:

I am concerned about revitalization ofdowntown Pittsburgh. I have readseveral articles about it, and the oneplan that makes the most sense to me is the one proposed by the PittsburghHistory & Landmarks Foundation.

Don’t transplant a suburban mall tothis area which is so rich in history.Keep the character of local businessesand the diversity of the area.

Sincerely,Terese S. Piccoli

August 31, 1999

Dear Councilman Hertzberg,

The plea by the Pittsburgh History &Landmarks Foundation to preserveDowntown landmarks needs to beheeded by Council.

There are good ways (EquitablePlaza, Point Park) and bad ways (East Liberty, North Side) to do urbanredevelopment.

As a long-time fan of Downtownshopping, dining and entertainment, I surely hope we will preserve the bestand improve the rest without losing it.This is a key issue that deserves atten-tion by listening to the people whomade the South Side and Station Squareviable.

Sincerely,

Carl O. Hughes

December 3, 1999

Dear Ron:

You made a great impression on theattendees at our luncheon at theAllegheny Club, Nov. 17, 1999. I havehad many favorable comments aboutyou and your talk. Some have writtento the Mayor asking that a strong effortbe made to save as many of the histori-cal buildings as possible—beyond whatwas initially planned.

Before this meeting members of ourorganization had requested a talk on“Forbes and Fifth” and you did it veryeffectively. Thank you for being with usand all the preparation it must havetaken to do it so well.

Sincerely,

Bill BaumgartenChairman, USS Metallurgical & Research Alumni

Fifth-Forbes Update (Continued from page 11)

Numerous Letters Received Opposing Urban Retail’s Fifth-Forbes PlanHere we reprint just a few of the many letters we have received from concerned citizens. Arthur Ziegler, Cathy Broucek,Barry Hannegan, Ron Yochum, and Elisa Cavalier have spoken to numerous Rotary clubs and corporate, community,and historical groups regarding Landmarks’ position on the Fifth-Forbes redevelopment project. Public reaction hasbeen very supportive of our position.

1999 Facts

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On December 14, 1999, Landmarks’staff and trustees toured the oldAllegheny County Jail in downtownPittsburgh to see the progress that isbeing made as the 114-year-oldNational Historic Landmark isconverted into family court facilities.Sunlight streams into spaces thatwere once dark and confining, anda room that once housed a gallowsis to be the site of a day-care facilityand an exhibit of old jail cells.Project architects for the $46 mil-lion conversion are IKM, Inc. Thecontractor is Mascaro Construction.

Passers-by were startled in thesummer of 1999 by a mighty gap in the Fifth Avenue wall of the old Jail, and the transformation of windows, especially cell-blockwindows, into mere voids. Thelong-planned transformation of theJail into family and juvenile courtsbegan in 1999, and Pittsburgh’sHistoric Review Commission hasreached an agreement over many ofthe details.

One awkward decision concernedthe building of a new archway inthat Fifth Avenue gap. It is to be 15 feet wide, a little wider than theother two archways into the jail-yards, and the decision had to bemade whether to make the vous-soirs 6' 6" long, using stones takenfrom the wall facing, or to try tomatch the stone color in new eight-foot voussoirs taken from theoriginal quarry in Quincy, Massa-chusetts. The latter choice wouldcost significantly in time and money,

and the HRC decided to allow useof the facing stones.

The H. H. Richardson originalstructure of 1886 was modified andaugmented by Frederick J. Osterlingfrom 1904 to 1908, and whileOsterling’s detailing is virtually acopy of Richardson’s, differences doexist that are significant. Nothing

of Osterling’s publiclyvisible masonry willchange, even the roundtower at Fifth andRoss, but Richardson’swrought-iron windowbars will remain.Wrought iron has beenharmless to the stone-work in which it wasset. Osterling’s steelbars, on the otherhand, have been liableto rust, swell, and splitthe adjoining granite.Such bars appeared onthe cell-block additions,in the lantern above themeeting place of thecell blocks, in theround tower, and in afew other places. Sash

sympathetic in scale will be used inthese and other windows withoutbars, including basement windows that now have glass block. Themachicolations over the Ross Streetentrance are also glass-blocked butare hardly noticeable, and will beleft as is. The wrought-iron Jail dooron Ross Street will be unchanged,and the original door to the warden’shouse, long in storage, will be rehung.

Landmarks is planning ahard-hat tour of the old Jail,now being renovated, formembers on March 10. Details will be announced in a tour invitation that will soon be mailed to members.Or, call Mary Lu Denny at(412) 471-5808 for furtherinformation or reservations.Space is limited.

The gap in the Fifth Avenue jail-yard wall, to become an archway.Trucks and the public will bothpass through, the latter to a parkarea. Note the thinness of thestone facing—about eight inchesat the top—and the brown backupbrickwork. The bulging “basket”bars of an Osterling addition arestill in place.

Grand spatial effects, with barsremoved from a cellblock and theinfirmary.

Changes to the Jail

Award of MeritRecipientsThe following individuals and organizationswere recognized by Landmarks on October 25for outstanding achievements in historic preser-vation and for increasing public knowledge ofour heritage.

Architectural Tourism Marketing Committee,John DeSantis, and Gerald Lee Morosco: forraising awareness of Pittsburgh’s architecturalheritage through “Living Architecture…Alive inPittsburgh.”

Artists and Cities: for adaptive reuse ofConstantin Pontiac as the Spinning Plate ArtistLofts in Friendship.

John A. Baranowski of Smith Baron, Inc.: forrestoring the Mamaux building, downtown.

Melinda Beard: for her work originally insaving the Mamaux building, downtown.

Bellefield Presbyterian Church: for remodelingthe basement into meeting rooms and useablespace and for its on-going campaign to restorethe stained-glass windows in the sanctuary.

Community Design Center of Pittsburgh andCity Source Associates: for establishing a mediaand tour campaign to promote public interest inaffordable home restoration through the ModelHome Project at 234 South Millvale Avenue,Bloomfield.

Councilman Jim Ferlo, David Hance of theHighland Park Community Club, and JohnKasper: for efforts in averting the threat ofcovering Highland Park Reservoir Number One.

Michael Kapeluck: for paintings in the tradi-tional style of the Eastern Orthodox Church inSt. Peter and St. Paul Ukrainian OrthodoxChurch in Carnegie.

Dennis J. Kelleher: for restoring “La Tourelle,”the former Kaufmann house in Fox Chapel.

Kingsland Scott Bauer Associates: for adaptivereuse of 3441 Butler Street, in conjunction withthe Lawrenceville Development Corporation.

Patricia Lowry: for raising public awareness inregard to the need for sound design in architec-ture and city planning through feature articles inthe Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Anthony and Edi Mainiero: for preserving 141 Mayflower Street, Larimer.

Donna and Jeff Martin: for rehabilitating theirhouse in North Point Breeze.

The National Association of Letter Carriers,Branch 84, and Brenenborg Brown Group: foradaptive reuse of the Brighton Theatre on theNorth Side.

William and Bonnie Poole: for restoring 920 St. James Street, Shadyside.

Dr. Robert Quinlin and Mr. and Mrs. FrankGiovannitti: for restoring the Giovannitti house(1979–83, Richard Meier, architect) onWoodland Road in Shadyside.

Edward Urban, Deputy Warden of AlleghenyCounty: for maintaining an archive for theAllegheny County Jail, downtown, and sharingphotographs and artifacts with Landmarkswhen the Jail was open for public tours in thefall of 1998.

Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf,Edgewood: for creative reuse and restoration of its library and auditorium.

Courtyard SeatingDonatedIn August 1999, Landmarksdonated 30 steel chairs to theCounty for use in the courtyard ofthe Allegheny County Courthouse.“This will allow for comfortable,flexible seating in a popular lunchand concert site,” said Landmarks’president Arthur Ziegler.

In the 1970s, Landmarks wassuccessful in having the courtyard,then being used as a parking lot,developed as a landscaped, public-use site.

SEASON’S GREETINGS 1999 ADAPTIVE REUSE, NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK DRAWING BYIKM INC. ARCHITECTS ALLEGHENY COUNTY JAIL EDWARD DUMONT

memorable images by noted photo-grapher Clyde Hare documents localbridges from 1950 to the present. The 252-page casebound book is hand-somely designed and illustrated with303 photographs.

Pittsburgh’s Bridges is filled withgood solid information and memorablephrases. Walter reminds us that ourregion has been and is a place of extra-ordinary architecture and engineering.He describes the East Street Bridge as a“majestic hello or goodbye from thePittsburgh area.” The Sewickley CreekBridge is remarkable for its “quietcraftsmanship” and the Old Stone Bridgein Monroeville is “earthworm-like.”According to architect David Lewis,Pittsburgh’s Bridges is “a veritablefeast!” and Walter is “a magician.”

In a review in the December 22 issueof the Pittsburgh City Paper, ChrisPotter wrote: But as with a well-designed

ContributorsThe Pittsburgh History & LandmarksFoundation thanks the following forcontributing to the publication ofPittsburgh’s Bridges: Architecture andEngineering.

BenefactorsThe Mary Hillman Jennings FoundationPNC Bank Charitable Trust Committee

PatronsMichael Baker CorporationAnne L. and George H. Clapp

Charitable and Educational TrustDuquesne Light CompanyHDR Engineering, Inc.Jendoco Construction CorporationMarjorie M. Richardson and

Sherwood Richardson, in memory ofGeorge S. Richardson

Sargent Electric Company, on behalf of“Light the Bridges”

Patricia Thauer Fund of the PittsburghHistory & Landmarks Foundation

The Walden TrustWestinghouse Airbrake Company

DonorsWilda Wible AikenCharles Covert ArensbergConrad C. M. ArensbergAndrew Bell ArmstrongRoger Beal, in memory of Denton BealCharles H. Booth, Jr.Cathy BroucekCarl Wood BrownMr. & Mrs. John P. Davis, Jr.Susan M. Devine, for Edward J. Halo

and Richard W. DevineMary DeWinter Fund of the Pittsburgh

History & Landmarks FoundationLu DonnellyMr. & Mrs. D. P. DozziThayer H. DrewGannett Fleming, Inc.Dr. & Mrs. William S. GarrettGeoffrey H. GoldbergHarry C. GoldbyPhilip B. HallenTorrence M. Hunt Fund for Special

Projects of the Pittsburgh History &Landmarks Foundation

Monna J. KidneyJeffrey S. LemleyMiddy and Jack MarkowitzPamela K. McCarterSuzy McKainJack A. McKinnon, Jr.Ruth and David MillerThomas D. MullinsMary Beth and Thomas V. PastoriusPittsburghscape/Joel LevinsonMarirose and John RadeletSally and Loren SiegelFrank L. StanleyLouise and Martin SturgessDavid J. VaterMary WohleberAlice and Hugh YoungEmma Ziegler Fund of the Pittsburgh

History & Landmarks Foundation

The printing of this publication wasmade possible in part by the RevolvingFund for Education of the PittsburghHistory & Landmarks Foundation,established in 1984 through a generousgrant from the Claude WorthingtonBenedum Foundation and lateraugmented through major grants fromThe Grable Foundation, The MaryHillman Jennings Foundation, theRichard King Mellon Foundation, andan anonymous donor.

Not since 1928 has there been a well-illustrated book specifically devoted toPittsburgh’s bridges. After a 71-yearlapse, thanks to the efforts and contri-butions of many people, our “City ofBridges” once again has a book devotedto these engineering and architecturalwonders. On November 29, 1999, morethan 90 members and friends attendedan author’s reception at the GrandConcourse Restaurant to celebrate therelease of Pittsburgh’s Bridges:Architecture and Engineering, byLandmarks’ historian Walter C. Kidney.

The book is dedicated to Landmarks’trustee Richard M. Scaife, who providedthe vision, risk capital, and faith neededto initiate our inner-city neighborhoodrestoration programs and to createStation Square, an urban center underthe bridges along the MonongahelaRiver. Through his philanthropic efforts,Richard Scaife has improved the lives ofmany people in the Pittsburgh regionand strengthened organizations dedi-cated to the arts, education, health, andhuman services.

The authoritative book on Pittsburgh’smost historic and architecturallyimpressive bridges includes a Preface byArthur Lubetz, an essay, and a guide to50 landmark bridges. Archival photosshow construction progress and, insome cases, demolition. An album of

P a g e 1 4 P H L F N e w s • F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 0

Across at Last!Pittsburgh’s Bridges: Architecture and Engineering Now Available

bridge, in Kidney’s book form followsfunction, and in its main function—por-traying the drama inherent within thesebridges’ design and history—Kidneyaccomplishes his task. The book’s verydimensions—it measures 11 inches wideby only 9 inches tall—are designed todisplay these bridges in all theirpanoramic splendor. And Kidney’s textserves as a welcome inscribed above abridge portal—inviting us in, announc-ing the quiet triumphs of engineering we both pass over and overlook.

To order a copy of Pittsburgh’sBridges, please complete and return the order form on page 15, or order thebook from Landmarks over the internet(www.phlf.org), or phone Mary LuDenny at (412) 471-5808 with yourcredit card information, or visit yourlocal bookstore. The retail price is $49.95and members receive a 10% discountwhen ordering through Landmarks.

The surprise of Pittsburgh, upon exiting the Fort Pitt Tunnel.

Author Walter C. Kidney

Tufa bridge, 1908, on the Bridle Path, Schenley Park.

Pittsburgh’s Bridges:Architecture and Engineeringby Walter C. Kidney

Published by the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation

• 252-page casebound book

• 11" x 8.5" (horizontal format)

• 28 color photographs and 275 duotones

ISBN: 0-916670-21-X

Yes, I would like to order Pittsburgh’s Bridges

________ (quantity) x $49.95 total ____________

less 10% membership discount ____________

plus 7% sales tax for PA residents ____________

plus $4.00 for shipping and handling ____________

Total due ____________

■■ Check enclosed, payable to PHLF and referenced “Bridges”

■■ Credit card: ■■ AmEx ■■ Visa ■■ Mastercard ■■ Discover

________________________________________________________Account # Expiration

________________________________________________________Signature

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________________________________________________________Name

________________________________________________________Address

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Complete and return this order form to:Louise SturgessPittsburgh History & Landmarks FoundationOne Station Square, Suite 450Pittsburgh, PA 15219-1134(412) 471-5808 Fax (412) 471-1633www.phlf.org

Bookstores may order copies directly from:

Gary MortonRenaissance News, Inc.5235 Clairton BoulevardPittsburgh, PA 15236Phone (412) 881-4848Fax (412) 881-5422

T H A N K Y O U F O R Y O U R O R D E R .

B O O K O R D E R F O R M

Bridge Book Given to Area Libraries, Colleges, and Public Officials Thanks to Allegheny Foundation GrantOn January 12, 201 copies of Pittsburgh’sBridges: Architecture and Engineering weredistributed throughout the Pittsburgh regionto libraries, high schools, colleges, publicofficials involved in bridge design, andhistorical, architectural, and engineeringorganizations. “This is a wonderful gift,” said Landmarks’ executive director LouiseSturgess, “since many libraries and schoolsonly have limited funds available for pur-chasing new books. Thanks to the AlleghenyFoundation grant, Pittsburgh’s Bridges is nowavailable to many people through area libraries and educational institutions. The book will also help publicofficials better appreciate Pittsburgh’s great bridge-building tradition and encourage them to support thedesign of bridges that are architectural and engineering masterpieces.”

P H L F N e w s • F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 0 P a g e 1 5

P a g e 1 6 P H L F N e w s • F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 0

IN AUGUST 1999, THE GRABLEFOUNDATION AWARDED A $90,000GRANT, payable over three years, to thePittsburgh History & LandmarksFoundation to support and enhance itseducation outreach activities. “Themissions of The Grable Foundation andLandmarks are, in part, similar,” saidLandmarks’ executive director LouiseSturgess. “Both organizations arecommitted to supporting educationalprograms that help children developsuccessfully into independent, caring,contributing members of society.”

Landmarks uses the art of architec-ture to awaken learning and to further asense of community, belonging, and

civic pride. By focusing people’sattention on architecture and

the value of historic preser-vation, Landmarks’ educa-tion programs help peoplerealize the importance offamilies, homes, neighbor-hoods, schools, and cities;encourage a sense of place,

belonging, and hometown pride; andgive people the skills they need toidentify the strengths and weaknesses of their communities and contributetoward, and become more involved in,the process of improvement.

Many reports and surveys have beenconducted in the past few years empha-sizing the importance of heritage educa-tion—in effect, the blending of thestudies of architecture and historicpreservation. “Landmarks is aleader in historic preservationeducation,” said educa-tion coordinator MaryAnn Eubanks. “Eachyear, more than 12,000teachers, students, home-town residents, and visitorsparticipate in our educa-tion programs. DowntownDragons [a walking tour forelementary school students],Portable Pittsburgh [a travel-ing kit of artifacts and visualaides], and the exhibit Architecture: The Building Art are among our mostpopular programs.” For the past four years, Landmarks has hostedarchitectural design challenges for 200 middle and high school students in Westmoreland County.

Recently, Landmarks’ staff has workedclosely with the following schools todevelop architecture-based programsspecific to their communities: ArlingtonElementary; Bishop Leonard; CentralElementary; Fox Chapel Senior High;Gateway Senior High;Greenway Middle;Manchester Charter;Martin Luther King;Miller Elementary;Minadeo Elementary;Phillips Elementary;Prince of Peace; and WoolslairElementary.

By participating in Landmarks’ edu-cation programs, students strengthenvisual and critical thinking skills anddevelop a sense of hometown pride as

they build models of historic bridgesor buildings, design paper-bag

buildings, construct gargoylemasks, create cities out ofpaper, or search for architec-tural details in their neighbor-hoods. During the process,

they strengthen research, writ-ing, math, art, and social studies

skills and are motivated to learnmore about their neighborhoodand city. And when they becomeadults, they may even decide tomake Pittsburgh their home and

help protect the architectural land-marks that make our city unique.

Education News

The GrableFoundationContributes to OurEducationProgram

Looking up on Fourth Avenue, on a Downtown Dragons tour with students from McKnight Elementary (above and below left)and from Minadeo Elementary (below right).

Pop-up engineering.

Teachers who participate inLandmarks’ summer inservicescreate their own books andbuild—and test the strengthof—bridges.

One of the teachers in Landmarks’summer inservice classes created avideo to interest her school students inneighborhood history and architecture.

1999 FactsEducationClose to 12,000 people—teachers, students,members, and visitors—directly participated inLandmarks’ educational programs, and a grandtotal of over 80,000 people benefited from ourservices.

To carry out these programs in 1999,Landmarks’ education staffdepended on the talents, energy,and assistance of 26 top-notchdocents, eight free-lanceinstructors, ten communityplanners and architects, fourMt. Lebanon high schoolvolunteers, eight office volun-teers, and many special eventvolunteers.

Highlights of the yearincluded the following:

Living Architecture: Alive in PittsburghThis tourism initiative, fundedby local foundations, consistedof a two-night package at the Westin WilliamPenn, admissions to Fallingwater and KentuckKnob, two architectural exhibits at the Carnegieand Warhol Museums, and an audio tape setincluding walking tours of downtown and theAllegheny County Courthouse, and a drivingtour of the North Side. (Members may purchasethe tape set for $18.00.)

Landmarks’ archivist Al Tannler also wrotethe text for permanent informational panels nowlocated in the Allegheny County Courthousedescribing its architectural significance.

Taliesin Fellows ConferenceLandmarks organized and hosted this three-dayconference in collaboration with the AmericanInstitute of Architects, Pittsburgh Chapter (AIA),and Pittsburgh architect and Taliesin FellowGerald Lee Morosco. Close to 150 alumni,friends, and supporters of the TaliesinFellowship, an architectural apprenticeshipprogram founded by Frank Lloyd Wright andhis wife in 1932, gathered in Pittsburgh fromJune 23 to 27 for special events, tours, lectures,and exhibits.

Specialized Architecture ToursAl Tannler is quickly gaining a national reputa-tion as one of Pittsburgh’s leading architecturaltour guides. In 1999, he gave tours to individu-als such as J. Carter Brown, David Dodge, EricLloyd Wright, and the publishers of DesirableDestinations, and to groups from the ArtInstitute of Chicago’s Society for ContemporaryArt, Art Seminar Guild (Baltimore), ChicagoNorth Shore Country Day School Alumni,Columbus Landmarks Foundation,Contemporary Art Society of Indianapolis, East Town Travel Ltd., National Trust forHistoric Preservation, Patrons of the Arts in theVatican Museums, Randolph-Macon Woman’sCollege American Culture Program, Royal OakFoundation (American affiliate of the NationalTrust of Great Britain), St. Louis Museum ofArt, Turner Brooks’ students at Yale UniversitySchool of Architecture, and Washington ArtAssociates tours for the National Trust forHistoric Preservation and the San DiegoMuseum of Art.

PublicationsBook sales boomed, with the publication ofthree new titles: The Story of Woodville, byRonald C. Carlisle; Chronicle of a PittsburghFamily, by Evelyn Bitner Pearson; andPittsburgh’s Bridges: Architecture andEngineering, by Walter C. Kidney.

Paper-bag buildings of Mexican War Street houses, by Martin Luther King school students.

On a “Pittsburgh Pilgrimage,”you’ll tour St. Paul of the CrossMonastery on the South SideSlopes and St. Anthony’s onTroy Hill.

High school students participating in ourArchitectural Apprenticeship Program practice drawing techniques in Mellon Square with Tom Demko, architect.

(Continued on page 18)

Central Elementaryschool students weartheir paper-bagbuilding costumesand report on the significance of the architecturallandmarks inHampton Township.

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P a g e 1 8 P H L F N e w s • F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 0

Education (Continued from page 17)

Special Programs and Services . . . To Name a FewWe created a four-year scholarship awardprogram for college-bound students; helped theBloomfield Preservation & Heritage Societydevelop a curriculum for its neighborhoodeducation center; created a neighborhood explo-

ration programfor WoolslairElementaryschool studentswith the Leagueof Women Votersof GreaterPittsburgh;offered an after-school enrich-ment program to elementary

students in the Mercy/Miller school partnership;moved ahead with the Carnegie Museum of Art on “Neighborhood Partners,” an inter-disciplinary program with Manchester CharterSchool and Bishop Leonard School in Mt.Oliver; continued working with WestmorelandCounty students in architectural design com-petitions; helped Central Elementary Schooldevelop a unit on the history and architecture ofHampton Township; contributed to Gateway tothe Arts’ production of “Building Magic”;worked with several South Side area schools as aresult of the Neighborhood Assistance Program;created a “Pittsburgh Pilgrimage” (providing alocal connection to Medieval history) forstudents from Charleroi and BentworthElementary; and printed a T-shirt with theDollar Bank lion to give to all school studentswho participate in our educational programs!

Interested? For further information, call MaryAnn Eubanks at (412) 471-5808 or e-mail herat: maryann@phlf.org.

◆

Ambassador ProgramBenefits Washington, D.C.Area ResidentsIf you live in the Washington, D.C. MetropolitanArea and want to stay in touch with Pittsburgh,then join Landmarks’ Ambassador Program, withan annual membership contribution of $100.

In addition to the regular membership benefits,Ambassadors gather in Washington, D.C. withLandmarks’ staff for updates on preservationissues back home. Last year, over 100 peopleattended the reception on May 11 at theNational Cathedral, and 35 people attended adinner on December 1 at David and JanetBrashear’s home in McLean, Virginia. A trusteeof Landmarks, David Brashear encouragedLandmarks to launch the Ambassadors Programand has been instrumental in its success.

We welcome the following Ambassadors:Jennifer R. AppanealMr. & Mrs. Cole BlasierDaniel J. BrashearDouglas S. BrashearMr. & Mrs. James E. BrashearDiane BritzRobert T. CombsLewis J. FernandezDavid A. JohnstonWilliam G. MaclarenWesley C. PickardLaurie Caswell RosenbergCol. George R. Surman

1999 Facts

BOOK REVIEWS• Clarke M. Thomas, Witness to

the Fifties: The PittsburghPhotographic Library, 1950–1953.Constance B. Schulz and StevenW. Plattner, editors. Pittsburgh:University of Pittsburgh Press,1999. 186 pp., 106 illustrations.$37.50.

The Pittsburgh PhotographicLibrary owes its existence, in largepart, to the perception of AlleghenyConference members, in the late1940s, that Pittsburghers and theworld generally should be aware ofthe changes in this city that hadbegun to occur. Photography was ofcourse a prime means of doing so,and in 1950 Roy Stryker, who haddirected a long documentary projectfor Standard Oil, came to Pittsburghand recruited a staff of photo-graphers. The project, in spite ofmoney difficulties, went onto 1954.A nice night view by Harold Corsiniis reproduced on the jacket, butpeople are the subjects in mostphotographs, which still look con-temporary, despite a multitude ofdetails from the past, to many of us.

Photographers represented areJames P. Blair, Esther Bubley, Harold

In Memory of Helen SimpsonWith much sadness, we report thedeath of Helen E. Simpson onSeptember 11, 1999. A docent andvolunteer for Landmarks since1984, Helen enjoyed leading down-town walking tours for students,presenting slide shows at commu-nity organizations and senior citi-zen residences, and helping at ourAntiques Show and Old HouseFair. Her love of architecture andworld cultures, her knowledge ofmusic, literature, and history, andher kind and positive spirit willinspire us always. We fondlyremember Helen and miss hergreatly.

Contributions are being acceptedin memory of Helen Simpson. We thank the following people fortheir generous gifts:

Hazel CataniaMarie Arend Dunkle and

Darlene Dunkle JostMr. & Mrs. Clyde F. Huwe*Nancy Irvine*Mr. & Mrs. Jack Jones*Virginia Mance*Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth L. MenkeRuth and Janet O’ConnorRobert Roth*Marguerite M. SteckGladys P. TruverMr. & Mrs. Jack R. Zierden*We thank the H. J. Heinz CompanyFoundation for matching these gifts.

Landmarks’ Co-FounderAmong “Pittsburghers ofthe Century”

James D. VanTrump, a co-founder of thePittsburghHistory &LandmarksFoundation, wasranked as thethirty-first most

important Pittsburgher of thecentury. He was recognized in theDecember 1999 issue of Pittsburghmagazine for championing “theradical (in the 1960s) idea that thepast is worth preserving.”

HRC Award forLandmarksIn May 1999, the Historic ReviewCommission of the City ofPittsburgh gave Landmarks aPreservation Award for its bookletContributing to PittsburghLivability: NeighborhoodPreservation and Station Square.(Please call Mary Lu Denny at(412) 471-5808 if you would like to order a copy for $2.50.)

In addition, Landmarks wasnotified that two beneficiaries of itsPreservation Loan Fund—64 South14th Street on the South Side and 513–17 Lockhart Street inDeutschtown—received awards.

Congratulations, SouthSide WinnersThe following people correctlyidentified the location of six ormore architectural details picturedin a South Side tabloid, published in July 1999 by Landmarks as aresult of its involvement in theNeighborhood Assistance Program/Comprehensive Service Program.Their prize? A free membership inLandmarks. Welcome!

Paul BowkerMr. & Mrs. Thomas O. MaffeiMr. & Mrs. Douglas MarvinMichael MillisMaryanna RowsickMisty SuhoskiLisa TobozFrank Ziaukas

Notes of Interest

Interns Benefit fromExperience withLandmarksWe thank Alexis Fischoff, AnneGailliot, Judith Heesels, JasonHoliday (below), and LaraMalakoff for volunteering atLandmarks in 1999. They freely

contributed their time andtalents and discoveredmore about the world of

historic preservation byaccompanying staff

members to educa-tional programs,Historic ReviewCommission hear-ings, and other

meetings and events.

LandmarksWelcomesCB RICHARD ELLIS/PITTSBURGH,

COLUMBIA GAS OF PENNSYLVANIA,

FEDERAL HOME LOAN BANK

OF PITTSBURGH, and

MYLAN LABORATORIES, INC.

as Corporate MemberBenefactors of the Pittsburgh History &Landmarks Foundation.

Thank you for helping us protect theplaces that make Pittsburgh home.

PITTSBURGH HISTORY &LANDMARKS FOUNDATIONpresents the fifth annual

OLD HOUSEFAIRSaturday, February 26, 200010:00 AM – 4:00 PMVictoria Hall201 South Winebiddle StreetBloomfield

If you own an old house, are thinking ofpurchasing one, or just like old houses,visit Landmarks’ Old House Fair atVictoria Hall. Learn how to renovate orimprove your old house by talking withand listening to professionals in archi-tecture, restoration and landscapedesign.

Meet with craftsmen, contractors,glass and lighting designers andfabricators, plus representatives frominsurance companies, lending institutions and neighborhood organizations.

Call (412) 471-5808 for further information or visit our web site at www.phlf.org.

THE SOCIETY FOR

THE PRESERVATION OF

Dedicated to the preservation ofthat which cannot be replaced

For a membership please phone 381-1665

1999 Facts

P H L F N e w s • F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 0 P a g e 1 9

Four recently published books canenhance our ability to examinesome of the issues currently facingLandmarks. I highly recommendthem for your “serious readinglist” in the New Year.

I found the common themes ineach so complimentary that I triedan experiment, reading a sectionfrom each seriatim. You can almostinterchange chapters, so similar arethe points of view and issues.However, each has a distinct mes-sage on the overall themes of lossof place, radically changing citiesand countrysides, urban sprawl,and new life for downtown.

The earliest of this quartet ofbooks is The Experience of Place:A New Way of Looking at OurRadically Changing Cities andCountryside by Tony Hess, VintageBooks, 1990. The central questionof this book seems to be: Why dosome places—the concourse ofGrand Central Terminal or a smallfarm or even the corner of a neigh-borhood—affect us so mysteriouslyand yet so forcefully? What tinychanges in our everyday environ-ments can radically alter thequality of our daily lives? TheExperience of Place offers athoughtful and readable view ofnew ways of planning, building,and managing our most immediateand overlooked surroundings.

Richard Moe’s book—ChangingPlaces: Rebuilding Community inan Age of Sprawl (unveiled inPittsburgh in 1997)—not only paysspecial tribute to Arthur Zieglerand Stanley Lowe, in a section on

Pittsburgh’s renewal work, butunveils a broad vision promoted by the National Trust for HistoricPreservation of a way of combat-ting automobilistic chaos andurban sprawl. The jacket, in thiscase astute, says “If you care aboutthe quality of your town or city,Changing Places should be on yourmust read list, and once you startreading it you will not be able toput it down.” I agree!

In Country of Exiles: TheDestruction of Place in AmericanLife, Pantheon Books, 1999,William Leach suggests that a new mentality is emerging thatchallenges our traditional under-standing of community and deniesits importance. He describes a newcosmopolitanism which opposes—to the detriment of society—oldertraditions of roots and place. He describes how the pain ofdisplacement is concealed behindthe promises of mobility and new, mostly faceless suburbanreplacements.

Rounding out the quartet isCities Back from the Edge: NewLife for Downtown by RobertaBrandes Gratz. Roberta Gratz is a great friend and advisor toLandmarks and was most recentlyin Pittsburgh for the Making CitiesWork lecture on October 7, 1998.Gratz rejects the kind of simplistic,top down, cookie cutter planswhich characterize the Fifth-Forbesproject promoted by the currentcity administration. Instead, sheoutlines a more flexible approachto downtown renewal, a concept

she calls urban husbandry. Sheshows how this grassroots, sustain-able process is producing results insmaller scale downtown renewalprojects rather than the out-of-town, taxpayer-bleeding block-buster projects that have redefinedcivic failure not only in EastLiberty and Allegheny Commons,but in similar surgical excisions ofneighborhoods nationwide.

To this quartet add a local publi-cation Hillscapes: A Scrapbook—Envisioning a Healthy UrbanHabitat compiled by a team of Hill District residents with theassistance of Drs. Robert andMindy Fullilove who were visitingFalk Fellows at Pitt’s GraduateSchool of Public Health.

The scrapbook is a collection ofstories and photographs thatrecord what happened to a neigh-borhood nearly obliterated byurban renewal in the Lower Hill.But in looking at the communitywhich survived, we see how grass-roots organizations and localpeople can create, fertilize, andshowcase the best ways to raiseindividual well being and neighbor-hood strength above carpetbaggingdevelopment which diminishes allthe players in the process.

The values presented in thesebooks are at the heart of Landmarks’work in our city and neighbor-hoods. The stories will inspire you, and hopefully we can use the evidence from these books toinspire others to join our cause.

New Ways of Looking at Our RadicallyChanging Cities and CountrysidePhilip B. Hallen Historic Landscape

PreservationEstablished in June 1997 under Barry Hannegan’sleadership, the Historic Landscape Department isfast becoming a nationally recognized center forscholarly research, collaborative projects, andconsulting services. Locally, close to 500 peopleparticipated in various educational programs.

ConsultingResearched and compiled the history componentfor the master plans of Pittsburgh Four GreatParks, for Patricia O’Donnell and Landscapes,Inc. and LaQuatra-Bonci and Michael Stern.

Researched and compiled the history componentfor Mellon Park master preservation andmanagement plan, for Patricia O’Donnell andLandscapes, Inc.

ToursCreated and led the following tours:

Pittsburgh’s Religious Landscapes, August 7

Chatham Village Preservation Managementtour, October 25

Public PresentationsPresented the following slide lectures:

Six Great Gardens of the Pittsburgh RegionThe College Club of Pittsburgh, March 12Department of City Planning, May 21Landscape Design Society, October 6The Village Garden Club, November 9

The PH&LF Survey of Historic Parks andGardens

Linden Garden Club, January 26

West End ParkWest End Neighborhood Association, May 15

Preservation Aspects of the Fifth-ForbesRedevelopment

Academy for Life-Long Learning, CMU,October 4

Permeable Pittsburgh (with EDGE Architects)Andy Warhol Museum, September 25

Preservation and Restoration of Period StyleGardens

Pitt Informal Program, June 2

Historically Correct Front Yards for ManchesterLandscape History Collaborative, February 24

PHLF NewsResearched and wrote the feature article onArsenal Park, Lawrenceville (July 1999).

Historic Neighborhood and LandscapeInitiativesCompleted inventories of derelict green space onthe South Side Flats and Slopes.

Helped restore horticultural elements of KentuckKnob in Fayette County.

Collaborative ProjectsBegan an inventory of gardens of the PittsburghRegion, with the Garden Club of AlleghenyCounty, the Garden Club of America, and theLandscape Studies Master’s Program ofChatham College, to augment Landmarks’Survey of Historic Parks and Gardens.

Supported the creation of the Archives of theLandscape Records of SouthwesternPennsylvania, with the Libraries of theUniversity of Pittsburgh and the LandscapeStudies Master’s Program of Chatham College.

Began planning for an exhibition of historicPittsburgh gardens, for the Fall of 2003, withthe Library of the Hunt Botanical Institute andthe Landscape Studies Master’s Program ofChatham College.

AffiliationsPittsburgh Parks Conservancy Board

Coalition for Parks and Greenspaces

Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership

Landscape History Collaborative

Corsini, Arnold Eagle, ElliottErwitt, Regina Fisher, Clyde Hare,Russell Lee, Sol Libsohn, FrancisNestler, and Richard Saunders.

• Charles Rumford Walker, Steel:The Diary of a Furnace Worker,ed. Kenneth J. Kobus. 1992;reprt. Warrendale, Pa.: The Ironand Steel Society, 186 Thorn HillRd., 15086-7528. xx + 176 pp.,53 illus. Available from theSociety only. $19.95, $5.00 ship-ping, $1.30 sales tax.

Yale graduates seldom do commonlabor in a steel plant, but such wasthe lot of Charles Rumford Walker,a war veteran, in 1919. He felt thatwhat happened in the steel industrywas an indicator of the fate ofAmerican business and labor, andof America generally and wantedto investigate. During his time atthe Aliquippa Works of J & L, hewas “clean-up man in the pit…third-helper on the open hearth…worked in the cast-house, became amember of the stove-gang [and]hot-blast man on the blast furnace.”He did these things at a time whenthe steel industry was undergoingsome change as regards to labor-

management relations, and there issome reason to believe that somepeople in management were willingto let an educated, articulate manwork at and take note of the cir-cumstances of these jobs. At theend of the book, the author arguesagainst the long hours in the indus-try and the persistent treatment oflabor as a mere commodity, but the tone is apolitical, observant,unemotional. The photographsback up the realism, though theyare unclear sometimes.

Charles Rumford Walker seemsto have found his vocation in theAliquippa Works’ humblest places,and continued to write aboutindustry and industrial workersuntil 1968.

• James Wudarczyk, Pittsburgh’sForgotten Allegheny Arsenal.Apollo, Pa.: Closson Press. 97 pp. $6.50, postpaid. Sold bythe author: James Wudarczyk,417 Fisk Street, Pittsburgh, Pa.15224.

This is a quietly factual history of the Arsenal from its sale byWilliam Barclay Foster to the U.S. in 1814 to the final portion’s

sale in 1926. There are no illustra-tions, unfortunately, but the storyis well covered. The trauma of the1862 explosion is especially relatedin detail, but events before andafter have their places too. A nine-page bibliography of books, book-lets, articles, and unpublishedsources is welcome information for those who want more detail.

• Nicholas Kyriazi and EllisSchmidlapp, DeutschtownHistoric District Walking Tour.Pittsburgh: East AlleghenyCommunity Council, 1999. No cost.

This pamphlet for a self-guidedtour takes you around an historicdistrict by the varying standards ofthe City and the State. This is acopiously written guide, withbetween 2,500 and 3,000 wordsdevoted to a not-very-large neigh-borhood rich in architecture andhistory.

For free copies: call Mary Lu Denny at Landmarks(412) 471-5808; or stop at thePriory, 616 Pressley Street, in Deutschtown.

P a g e 2 0 P H L F N e w s • F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 0

At the Board of Trustees meeting onNovember 16, Chairman Philip Hallenreminded Landmarks’ trustees of an oldChinese proverb, surprisingly relevant tothe challenges facing preservationistseach day: “We will not know the valueof the water until the well runs dry.”

So much of our daily effort is directedtoward preventing the possibility ofhaving the well run dry. We extendloans and provide technical assistance inorder to save endangered historic build-ings; we work with students and teach-ers and community and business leadersto encourage hometown pride and arespect for the architecture that givessuch character to this region; and westrengthen our organization by seekingnew members and sources of funding sowe can continue existing programs andoffer more services. We cannot afford to loose the architectural landmarks,historic districts, and historic designedlandscapes that make Pittsburgh home,a place unique from all others. Oncegone, the architectural landmarks andhistoric places cannot be replaced. Thewell—and the region—will be dry.

In an effort to keep the well full, ourtrustees approved the year 2000 work-plan with the following highlights.

Preservation Services andAdvocacyLandmarks will:

• Extend new loans to neighborhoodorganizations for the restoration ofhistoric properties and provide tech-nical assistance to municipalities andneighborhood organizations request-ing its services.

• Continue the popular “Making CitiesWork” lecture series, co-sponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank ofCleveland, Pittsburgh Branch.

• Continue to advocate an open publicpolicy process for the Fifth-Forbesarea, downtown, and research success-ful projects in other cities.

• Continue to testify on preservationissues before City Council, the CityPlanning Commission, the HistoricReview Commission, and the councils

and commissions of other municipali-ties, as needed.

• Co-sponsor the National PreservationOfficers Conference in August andwork throughout the year withPreservation Pennsylvania andPreservation Action on pending Stateand Federal legislation affectingpreservation.

• Continue the Historic ReligiousProperty Seminar and Grant Programusing trustee and membership dona-tions received from Landmarks’ 1999year-end gift request. (Please see thearticle on page 4.)

Critical Building NeedsLandmarks will provide technicalassistance to organizations attemptingto save buildings in crisis, and continueto work with the Allegheny CountyHistoric Properties Advisory Committeein regard to the restoration of the Court House and in the lobby restora-tion plan for the old Jail, downtown.

Transportation PlanningLandmarks will continue to advocateimproved public transit in the city, withfull access to the proposed new retailareas and to the residential areas of theNorth Side beyond the stadiums.

Historic LandscapePrograms and ServicesLandmarks will:

• Work with public agencies and neigh-borhood organizations (including the Coalition for Parks andGreenspaces and Pittsburgh ParksConservancy) for the preservation andrestoration of the public landscape.

• Participate with the University ofPittsburgh Libraries and the LandscapeStudies graduate program of ChathamCollege in the creation of an Archiveof Landscape Records for South-western Pennsylvania.

• Develop educational programs regard-ing designed landscapes and urbanplanning, including a symposium inthe fall.

J O I NLANDMARKSSupport the PittsburghHistory & LandmarksFoundation in its work to:

• Identify, document, and work tosave architectural landmarks,historic neighborhoods, andhistoric designed landscapes inAllegheny County;

• Provide loans and technical assis-tance to community-based orga-nizations that propose feasibleplans for historic properties;

• Participate in urban planningissues as an advocate for historicpreservation;

• Create educational programs for schools, community groups,members, and friends;

• Continue a well-managed,responsive, and creativemembership organization withthe ability to implement thesegoals on a long-range basis.

Membership Categories■■ Individual $20 or more■■ Family $25 or more■■ Senior Citizen $15 or more■■ Schools and

Non-profits $35 or more■■ School Districts $50 or more■■ Ambassadors $100 or more■■ Corporate $250 or more■■ Life Benefactor $5,000

(a one-time gift)

The portion of your dues exceeding $15is tax-deductible.

Call Mary Lu Denny at (412) 471-5808 for details on a multiple-year membership plan at a reduced rate, and for a listing of our membership benefits.

Yes! Enroll me as a member of thePittsburgh History & LandmarksFoundation. I have enclosed acontribution in the amount of____________.

Name______________________________

Address____________________________

City _______________________________

State _____________ Zip _____________

Telephone (day)_____________________(area code)

Method of Payment■■ Check enclosed (payable to PHLF)

■■ Credit card:

■■ AmEx ■■ Visa

■■ Mastercard ■■ Discover

Account # __________________________

Expiration__________________________

Signature___________________________

Thank you for completing this form.Please detach and fax or mail to:MembershipPittsburgh History &Landmarks FoundationOne Station Square, Suite 450Pittsburgh, PA 15219-1134

(412) 471-5808Fax (412) 471-1633www.phlf.org

EducationLandmarks will:

• Publish a 35-year chronology of itswork; complete a manuscript andraise funds for a book on HenryHornbostel, by Walter C. Kidney; and gather photographs and editRivers and Steel by Eliza SmithBrown, to be published by HeritageMedia Corporation.

• Continue offering a full range of edu-cational programs thanks to supportfrom The Grable Foundation; create anew exhibit and poster series withfunding support from Columbia Gasof Pennsylvania; and develop a field-trip for the South Side area schools onthe Pittsburgh Voyager boats, thanksto the Neighborhood AssistanceProgram.

• Offer more than 18 membershipevents, including the Old House Fairon February 26; a hard-hat tour of H. H. Richardson’s renovated jail onMarch 10; a bus tour to housesdesigned by Frank Lloyd Wright heirsCornelia Brierly and Peter Berndtsonon April 29; and neighborhood anddowntown walking tours throughoutthe summer. Visit our web site atwww.phlf.org for a complete listing of events.

• Continue its Award of Merit andHistoric Landmark Plaque programs.Call Walter Kidney with nominations:(412) 471-5808.

Keep in TouchCheck our website (www.phlf.org) forup-to-date information and check yourmail for our membership newsletter andevent invitations. For a complete copyof the 2000 workplan, please callLouise Sturgess at (412) 471-5808. We look forward to the new year withrenewed energy and hope.

Year 2000 Workplan Approved

When a friendrecently askedJack Miller whyhe would leave asuccessful plannedgiving program tobecome plannedgiving director atan organizationthat saves “old

things,” he responded: “I hope to be anold thing too some day.” But the realreason comes from his heart.

“After 25 years of being involvedwith capital campaigns, special events,charitable estate planning seminars andnon-cash giving strategies,” says Jack,“I want to give something back to theorganization that saved my church andcontinues to preserve the city I love. I’m a fifth generation Pittsburgher. Eachof those generations called the NorthSide home and attended St. BonifaceChurch. Landmarks was born on theNorth Side and that church exists todaydue in great part to Landmarks’ efforts.

No effort I make can be great enoughto express my gratitude for that.”

Jack’s specialty is helping peoplemake charitable gifts that meet theirpersonal needs and circumstances. Hejoined Landmarks’ staff on January 3,but his first gift preceded him with aDecember 21, 1999 letter to ArthurZiegler that read in part:

Dear Mr. Ziegler:

I look forward to joining your teamin the next few days. Before doingthat, however, I believe it is impor-tant that I set an example for thoseI will ask to commit assets to themission of the Pittsburgh History& Landmarks Foundation.

Enclosed is a copy of the benefi-ciary page of a $250,000 annualrenewable term life insurancepolicy I am purchasing to protectmy family. Landmarks will be afive-percent primary beneficiary.While it is my intention to live along and fruitful life promoting

our city, I must recognize mymortality. By taking this actionnow, I can endow a gift to thankyou and Landmarks for yourcommitment to the North Side . . . .

Arthur Ziegler’s response:

Dear Jack:

You are certainly a marvelousperson, already setting a wonder-ful example of dedication to ourwork and to your mission and wevery much appreciate your includ-ing us as a primary beneficiary inthe term life insurance policy.

However, we do not look forwardto collecting that gift, generousthough it is, but we do plan tocollect mightily on your gift oftalents that you’re going to put touse on our behalf.

Devoted to Pittsburgh and an advo-cate of historic preservation, Jack willstrengthen Landmarks through hisvision, leadership, and knowledge of the many ways planned gifts can helpour members and friends.

Jack Miller Joins Landmarks’ Staff