SPRING 2013
PRESERVATIONpittsburgh
Designed & Edited by Nicole Kubas (Preservation Pittsburgh Volunteer)
“America only wants right now, damn the future, damn the past.” -Andy Warhol The “Pink House”
St. Nicholas
Westinghouse Atom Smasher
Mission Preservation Pittsburgh is a non-profit advocacy group dedicated to preserving our regionʼs historic, architectural, cultural, and environmental heritage. Its purpose is to assist individuals and organizations in preserving the integrity of the architecture and physical surroundings they value. Preservation Pittsburgh
W: preservationpittsburgh.org E: info@preservationpittsburgh.org M: 223 Fourth Avenue, Suite 800 Pittsburgh, PA 15222
At the end of August 1991, the Syria Mosque in Oakland was demolished. Today, it remains a parking lot. Preservation Pittsburgh was formed soon after this loss to advocate for historic preservation and to raise awareness among local decision-makers, developers, and citizens. 1
Preserve The Atom Smasher
Written & Photographed by Nicole Kubas (Volunteer & Communications Committee Member)
The five-story high Westinghouse Atom Smasher in Forest Hills has recently been sold. The Atom Smasher, built in 1937, gives the impression of a grounded, silver hot-air balloon with an attached ladder. The Atom Smasher sits atop the eastern bluff overlooking Route 30. Since 1958 no atoms have been smashed at this site. George Westinghouse is a man sometimes overlooked in Pittsburgh, in comparison to famous names like Carnegie, Frick, Heinz, and Mellon. However, Westinghouse and his companies forever changed the Pittsburgh region and the world. Westinghouse, originally from New York, received over 400 patents throughout his career. His first contributions were to railroad technology including his 1872 air pressure brakes that continue to be used today, safety devices, signaling systems, and a device for replacing derailed freight cars (car replacers). He formed a company with two other partners to manufacture car replacers. After disagreements with his partners, Westinghouse traveled to Pittsburgh to arrange for a steel company to make the car replacer at lower cost. During visits to Pittsburgh he made the acquaintance of persons who shared his interests in railroads and his work on inventions and manufacturing for the industry, and who would eventually help him with his Pittsburgh companies. Later in his career he founded the Philadelphia Company, which provided gas service to the Pittsburgh area. His inventions with gas service earned him 38 patents, including one for a gas meter, an automatic cut off regulator, and a leak-proof piping system.
Preservation Pittsburgh
At age 39, Westinghouse began the work that made his name legendary. He foresaw the importance and versatility of alternating current (AC) over direct current (DC) for electrical power supply. Westinghouse proceeded to buy the patent for the first modern electrical transformer of Frenchman Gaulard and Englishman Gibbs. He improved their experimental designs and proceeded to promote AC power. Westinghouse organized the Westinghouse Electric Company to manufacture and promote the use of AC power. In 1893 Westinghouse won contracts to build the Niagara Falls generating station and to light the Worldʼs Columbian Exposition in Chicago.
W: preservationpittsburgh.org E: info@preservationpittsburgh.org M: 223 Fourth Avenue, Suite 800 Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Many Westinghouse sites have been disappearing since the company merged with Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) in the 1990s. The Atom Smasher 2
was dedicated as an historic site in 1985 by the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). The future of the site and the Atom Smasher are unclear as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved the site for unrestricted use. The Smithsonian and Heinz History Center both turned down the opportunity to display the Atom Smasher due to its large size. A proposed alternative idea is to attract a high-tech company and display the Atom Smasher as public art on a corporate campus.
Preservation Pittsburgh
W: preservationpittsburgh.org E: info@preservationpittsburgh.org M: 223 Fourth Avenue, Suite 800 Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Ament, Phil. “Inventor George Westinghouse Biography.” The Great Idea Finder. The Great Idea Finder, 6 Jan. 2006. Web. 07 Mar. 2013. “George Westinghouse Biography.” How Products Are Made. Advameg, Inc., 2013. Web. 07 Mar. 2013. "Inventor Profile George Westinghouse." Invent Now. National Inventors Hall of Fame, 2002. Web. 07 Mar. 2013.
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St. Nicholas Church
Written by Melissa McSwigan (Preservation Pittsburgh Board Member)
For many years, Preservation Pittsburgh, Northside Leadership Conference, Preserve Croatian Heritage Foundation, Councilwoman Darlene Harris, and others worked to save and find adaptive reuse for the former St. Nicholas Church on the Northside. The church underwent the rigorous process to be designated as a City of Pittsburgh historic structure. Design and feasibility studies were conducted on the viability of turning the building into a national immigrant museum. Given Pittsburghʼs continuing riverfront development, the museum would have served as a trailhead/rest stop and would have connected to a river trail. None of the properties on the St. Nicholas parish site were needed for the Route 28 improvement project and various parking and safety issues were worked out in the feasibility studies. The structures on the property of St. Nicholas Church, designed by architect Frederick Sauer in 1901, were extremely well constructed and suffered only from lack of maintenance over the past few years since the Catholic Diocese took over management of the property from the former congregants. Frederick Sauer also designed St. Stanislaus Roman Catholic Church in the Strip District and the amazing Frederick Sauer houses in Aspinwall (known as the “Castle” or “Heidelberg”).
Preservation Pittsburgh
W: preservationpittsburgh.org E: info@preservationpittsburgh.org M: 223 Fourth Avenue, Suite 800 Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Photographed by © Stephen Willing (Preservation Pittsburgh Member)
Despite negotiations, support by 18 non-profit organizations, and offers to buy the property, the Catholic Diocese demolished the oldest Croatian Catholic church in the Western Hemisphere due to “economic hardship.” The Historic 4
Review Commission (HRC) did not find the Dioceseʼs economic hardship claim to be valid in 2011and a legal battle between the City of Pittsburgh and the Diocese ensued. In the Fall of 2012 the City decided not to fight the Diocese (thereby not upholding their own preservation laws). This led to the final destruction of the building in January 2013. As it turned out, a private arrangement was made between PennDOT and St. Nicholas Trustee Bishop Zubik (who is the sole Trustee for the property). For many years PennDOT stated that it was willing to buy the St. Nicholas property, thus encouraging the demolition. In exchange for the demolition, PennDOT would pay a large sum to the Diocese for the land. This helps to explain why valid above fair market offers from the City of Pittsburgh to buy and save the building in December 2012 were turned down. So much effort was invested in the building - from the initial Croatian immigrants who designed and built the church to the present day groups who wanted to give it a new life. This could have been an exciting project for Pittsburgh that would complement various other positive forces and development - especially along our riverfronts. To end on a more positive note, the national immigrant museum is being considered for three other sites in the Northside. Special thanks to Councilwoman Darlene Harris and all the other groups for their tireless efforts to save the church.
Sewickleyʼs “Pink House”
Written by Melissa McSwigan
Preservation Pittsburgh
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The Coyle House (aka Pink House) today. Digital image. Save The Pink House. Save The Pink House Group, n.d. Web. 9 Mar. 2013.
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The “Pink House” (the Little-Cooper-Coyle mansion) in Sewickley, a historic mansion once slated for demolition by The Presbyterian Church, Sewickley, will be incorporated into the churchʼs expansion project pending various zoning approvals. Preservation Pittsburgh applauds the Presbyterian Church for revising their initial demolition plan. In January, the Preservation Pittsburgh board held a meeting at the Presbyterian Church with church and community members interested in saving the Pink House. Preservation Pittsburgh shared information and lent support for the new plan to renovate the house. Preservation Pittsburgh then had the opportunity to tour the churchʼs sanctuary and learn about its 175th anniversary celebration this year.
Interact Upcoming Events Braddock Carnegie Library Event On Thursday, May 23 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Preservation Pittsburgh will host an event at the Braddock Carnegie Library. Please join us for a library tour, refreshments, and an overview of Preservation Pittsburgh, including ways to get involved in our committees. For more details, please email us at info@ p preservationpittsburgh.org p g g
St. Nicholas Wake on Fat Tuesday On February 12, members of Preserve Croatian Heritage Foundation, Northside Leadership Conference, and Preservation Pittsburgh held an Irish wake to celebrate and recognize the collective efforts to save the former St. Nicholas Church. The wake at the Allegheny Elks included music from Dixie Doc & the Dixieland All Stars and New Orleans cuisine from Young Brothers Bar. In addition, the Elks shared restoration plans for their unique building.
Greenville Road Trip Board members of Preservation Pittsburgh traveled to Greenville in northwestern Pennsylvania for a January outing. Greenville offers many attractions, including historic museums, biking and hiking trails, the canal ruins of old locks and earthworks, and Amish countryside. Preservation Pittsburgh
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Preservation Pittsburgh toured the Greenville Historical Societyʼs Waugh House and the Gibson House, which the new owners hope to restore. Preservation Pittsburgh members offered restoration suggestions for the enormous antebellum Gibson.
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The members also toured the 1846 “Castle” house. This is one of the oldest extant buildings in Greenville and should be preserved. The house was nicknamed “the Castle” due to the tall tower that was added by George Bittenbanner circa 1860. Preservation Pittsburgh hopes to return to Greenville. If you go on your own, we suggest visiting the Canal Museum and taking the guided tour of the Waugh House.
Main Street Mansion - Photographed by Leland (Peter) Floyd (Preservation Pittsburgh Board Member)
Preservation Pittsburgh featured on WESAʼs Essential Pittsburgh
Preservation Pittsburgh
90.5 Essential Pittsburgh, 90.5 WESAʼs local program covering Pittsburgh news and culture, held a public forum on the topic of Architecture and Preservation on November 28, 2012 at the Community Broadcast Center on the South Side. The forum was recorded with a live studio audience and was broadcast on Essential Pittsburghʼs December 7th program.
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Panelists included Peter Margittai, architect and President of Preservation Pittsburgh; Sean Luther, Pittsburgh 2030 District Director of Green Building 7
Alliance; and John Martine, Lead Partner at Strada Architecture and author of Streetfront and Storefront: A Planning and Program Guide for East Carson Street.
2012 Annual Meeting & 21st Anniversary Event at Google Preservation Pittsburghʼs Annual Meeting took place on October 25 at Googleʼs Pittsburgh office in Bakery Square. Project architects Thomas Price and John Martine of Strada spoke about the office design and provided a tour of the building. Special thanks to Google for making this wonderful event possible. Preservation Pittsburghʼs Annual Meeting takes place in different locations each year and provides an opportunity to socialize with people who are interested in architecture, historic preservation, and our quality of life!
Ponder Documentaries to Stoke Your Inner Activist Recommended by Melissa McSwigan
Battle for Brooklyn (2011) The documentary follows reluctant activist Daniel Goldstein as he struggles to save his home and community from being demolished to make way for the densest real estate development in U.S. history: Brooklynʼs Atlantic Yards. (IMDb) A David and Goliath story where a small group of people persisted through seven years and a lawsuit over eminent domain. Mayor Bloomberg and the developer (who also owns Station Square) prevailed. There were various parallels to our own Civic Arena situation!
The Art of the Steal (2009) A documentary that follows the struggle for control of Dr. Albert C. Barnesʼ 25 billion dollar collection of modern and post-impressionist art. (IMDb) Chronicling the various twists and turns that led to taking the Barnes art collection from its intended historic building (per the will of Dr. Barnes) and moving it five miles into a new building in central Philadelphia.
Community Garden (2008) From the ashes of the L.A. riots arose a lush, 14-acre community garden, the largest of its kind in the United States until bulldozers threaten its future. (IMDb) Preservation Pittsburgh
W: preservationpittsburgh.org E: info@preservationpittsburgh.org M: 223 Fourth Avenue, Suite 800 Pittsburgh, PA 15222
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Environmental Food for Thought According to the National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP), the greenest building is the one already built. Their recent calculations indicate that it takes 35-50 years for an energy efficient new building to save the amount of energy lost in demolishing an existing building. To use the Civic Arena as an example, it has been calculated that the embodied energy alone (69,000,000 mbtu or six million gallons of gas or 116 million tons of Co2!) was worth far more by keeping the building rather than tearing it down. In fact, all the energy saved by LEED Gold certification of the Consol Energy Center, while admirable, is but a fraction of the embodied energy saved if the Civic Arena had not been demolished.
“If Pittsburgh were situated somewhere in the heart of Europe, tourists would eagerly journey hundreds of miles out of their way to visit it. Its setting is spectacular, between high bluffs where the Monongahela River and the Allegheny River meet the Ohio.” -Brendan Gill (The New Yorker, 1989) Remembrances Written by Mary McDonough (Preservation Pittsburgh Member)
In Memory of Mary J. Paradise (March 1, 1926 - October 19, 2012) Mary Paradise was my friend and neighbor. In 1991, we became comrades-inarms when the wrecking ball was poised to swing at the Syria Mosque. Mary was appalled by the impending demolition of that iconic structure and the continuing threat to Oaklandʼs monumental buildings. She wasnʼt alone. All around her people were frustrated and angry, looking for a way to insure a future for Pittsburghʼs architectural heritage. It was about to emerge. You know that Mary was grace personified. So, itʼs ironic to think of her - a stylish, reserved, peace-loving doctorʼs wife - as she gathered up the reins of a ragtag group, one that was conceived in an Allegheny County jail cell by four men who had been arrested for acts of civil disobedience at the Syria Mosque. Those “Mosqueteers”, with others and Mary, formed Preservation Pittsburgh to advocate for the Cityʼs important historic architecture and raise the preservation consciousness of local decision-makers, developers and citizens.
Preservation Pittsburgh
W: preservationpittsburgh.org E: info@preservationpittsburgh.org M: 223 Fourth Avenue, Suite 800 Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Maryʼs partners were a diverse bunch: architects, engineers, professors, writers, craftsmen, musicians, even gadflies. They were the stones in the foundation of Preservation Pittsburgh in 1991, but Mary Paradise was the mortar. She held them together - made them strong and enduring, ready to be built upon. Mary was elected the first President of Preservation Pittsburgh. Twenty-one years later, a respected advocacy voice for the architectural 9
treasures of our City rests on that firm foundation. Behind her quiet grace and style, however, there lurked a terrier –always civil– but relentless in pursuit of a goal. Had it not been for Maryʼs determination, organizational skills and attention to details, the focus of this new band of advocates might have split in many directions. Energy would have dissipated. More buildings would have fallen. The Oakland Civic Center Historic District probably would not have been designated by City Council. Maryʼs strength, vision and attention to detail compelled each of us to do our part to make things happen. While we mourn the passing of Mary, we celebrate the memory of a determined, generous lady who was the mortar that cemented the stones of our foundation. Letʼs continue to build upon it. Mary McDonough, a former President of Preservation Pittsburgh, made these remarks at our 2012 Annual Meeting.
Regarding Brutalism, Part I Written & Photographed by Robert Raczka (Preservation Pittsburgh Member)
Recently I was thinking about Brutalist architecture (which has got to be one of the least advantageous names of all time) largely because the National Trust for Historic Preservation has been championing it. As a result Iʼve been noticing Brutalist buildings in Pittsburgh that I had previously simply thought of as “modern” but now Iʼm attuned to the fact that Brutalist buildings from the 50s through the mid-70s often feature exposed and sometimes very rough concrete as their most notable characteristic. I was curious to know a bit more about Brutalism so I decided to check in on Wikipedia and, to my surprise, discovered on the “Brutalist architecture” page that of the 30 buildings illustrated from around the world, more of them are in Pittsburgh than in any other city (Wean Hall at CMU, and 3 at the University of Pittsburgh: Posvar Hall, Barco Law Building, and School of Information Sciences). Iʼm not reading too much into this—I donʼt think it means that Pittsburgh has the most Brutalist buildings or the most important ones, either; more likely it means that the Wikipedia article had a contributor based in Pittsburgh (possibly someone reading this) or that photos of these buildings happened to be available as illustrations.
Preservation Pittsburgh
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Still, while Pittsburgh is known for and justifiably proud of its late Nineteenth and early Twentieth century architecture, Iʼve long felt that its strengths in modern architecture are underappreciated, including the tragically-gone-butnot-forgotten Civic Arena, a number of downtown highrises, quite a few banks and especially many of the Citizens (formerly Mellon) Banks, at least a couple of buildings on most college and university campuses including many of the libraries, and scores of modern houses with a concentration in the East End and in various suburbs.
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Thinking about and noticing these buildings has made me more attentive to
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modern architecture throughout Pittsburgh and the surrounding region, and I始ve been noticing some remarkable modern buildings tucked into the unlikeliest places. A few of my favorite examples of Brutalism are in the East End--though this could be a biased sample because the East End is where I walk and bike (you can始t see much of anything from a car): the School of Information Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh, the Graphic Arts Building which belongs to CMU and may not be long for this world, Paul Schweikher始s WQED Building (in which I see a lot of Louis Kahn) as well as the Student Union at Duquesne University which he also designed, and the Mellon Library at Chatham University.
Preservation Pittsburgh
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Questions arise as these buildings have reached or are reaching that age when they would typically be renovated—thatʼs a given, provided thereʼs money available—but what will guide the decisions to be made in renovations? Cost, of course, and function, especially if function has changed (witness the Carnegie Libraries as well as many renovated university buildings that have had to accommodate technology and other imperatives). But aesthetics, and its close cousin “taste,” seem to be subjective variables that people have strong feelings about, while having difficulty recognizing and articulating what shapes those perceptions. Most Americans “just want things to be nice,” which usually means freshly painted on the exterior and drywalled and preferably wallpapered on the inside, along with cushion-y furniture, lots of televisions, and a restroom in sight at all times. When these things are at odds with a buildingʼs aesthetic, the tyranny of the present usually holds sway.
Preservation Pittsburgh
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Modern architecture gets too little respect, perhaps in part because few Americans distinguish Modern from Postmodern architecture, so thereʼs no obstacle to renovating Modern buildings to make them more Postmodern (when they arenʼt simply torn down) along with that level of user-friendly comfort which we now expect. Of course, some accommodation to present needs is called for but itʼs also possible to respect and maintain the basic aesthetics of previous eras. Brutalism is being subdued inside and out with beige-ism. Pittʼs School of Information Sciences building was painted in a two-tone beigeand-white a couple of years ago (I believe for the first time), and the WQED building was recently painted beige (which had more of a justification after the patching of the concrete exterior). But why, in both cases, the aesthetic softening of this deep beige and not something closer to the original concrete color? Taste, I suppose. And as I mentioned, the Graphic Arts Building on Forbes probably isnʼt long for this world given CMUʼs expansion plans. At this rate, the style is disappearing by destruction and renovation. Next time: a local, largely intact, Brutalist gem.
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Robert Raczka is an artist and art critic for Pittsburgh City Paperr and other publications.
Engage New Board Member
Current Board of Directors: Peter Margittai, AIA (President)
Susan Brandt, President of Urban Development, has recently joined the Preservation Pittsburgh board. An avid preservationist with outstanding knowledge of the political and business spheres, Susan was the former Executive Director of Mt. Washington Community Development Corporation, Restoration Director of Braddockʼs Field Historical Society, Restoration Director of Allegheny Historic Preservation Society, and member of the Community Design Center board. She currently serves on the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation board. Susan was a board member of Preservation Pittsburgh some years ago and we are thrilled to have her with us again!
Laura Schwartz (Vice President) Melissa McSwigan (Secretary) Scott Rainey (Treasurer) Noelle Giguere Badertscher (Board) Susan Brandt (Board) Leland (Peter) Floyd (Board) Colleen Gribbin (Board)
Get Involved! Email info@preservationpittsburgh.org to stay posted on the latest events and to receive our action alerts. Write “Add me to your mailing list” in the subject line.
Mary Guest (Board) Gretchen Haller (Board) Scott D. Leib (Board) Jack Schmitt (Board)
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Preservation Pittsburgh
W: preservationpittsburgh.org E: info@preservationpittsburgh.org M: 223 Fourth Avenue, Suite 800 Pittsburgh, PA 15222