Mission & Brief History: Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation
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MissionRecognized as one of the nation’s most innovative and effective non-profit historic preservation organizations, PHLF works to:
PHLF is chartered to work within the western portion of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the surrounding area within 250 miles of Pittsburgh, Pa., although its primary focus is on the Pittsburgh area. |
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“There is not a preservation organization on the local level anywhere in the country that can match the work of the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation.”
–Richard Moe, President
National Trust for Historic Preservation
Brief History
Although the economic crisis has caused our organization to curtail new projects for the time being and reduce costs wherever possible, we are doing our best to fulfill major project commitments in a six-county area. This year we are completing our Market at Fifth restoration in downtown Pittsburgh and four campus heritage reports in neighboring counties. We are continuing our neighborhood revitalization work in Wilkinsburg and our main street programs in several counties, assisting historic religious properties, and involving thousands of people in special tours and educational programs. Please continue giving to PHLF. Your money is put to good use and the need is great.
Why PHLF Matters
Through its work, PHLF is improving the quality of life for Pittsburghers and attracting tourists to the region. Today, homes in neighborhoods such as Manchester, stores on main streets such as East Carson, and the historic buildings housing shops and restaurants at Station Square survive and flourish and attract people by their architectural uniqueness, human scale and urban character, thanks in large part to the work and determination of PHLF.
Founding
PHLF was founded in 1964 by a group of citizens who passionately believed that historic preservation, rather than massive demolition, could be a tool for renewing communities, creating pride among residents, and stimulating the economy. At the time, vast amounts of public money were being spent to replace some of Pittsburgh’s most historic neighborhoods and commercial areas with characterless architecture, parking lots and roadways. After more than four decades of work in Allegheny County, PHLF has shown that architectural landmarks and historic neighborhoods are community assets and that historic preservation can be a catalyst for urban renewal.
Organization
More than 2,000 members support PHLF’s work that is carried out under the guidance of 75 trustees by 20 full-time staff members and 5 part-time employees, plus more than 50 volunteers.
PHLF includes a non-profit corporation, Landmarks Community Capital Corporation (LCCC), and a for-profit subsidiary, Landmarks Development Corporation (LDC). LCCC makes loans and obtains grants and investment capital which it uses to finance and develop projects that assist in the revitalization of urban centers, towns, and neighborhoods. LDC provides consulting services and develops real estate.
Neighborhood Renewal
PHLF is known across the nation for its pioneering work in restoring inner-city neighborhoods without dislocating the people who live there. In 1966 PHLF established the Revolving Fund for Preservation with a $100,000 grant from the Sarah Scaife Foundation. Moneys from the fund were used primarily on the North Side and South Side of Pittsburgh to purchase, restore and renovate historic inner-city properties. These properties were then rented or sold to low- and moderate-income families.
PHLF’s Revolving Fund has grown into a major funding source, managed by Landmarks Community Capital Corporation (a non-profit subsidiary of PHLF), providing loans to non-profit organizations in the Pittsburgh region and technical assistance to preservation groups throughout the United States.
Station Square
Station Square gave PHLF the opportunity to put its urban planning principles into practice. Aided by an initial generous gift from the Allegheny Foundation in 1976, PHLF adapted five historic Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad buildings for new uses and added a hotel, a dock for the Gateway Clipper fleet, and parking areas. Now shops, offices, restaurants and entertainment anchor the historic riverfront site on the south shore of the Monongahela, opposite the Golden Triangle. Station Square is Pittsburgh’s premiere attraction. It reflects a $100 million investment from all sources, with the lowest public cost and highest taxpayer return of any major renewal project in the Pittsburgh region since the 1950s. PHLF’s sale of Station Square in 1994 created a source of funding for PHLF that continues to support its restoration efforts and educational programs.
Historic Properties
Over the years, the trustees, staff and members of PHLF have successfully campaigned to save the North Side Post Office (now the Pittsburgh’s Children’s Museum), the Union Station rotunda in downtown Pittsburgh, the Neill Log House in Schenley Park, the Burtner House in Harrison Township, the Rachel Carson Homestead in Springdale, and “Woodville Plantation” in Collier Township, among many other places.
Historic Religious Properties
Thanks to year-end contributions from its members in recent years, PHLF has awarded matching grants ($3,000 to $10,000 each) to more than 100 religious properties in Allegheny County for bricks-and-mortar projects.
Architectural Surveys
PHLF was the first historic preservation group in the nation to undertake a countywide survey of architectural landmarks. Co-founders Arthur P. Ziegler, Jr. and James D. Van Trump began that survey in 1965. As a result of a second, more comprehensive survey completed by PHLF staff in 1984, more than 6,000 architecturally and historically significant sites in Allegheny County have been documented. PHLF also has surveyed steel industry sites, African-American historic sites, and historic parks and gardens, and has prepared thematic National Register nominations on Pittsburgh public schools and bridges.
Historic Landmark Plaques
PHLF has awarded “Historic Landmark” plaques to 525 significant sites in Allegheny County since 1968.
Publications
The data and research collected through architectural surveys has provided much original material for major books and brochures. Current titles from PHLF include Pittsburgh’s Landmark Architecture: The Historic Buildings of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County (1997) and Pittsburgh’s Bridges: Architecture and Engineering (1999), both by Walter C. Kidney. PHLF News, a membership newsletter, includes feature articles on current preservation issues and major programs.
Education
Each year the staff and docents of PHLF introduce more than 10,000 people — teachers, students, adults and visitors — to the architectural heritage of the Pittsburgh region and to the value of historic preservation.
Through student/teacher workshops, tours, exhibits and a variety of educational programs, PHLF encourages people to notice and appreciate historic buildings, parks, public spaces, bridges, streets, etc. that make up the city and its neighborhoods and compose the special character of the Pittsburgh region. By exploring and discovering something about local history and architecture, people are more likely to preserve old buildings and thoughtfully consider the impact of new building proposals.
Grassroots Organizations
As a result of PHLF’s leadership and assistance, numerous local preservation and civic groups have been organized to manage the day-to-day business of caring for historic neighborhoods. These include the Manchester Citizens Corporation, the Mexican War Streets Society, North Side Leadership Conference, South Side Local Development Company, ELDI, Lawrenceville Corporation, and the Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group (PCRG), among others. The PCRG now includes more than 30 neighborhood groups that work with every major financial institution in Pittsburgh; these banks have committed some $2.4 billion dollars to inner-city neighborhoods in compliance with federal regulations.
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