A Brief History of Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation

SAVING THE BEST OF OUR PAST; giving new life to old buildings; strengthening historic neighborhoods by engaging families and people in the process of renewal — long-term policies such as these have made the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation (Landmarks) “one of the most innovative and accomplished local preservation organizations in the United States,” according to Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Landmarks was founded in 1964, at a time when vast amounts of public money were spent to replace some of Pittsburgh’s most historic neighborhoods and commercial areas with characterless architecture, parking lots and roadways. After more than three decades of work in Allegheny County, the grassroots, nonprofit historic preservation organization has shown that architectural landmarks and historic neighborhoods are community assets and that historic preservation can be a catalyst for urban renewal.

Landmarks is known across the nation for its pioneering work in restoring inner-city neighborhoods without dislocating the people who live there. In 1966 Landmarks 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. Landmarks’ Revolving Fund has grown into a major funding source, providing loans to over 30 Pittsburgh neighborhood organizations and technical assistance to preservation groups throughout the United States.

Landmarks was the first historic preservation group in the nation to undertake a countywide survey of architectural landmarks. Cofounders 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 Landmarks ’ staff in 1984, more than 6,000 architecturally and historically significant sites in Allegheny County have been documented.

Close to 400 of those sites are distinguished by one of Landmarks’ “Historic Landmark” plaques. Landmarks 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.

The data and research collected during these surveys has provided much original material for major books and brochures. Current titles from Landmarks 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 quarterly membership newsletter, includes feature articles on current preservation issues and major programs. Over the years, the trustees, staff and members of Landmarks 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 the Neville House in Collier Township, among many other places. Thanks to year-end contributions from its members in recent years, Landmarks has awarded grants to more than 50 religious properties in Allegheny County for bricks-and-mortar projects.

As a result of Landmarks’ 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, 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.

Station Square gave Landmarks the opportunity to put its urban planning principles into practice. Aided by an initial generous gift from the Allegheny Foundation in 1976, Landmarks 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. Landmarks’ sale of Station Square in 1994 created an endowment to help support its restoration efforts and educational programs. Each year the staff and docents of Landmarks 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, Landmarks 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.

Through its work, Landmarks 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 Landmarks.