Latest News
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New Walking Tour Explores the Legacy of Vanguard Women in Downtown Pittsburgh
The Fort Pitt Block House, the only surviving defensive structure of the five that were built in 1764 to protect Fort Pitt, is one stop on a new walking tour that traces the stories of bold Pittsburgh women who helped shape the City’s history and architecture.
PHLF Education staff continue to work at home to ensure that when we receive permission to resume normal operations, we can bring you our typically varied slate of tours. In the meantime, we have invited docents to write about new tours they developed for 2020. Here, Debbie Edwards and Jo Ellen Aleshire tell us about their tour “Out of the Parlor: Women Trailblazers and Game Changers Downtown.”
The Fort Pitt Block House is well known as Pittsburgh’s oldest building. Perhaps less well-known is the fact that, but for the intervention of a formidable group of women, the Block House would have been destroyed in the late 19th century. In saving the building in 1907, the local chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution thwarted powerful capitalist interests and successfully lobbied the Pennsylvania legislature to enact one of the State’s earliest preservation laws.
We share enthusiasm for the hidden stories of women’s history, and as we started researching these stories, we were surprised to learn of locations Downtown where important events in the evolution of women’s roles took place. For example, the site of the Union Trust Building today was the terminus of an important parade for women’s suffrage that wound through Downtown in May 1914. Construction of Union Trust started just months later, so the land was vacant at the time of the parade. It’s fascinating to think of the 30 speakers and a crowd of marchers occupying that site, agitating for a right that would finally become a reality in 1920.
“Out of the Parlor” focuses on the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when women were moving out of the domestic sphere and into the wider world—not only claiming the right to vote, but also entering previously male-dominated professions. We think telling stories about these women and visiting some of the physical spaces their lives touched is a good way to commemorate the 2020 centennial of the 19th Amendment to the federal constitution, giving the vote to American women. For PHLF, it’s also an interesting way to consider history’s role in creating meaningful places.
“Out of the Parlor: Women Trailblazers and Game Changers Downtown” will be offered in August and September. Stay tuned for additional information when PHLF’s programs return.
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Educational Activities for Children at Home
Take time to observe and draw the buildings around you, and share your masterpiece with PHLF. Together, we can create a virtual quilt! E-mail your drawing to sarahg@phlf.org or share it with us on social media using the handle @renewingcommunities, hashtag #phlf, or #pittsburghhistory&landmarksfoundation.
Ever wondered what gargoyles and grotesques are? Have you noticed where they live in Pittsburgh? Have you thought about what creates a lively and fun main street? What would your house or apartment look like if an artist painted it? Through the many educational resources available on our website, learners of any age can engage with the world from the comfort of their home, learning more about architecture, history, math, art, and science through the historic buildings which are the fabric of our neighborhoods.
To find out what grotesques are and where they live, go on a Downtown Dragons VIRTUAL TOUR! Through this fun-filled tour, learners can explore the many creatures carved in stone which live on Pittsburgh’s buildings. In the process, the history of Pittsburgh comes alive!
If you miss walking down the historic main streets of Pittsburgh, you can still learn all about the concept of our MAIN STREETS through fact sheets, fun quizzes, and more!
Using pencils, crayons, markers, charcoal, paint––whatever materials desired! ––you can draw your home! Look closely at the details that give character to your home. If you involve your children in this activity, ask them to identify the shapes and colors that they see. What shape is their house/apartment? What shape are the windows and doors? Is their home attached to another home or does it stand alone? Is their home part of a larger building? If so, where is it located on the building? Be sure to initial your artwork, and share a picture of the final masterpiece on Facebook or Instagram tagging PHLF @renewingcommunities, or #phlf, or #pittsburghhistory&landmarksfoundation.
More of our resources for at-home learners are listed below:
Architecture and Body-building
DRAW your neighborhood as you learn English and Spanish!
STEAM materials: at-home trivia cards, word problems based on Pittsburgh’s historic bridges and buildings, historic Pittsburgh images, timelines, French and Indian War geography, Kennywood simple art activities, and more can be found here.
Architecture Bingo (In Spanish/En espanol!) for the more advanced Spanish student.
Historic Preservation Word Search (In Spanish/En espanol!)
Architecture, the Building Art
The more advanced learner can take in Architectural Historian Albert Tannler’s thought-provoking articles on significant architectural topics relevant to anyone living in the Pittsburgh region HERE.
Visit our ONLINE GALLERY of past education programs to see examples of some of these resources and for more inspiration.
If you have questions about how to implement these ideas, please contact Sarah Greenwald, PHLF’s co-director of education at sarahg@phlf.org, and share your stories of connection with us on social media!
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“Building Memories” Encourages Young People to Value Buildings and Themselves
Pictured above is a collage of student’s work exploring the buildings of Rodef Shalom and Beth Shalom congregations, as well as plants from Rodef Shalom’s Biblical Botanical Garden.
“Bravery is an act of courage.”
“Bravery is doing something even though you are scared.”
—“Building Memories” students“Every day, we build memories. The places we use, the people we meet, and our experiences combine to create these memories. This concept formed the basis for a group of students to explore how the places of Jewish life in Pittsburgh reflect values (like bravery and spirituality), and help us create beautiful memories using both these values and the buildings in our communities,” said Sarah Greenwald, PHLF’s co-director of education and the class instructor. This spring rotation elective was taught as a part of Congregation Beth Shalom and Congregation Rodef Shalom’s Joint Jewish Education Program.
“Building Memories” used art-based activities, talks with community leaders and virtual visits to important buildings in Pittsburgh’s Jewish community to give students the chance to develop a sense of belonging, strengthen their values, and build new memories.
Due to the COVID-19 precautionary public health measures, this class met once at Rodef Shalom and twice remotely. Students learned about architectural landmarks in Pittsburgh’s Jewish community, thanks to Martha Berg, Archivist at Rodef Shalom, and Eric Lidji, Director of the Rauh Jewish Archives at the Heinz History Center.
The students worked diligently from home to complete an art-based activity. After watching a video about the history and design of Beth Shalom and Rodef Shalom congregations, they wrote a poetic sentence about the building. Rabbi Jeremy Markiz of Beth Shalom congregation was featured in the video. PHLF’s education staff created the video, thanks to support from the McSwigan Family Foundation Fund of The Pittsburgh Foundation.
“I’m so sad this elective is over and hope we do something like this in the years to come at our synagogue,” wrote one student.
“I am proud of these students for working so hard to balance their education remotely during a time of great uncertainty, and I look forward to a time when we can learn more about important buildings in Pittsburgh’s Jewish community, in person,” said Sarah Greenwald.
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Apply for a Landmarks Scholarship in April
For the twenty-second year, thanks to funding support from PHLF’s Brashear Family Named Fund, the McSwigan Family Foundation Fund of The Pittsburgh Foundation, Dollar Bank Foundation, and others, PHLF is offering a scholarship program for high-achieving, community-minded, high-school seniors in Allegheny County who will be attending college or university in the fall of 2020. The deadline to apply is April 21, 2020. Applications can be downloaded HERE, and applicants can learn more about the eligibility requirements and criteria by clicking here.
Since 1999, PHLF has awarded scholarships to 76 high school seniors who care deeply about the Pittsburgh region. The scholarship award of $6,000, payable over four years to the recipient’s college or university, is for book and tuition expenses only. In addition, PHLF has awarded Honorable Mentions (a one-time gift of $250) to 14 students since 2016. Thirty-five of these 90 recipients attended Pittsburgh Public High Schools and 55 attended other schools within Allegheny County.
As part of the Landmarks Scholarship application, students are asked to describe in an essay a place in Allegheny County especially important in their life; these essays–all archived at PHLF–show how our scholarship has helped future preservationists, architects, designers, and planners realize their career dreams and remain connected to the Pittsburgh region. If you would like to donate to our Landmarks Scholarship Program to help it grow and to ensure that it continues, please click here or contact Mary Lu Denny at PHLF. Thank you!
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Celebrating Our Homes: Digital and At-Home Resources for All Learners
What better place to start learning about the value of community than at home? Through the many educational resources available on our website, learners of any age can continue to engage with the world, learning more about architecture, math, art, and science through the historic buildings that are the fabric of our neighborhoods. To jumpstart students’ creativity, we are challenging all students to share their own artistic interpretation of their home. Using pencils, crayons, markers, charcoal, paint––or whatever materials students may prefer ––students can observe the features of their own home, and then draw their home. Once finished, be sure to share a picture of the final masterpiece on Facebook or Instagram tagging us @renewingcommunities, or #phlf or #pittsburghhistory&landmarksfoundation. Together, we can create a virtual quilt, a digital community!
Creating an artistic interpretation of home can be a great starting point for learning and discussion, because children are familiar with the place where they live. Ask children questions about their house or apartment and encourage them to think, remember details, and express their thoughts through drawing. What shape is their house? Is it attached to another house or does it stand alone? How many windows and doors does it have? Talk about the rooms, spaces, and activities that go on inside and outside. Initial your artwork, and write the name of your neighborhood, if you like. And remember––share the final product with PHLF on social media tagging us @renewingcommunities, or #phlf or #pittsburghhistory&landmarksfoundation.
More of our resources for at-home learners are listed below:
Architecture and Body-building
DRAW your neighborhood as you learn English and Spanish!
STEAM materials: at-home trivia cards, word problems based on Pittsburgh’s historic bridges and buildings, historic Pittsburgh images, timelines, French and Indian War geography, Kennywood simple art activities, and more can be found here.
Architecture Bingo (In Spanish/En espanol!) for the more advanced Spanish student.
Historic Preservation Word Search (In Spanish/En espanol!)
Architecture, the Building Art
Go on a Downtown Dragons VIRTUAL TOUR!
Learn all about MAIN STREETS through fact sheets, fun quizzes, and more.
The more advanced learner can take in Architectural Historian Albert Tannler’s thought-provoking articles on significant architectural topics relevant to anyone living in the Pittsburgh region HERE.
Visit our ONLINE GALLERY of past education programs to see examples of some of these resources and for more inspiration.
Connecting people to the built environment has been our mission for many years; when people know a place, they care more about it and work to see it thrive. While immediate physical connection to our city and neighborhoods is not possible right now, all of us can still connect to the built environment around us through these resources. If you have questions about how to implement these ideas, feel free to contact Sarah Greenwald, PHLF’s co-director of education at sarahg@phlf.org, and share your stories of connection with us on social media!
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Pittsburgh Banksville Participates in PHLF’s “People & Places” Trolley Tour
For the second year, PHLF is offering its People & Places trolley tour to fourth-grade students in three Pittsburgh Public Schools as part of its EITC Building Pride; Building Character program. PHLF’s People & Places tour introduces students to the important people in Pittsburgh’s past, through the buildings, bridges, and parks named after them. This trolley tour builds upon students’ prior learning experience on PHLF’s third-grade trolley tour, which uses visits to the City-County Building, Courthouse, Fort Pitt Museum, Fort Pitt Blockhouse, and Incline to teach students about the importance of caring for Pittsburgh’s historic places––and the importance of building their character in the process.
The adventure begins when students board a modern interpretation of a historic transportation form––a trolley! The first stop is Dollar Bank’s Heritage Center, where students learn firsthand about Pittsburgh’s history of diversity through generations of deposit accounts interpreted through the Heritage Center’s historic exhibits.
The exploration continues as students ride the trolley through Downtown and across three bridges, pointing out the places named for various people: Stanwix Street—General John Stanwix; Forbes Avenue—General John Forbes; Heinz Hall—the Heinz family; Fort Duquesne Boulevard—Marquis Duquesne; the Roberto Clemente, Andy Warhol, and Rachel Carson bridges; and the Convention Center—David L. Lawrence. Stopping at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center, one of our cooperating partners for this program, students learn all about the man for whom this vibrant and creative building is named, while reading some of the playwright’s own words about his city.
Visits to August Wilson’s house and Freedom Corner round out the day. Along the way, students are given time to fill in their trip book with reflections on their journey. Most importantly, students are asked to imagine a place in Pittsburgh that––either adapted, created, or restored, they would want named for them in the future, and why. All of these valuable tours and explorations are possible only through the support of our donors. To view highlighted pictures from past EITC program years, click here.
These successful programs are always in need of corporate support! To contribute to PHLF’s “Building Pride, Building Character” (BPBC) EITC program, please click here.
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PHLF’s “Building Pride, Building Character” Program Continues to Inspire
At the top of the school
Watching the students
Make sure they’re safe
Protecting the students
Covered in copper
Watching the students
The sun to their world
Lighting their future
To protect the students––Fifth grade poet,
Whittier Elementary SchoolPHLF’s “Building Pride; Building Character” program gives elementary and middle school students in twelve Pittsburgh Public Schools the opportunity to become explorers, artists, poets, and people who work to improve our communities. This academic year, we have successfully completed Poetry & Art workshops with four Pittsburgh Public Schools, and presented three Portable Pittsburgh in-school presentations.
This March, our “Building Pride; Building Character” program continues, with our in-school career awareness exploration, our full-day, trolley tour to five historic sites in cooperation with Council representatives, the Mayor’s Office, Fort Pitt Museum, Fort Pitt Block House, and Duquesne Incline, and our Pittsburgh People & Places trolley tour in cooperation with the August Wilson African American Cultural Center.
In PHLF’s career awareness exploration, “People Who Work to Improve Our Communities,” students begin to understand how the skills and knowledge they are acquiring in school will help them become engineers, bankers, architects, lawyers, HVAC technicians, electricians, contractors, public officials, etc. Through colorful posters, tools of the trade, maps, and discussions about their school and community, students have the chance to discover how their future career choices can help improve their community.
On PHLF’s all-day trolley tour, students learn about Pittsburgh’s history and architecture in order to understand the importance of caring for its historic places––and build their character in the process. PHLF’s Pittsburgh People & Places trolley tour, in cooperation with the August Wilson African American Cultural Center, introduces students to some of the people for whom our buildings, bridges, and parks are named. All of these valuable tours and explorations are possible only through the support of our donors. To view highlighted pictures from past EITC program years, click here.
These successful programs are always in need of corporate support! To contribute to PHLF’s “Building Pride, Building Character” (BPBC) EITC program, please click here.
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PHLF Awards $93,717 for Renovation of Historic Religious Structures.
The Historic Religious Properties Grant Program of PHLF has awarded a total of $93,717 in matching grants and technical assistance to 11 congregations in Allegheny County as part of its 2020 funding cycle. The monies, which will leverage over $1.5 million raised by the congregations, will be used to fund restoration, renovation, and maintenance projects on the historic structures utilized by religious organizations. The work ranges from slate roof repairs to stained glass window restoration, and masonry repointing, among other needs.
PHLF is the only nonprofit organization in Allegheny County offering a continuing program of financial and technical assistance to historic religious property owners. Since 1997, we have awarded more than 250 such grants totaling more than $1 million and provided more than 60 technical assistance consultations.
Our effort is made possible through individual donations, private foundations, and our Donor Advised Funds. For more information about this program, contact David Farkas: david@phlf.org or 412-471-5808 ext. 516.
2020 Grant Recipients
$10,000– Church of The Ascension, Shadyside—masonry repairs and pointing
$7,950– Church of the Redeemer, Squirrel Hill— Restoration of stained glass in narthex
$9,900– Clark Memorial Baptist Church, Homestead– Entry column repair; spot pointing
$10,000– Eastminster Presbyterian, East Liberty–– Restore 1 porch stained glass window
$10,000– First Baptist Church of Pittsburgh, Oakland– Slate roof repairs; downspout replacement
$3,150– First Presbyterian Church of Pittsburgh, Downtown–– Stained glass window repair
$10,000– St. Andrew Lutheran Church, Shadyside–– Repaint exterior wood trim
$10,000– St. John The Baptist Ukrainian Church, South Side–– Install new handicapped ramp to sanctuary
$7,483– Third Presbyterian Church, Shadyside– Restore main entry doors
$5,234– Tree of Life Open Bible Church, Brookline– Replace six casement windows with historically appropriate wood-clad windows.
$10,000– The Union Project, East Liberty– Restore original stone entry stairs