Technical Assistance Workshop for Guardians of Historic Religious Properties

PHLF News
September 5, 2008

On Monday, September 15, the Historic Religious Properties Committee of Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation (PHLF) will host a technical assistance workshop at Calvary Episcopal Church, 315 Shady Avenue, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Congregation leaders, representatives, and guardians of historic religious properties in Allegheny County are invited to attend. The workshop fee of $25 includes box lunches for up to three people.

“Historic religious properties play a significant role in the spiritual, social, cultural and educational life of this region,” says George C. Dorman, Chair of PHLF’s Historic Religious Properties Committee, “and we know how difficult it is for congregations with limited budgets to preserve and maintain their architecturally-significant historic structures. Therefore, it is our goal to help these congregations by offering this workshop that will answer questions they may have and help them care for their buildings.”

This workshop will give congregation leaders an opportunity to speak with professionals in the field of building construction and maintenance.

Experts will speak on:

• Prioritizing building projects;
• Planning and organizing building projects;
• Financing a project: raising funds, seeking grants and loans;
• Working with contractors, getting bids and estimates, contracting the work;
• Stained glass window restoration, masonry work, roof and gutter replacement and repair;
• Energy conservation in large structures.

Historic Religious Properties Technical Assistance Workshop

The workshop will feature assistance in prioritizing, planning, and organizing building projects; financing a project; working with contractors; specific building maintenance issues; and energy conservation in large structures. You will have the opportunity to ask questions of the presenters and network with other church leaders.

When you come, please bring a list of questions and photos of your structures demonstrating areas where maintenance is needed and where you have successfully done work.

Plenty of off-street parking is available in Calvary Episcopal Church’s parking lot.

• Time: 10:00 a.m.
  to 3:00 p.m.
• Meeting Location: Calvary Episcopal Church, 315 Shady Avenue. (Google Street View Map)
• Fee : $25, includes up to 3 people from your church or synagogue and box lunches.
• RSVP one day before this event. Contact Carole Malakoff, Historic Religious Properties Coordinator at hrp@phlf.org.

Program Agenda:

• 9:30: Coffee and Registration
• 10:00: Welcome
  • Mark Bibro, Chairman, PHLF Board of Trustees
  • George C. Dorman, Chairman, PHLF Historic Religious Properties Committee
  • Arthur Ziegler, President, PHLF
  • Tom Keffer, Property & Construction Manager, PHLF
• 10:30: Jack Scalo and Jacqui McMenamin, Burns and Scalo Roofing (dealing with roof problems)
• 11:00: John Kelly, Kelly Art Glass (preservation and maintenance of stained glass windows)
• 11:30: David Hounshell, member, First Methodist Church of Pittsburgh and professor, CMU Departments of History and Social & Decision Sciences (planning and organizing a church building project)
• 12:00: Sister Florence Lynch, CEO, Angels in Overalls; Jack Miller, PHLF (organizing a project and the role of volunteers)
• 12:30: Lunch
• 1:15: Greg Smith, Keystone Waterproofing; Aaron Wolk, Cathedral Stone Products (brick and masonry preservation)
• 1:45: Greg Wozniak––G. A. Wozniak & Assos., Energy Management & Consulting

  (conserving energy in historic religious structures)

• 2:15: Susan Brandt, PHLF Trustee (searching for grants and loans: approaching funding sources)

Some photos of the workshop in progress.