NON PNOFIT OIG U. S. Po¡roga PA IO Piiliburgh. Po. ffiNEWS P.rñil No. 59t Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation One Landmarks Square Pittsburgh, PA 15212 l4r2l 322-1204 Number 90 Spring 1984 PHLF ANTNTUAL MEETINTG Historic House tr{e are giving our 1984 annual meeting Association Tours a ne\¡r twist by turníng it into an all- MONONGAHELA CITY day tour and historical jamboree. On The Historie House Associetion of Saturday, May 5, mernbers of area America is holding íts annual con- historícal societies are ínvited to ferenee in Pittsburgh June 6 through join us as \^/e cruise from Statíon June 9. Landmarks is coordinating Square to Monongahela City aboard tours on June 7 ar.d 8 for conference PHLF mernbers and a Gateway Clipper riverboat. You may participanËs; make reservations by complet,íng the friends can also attend these tours, the form below; the deadline is April 4. or volunteer to assist during The agenda is as follows: conference by callíng 322-L204 l'íembers inËerested in the com- 9 a.m. 'tialkíng tour of Station Square call (optional). plete conference agenda should Meet at The the ilistoric House Association in Landrnarks Building. tr{aslr.ington, D. C. at (202) 67 3-4025 . 10 : 15 Board the Ga te\^ray Cl ipper Biltmore, Asheville, N.C. SewíckLey Liberty Belle. ttThe June 22 through 24; By plane. Thursday, June 7; 1:30 to 6:30 p.n. 10:30 Lecture: Steel History This tour includes visits to "New- of the Mon River Valley." This palatial estate, designed in 1895 ington," the historic Edgeworth l1:00 PHLF Annual Meeting. Speaker: by architect Richa-rd Morris Hunt for mansion now owned by Mr. and IIrs. President Arthur P. Ziegler, Jr. George VanderbíIt, is patterned after J. Judson Brooks, and "l^lilpen Hall, " I2:00 Box lunch. the great chateaux of Francers Loire the i4lilliam Penn Snyder family I :00 t'A ts Lecture: River Buf f River Valley. Acres of formal gardens and estate where refreshments wí11 be History, " by Jame s Sv,¡artzwelder - 1 . t.t ttltlorking roadways were lanCscaped by Frederíck served and guests can view an ex- Film: River, " pro- Law Olmstead. Minimum of 2O reser- tensive antique car collection. duced by the University of vations required. ¡'ee : Þ 40. Pittsburgh Ín conjunctíon with East End the Pennsylvania lalaterway Oper- Friday, June B; L2230 to 5:30 p.m. ators, and the Port Authority of Annapolis, Maryland September 14 through 16; By bus. The afternoon includes a picnic Allegheny County. lunch and tour of Phípps Conservatory, 2:L5 Lecture: t'Introduction :o l4on- A l7th-century city plan and buildings a tour of the Moreland-Hoffstot man- ongahela City.'l sion at 5057 Fífth Avenue, and tours 2:30 Walking tour of Monongahela City. illustrating over 300 years of archí- tectural history create a fascínating of houses in the Mexican itlar Streets 4:30 Board buses at Monongahela City. and Allegheny ialest historic dístricËs. 5:30 Return to Station Sqr:are. Ciresapeake Bay city. Acconrmodations are at the historíc }faryland Inn and Fee: $:S. tours wí11 be led by guides from Historic Annapolis, Inc. Minimum of 1984 Tour Schedule 15 reservatíons required. This yearts tour slate for our mem- bers and friends provides a diversity Tíffany ilinCows Tour, Pittsburgh of destinations and experiences. Fees, December B listed below, inclucle transportation, accommodations, most mea1s, and guided Pittsburgh has several churches with tours. Persons r¡ho form a core group stained glass windows designed by by attending all four tours are invited Louis Comfort Tiffany, or his studio. to the final tour without cost! Ilake This holiday-season tour feat.ures the reservations for all four tours no!ü. Calvary ltlethodist, Fírst Presbyterian, Ca1L 322-L204 for more information. and Third Presbyterian Churches and In addítion to the Annual meeting riv- their lovely Tíffany liturgical windows. erboat excursion, tours scheduled are: Ìlini-rrrum of. 45 reservati-ons reouired. ttViLpen HaLL,'t Seui.ckLey Het ghts PHLF 1984 ANNUAL MEETING ANDTOURS RESERVATION FORM Monongahela Cíty Biltmore Annapolis, Tif fany Inlindor¿s Riverboat. Excursion Asheville, I.T.C. Maryland Tour;l & Annual luleeting May 5, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. June 22 through 24 September 14 through 16 December B $16 Members $375 Members $295 Menbers $16 Members $18 Non-ärernber:s $395 Non-members $315 Non-members $lB Non-members No. of reservations No. of reservations No. of reservatÍons No. of reservations Total âmount Total amount Total amount Total amount :kPersons \^lho altend all previous 1984 tours may attend the Tiffany tr^lindows Tour free. Please enclose payment. l,lake checks payable to PHLF/Tours. /L OLD POST OFFICE NEWS I]PDATE aaa German Tþicentennial Slide/Lecture GaIIery Duquesne Incline LIith the completion of the Allegheny The Socíety for the Preservation of th Plaque Dedication County Survey, the second-floor space Duquesne l{eights Incline operates the In 1983, Pittsburgh's German- formerly occupied by the survey staff incline as both a functíonal transpor- American community celebrated "300 has been transformed into a slide-show/ tation link and as a historic landmark years of Germans in Americartt ten lecture gallery. This space is now A non-profit corporation, the Society generations of German immigration, equipped with audio-visual equipment, performs its task as both public ser- settlement, and cultural life. As as well as a bulletin board and chalk- více and labor of love. part of this celebration, the board. It.Ís suitable for slide shows, A program of preventive maintenanc€ Pittsburgh German Tricentennial lectures, educational workshops, and and repair has recently been completei Committee commissioned a conmemor- meetings. It has already been inaugu- The work included replacemenl of steel atj-ve plaque, which is to be in- rated into use for the docent trainÍng cross beams and splice plates on the ground-levc stalled and dedicated at the O1d course and the Arts Apprenticeship incline trestle, repair of th Post Office Museum on April 8, at 3 educational program. piers, paínting, and replacement of p.m. As noted by committee chair-' track lights wirich scale the nighttim€ Ìiount Washington. man F rítz Kessler, "The North Si<le Library face of is most apropos for the placement Reorganization of Landmarksr offices of this plaque, as the German com- has also allowed for expansion of the St. Thomas, Braddock munity has its deepest and oldest James D. Van Trump Library. Shelf roots, even today, on the North Side.tt space has been doubled, and the lÍbrary The dedication r^rill be a festive collection has been consolidated and event, highlighted by the choruses of organized. The library facility is now the Teutonia Maennerchor, the oldest one of the cityrs best in the primary German singing society in hlestern subject areas of Pittsburgh and Inlestern Pennsylvania and a North Side insti- Pennsylvania history and culture, archi- tution for 130 years. Civic leaders tecture, planning, and historic preser- and other German-American representa- vation. tives and organizations will also Much v¡ork remains to be done, however. attend. The public is invited. Volunteers are needed to fully catalogue the collection, and to staff the library Docent T?aining so it can be opened to the public on a regular basis. Volunteer by A class of 2O enthusiastic volunteers calling is presently traíning to offer tours Landmarks at 322-L204. by Landmarks which highlight the history and architecture of PitLs- Museum burgh. The ten-week course at the Two inuseum projects have resulted from Old Post Office began with an intro- space reorganization at tire 01d Post St. Thomas Church, Braddock, stood ductory session to acquaint the par- Office. First: the extensíve costume for 8l years. It was given by steel ticlpants with Landmarks and its variety collection has been carefully installed magnate and philanthropist Charles of functions. llorkshop II focused on in a new storage space, which provides Schwab, and designed ín a distinctive downtown Pittsburghts buildings and a partially controlled storage environ- "spanish-Baroque" style by noted turn- their relation to the Triangle's ment necessary for the collectionts care of-the-century Píttsburgh architect historic development. Architects and preservation. Second: a Victorian- Frederick J. 0sterling. The churchrs and architectural styles were dis- era sitting room, furnished by the Colo- signif icance \,üas recognized in l9B3 cussed, and maps and building infor- nial Dames of America, has been reín- when the church was awarded a historír mation rvere distributed. stalled as a períod room ín the northeast plaque by Landmarks, and was listed' as In the r¿eeks to come, the group will corner of the Rotunda Gallery. The room eligible for the National Register of take a close look at the cityrs neigh- is now accessible for viewing and will be Historic Places. borhoods, ethníc churches, and indus- used to help teach museum visitors about The last days of 1983 were not so rrial buildings. life in the Victorian home. kind. The parish, threatened r,/ith closure by the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh, had boldly rsised ov<,:r $40,000 for much needed repairs. The sandstone facade haiL been repointed, the roof repaired, ttre ceiling replas- tered, the twin domes refurbished, an< mechanical systems work had been con- tracted. But on Friday night, Decembr 30, an apparent electrical fire sprea( throughout the structure, rendering il a charred rui-n. Landmarks regrets the loss of this ímportant element of our historic and architectural heritage. Smithfield Street Bridge The historíe Smithfield Street Bridge will be newly illuminated in this, its l01st year. Last fall, during the bridgets 100th-anniversary celebration Landmarks proposed that the span be strung \,üith lights outlining its un- usual lenticular (or "Fishbe11y") trusses.