Old Pa Pitt knows nothing about this little bank except that it was built in about 1921. Its classical style is designed to say “bank” as soon as you see the building.
Those spindly Corinthian columns at the entrance look like an afterthought. Father Pitt imagines the architect presenting his clean and dignified plans to the client, who immediately points and says, “Where are the columns? It’s a bank, for Pete’s sake.”
This charming little Gothic library was designed by Andrew Isles and built in about 1916. Back in February, old Pa Pitt caught it in the middle of a thorough restoration and renovation—and then for some reason forgot about the pictures until now. As he was taking pictures, Swissvale residents walking by stopped to point out how beautiful the library was going to be when the restoration was finished: it was obvious that they love their library, and a borough that loves libraries deserves one like this.
This historically Black congregation has been in Swissvale just about since there was a Swissvale. According to our correspondent “Calvin,” this building was originally the First Presbyterian Church of Swissvale. When that church built its new stone church in 1909, this building was sold and moved. (Moving buildings was surprisingly common, and there were firms that specialized in nothing else.)
Two Lutheran churches about a block apart—but different kinds of Lutherans, of course.
First is St. John’s, which was designed by the phenomenally successful J. C. Fulton of Uniontown.1 A 1926 Sanborn map shows it with a wooden octagonal dome, one of Fulton’s favorite details; the dome was later replaced with whatever we call the thing that replaced it. The building is now in use as the Restoration Community Church.
The smaller Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church was built for a Missouri Synod congregation in 1929. The charming and timeless design was by Fisher & Schmertz.2 This church was most recently occupied by the New Covenant Christian Fellowship, but that congregation seems to have dissolved.
Every time old Pa Pitt sees a bell still dangling in a belfry, he wants to hear it ring.
Earlier known as the Deniston School, and now known as the Swissvale Schoolhouse Condominiums. Rieger & Currier (whose name is misspelled Courrier, Carrier, and any number of other ways in construction listings, but Currier is the spelling he used in his own signature) were the architects of this square Georgian school, built in 1902.
The best old Pa Pitt can say about those outsized dormers that sprouted on the front recently is that they could be worse, and they could be scraped off in a future restoration with minimal damage to the appearance of the building.
It’s rare to find something like this: an entire block of shops and apartments built all at once, and still active as shops and apartments. It’s the pre-automobile equivalent of a strip mall. Some alterations have happened over the century and a quarter or so of this row’s life, but many of the characteristic details are well preserved.
It’s a little hard to date this house from its appearance; it seems to be a late example of the Second Empire style. The corner was probably a small storefront or professional office.
The house has been going through some considerable renovation, but so far the exceptionally fine front door with leaded glass all around has been left intact. We hope it can be restored and not replaced.
The porch may also pose some problems; the columns and the brick pillars that support them need work, and it may be cheaper to replace them. We hope they can stay.
The first reaction of most visitors to Madonna del Castello is astonishment that such a thing even exists. The sanctuary hovers over the parking lot on spindly legs like some giant beetle ready to march out into the streets of Swissvale. It is beautiful, impressive, and a little terrifying.
Many more pictures…
Some of the most important windows in St. Anselm Church, Swissvale, which is scheduled to close this month. These pictures are large enough to show considerable detail; click or tap on the picture to enlarge it. Father Pitt took the time to document the windows in detail because Catholics usually remove the stained glass when they abandon a church.
Many more pictures…
The interior of St. Anselm in Swissvale, one of the seven churches in St. Joseph the Worker parish scheduled to close this month. We’ll have a separate article for the stained glass. Father Pitt publishes these pictures with gratitude to the parish volunteers who held a simultaneous open house in all the churches of the parish on Sunday, February 22. Old Pa Pitt managed to get to five of the churches during the two-hour window.
Many more pictures…