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Top of the Union Trust Building
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Second Presbyterian Church, Wilkinsburg
Later known as the Mulberry Presbyterian Church. O. M. Topp and Charles W. Hutchison, “țhe well-known Pittsburg architect,” were the architects of this church, built in 1911.1
In spite of his self-declared notability, Charles W. Hutchison has not left much of a visible architectural legacy: after some searching, old Pa Pitt found only two projects definitely attributable to him, of which this is one. It was probably his own church: he lived in Wilkinsburg. His moment of greatest fame came the year after this church was built, when his honeymoon trip was interrupted by the wreck of the Titanic: he and his bride were passengers on the Carpathia, the ship that picked up Titanic survivors. He sold his story, with a well-made diagram of the scene of the rescue, to the Press, which put him on the front page as “the well-known Pittsburg architect.”
Pittsburg Press, April 21, 1912, p. 1. Olaf M. Topp, on the other hand, was a very successful architect with a long career ahead of him and much experience behind him. Half the prewar Lutheran churches in the Pittsburgh area were designed by Topp, in addition to a few for other denominations; and in secular buildings his greatest work was the still-lamented Jenkins Arcade.
A while ago this church was taken over by an organization with ambitious plans to turn it into a Center for Civic Arts. The plans seem to have run hard up against economic reality, however, and when old Pa Pitt visited recently the building was up for sale again.
- “Cornerstone Laying Among Church Events,” Press, August 27, 1911. “The church was designed by O. M. Topp and Charles M. Hutchison.” The Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation plaque has the architect as “F. Hoffman & Company,” but that was the contractor. ↩︎
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St. Paul’s Cathedral, Oakland
These are far from the first pictures of this cathedral that old Pa Pitt has published, and they certainly will not be the last. A cathedral is too big a deal to take in all at once.
The west front (liturgically speaking1) is a towering Gothic fantasy whose scale is hard to convey in a photograph. Here the human figures on the steps give us some context.
The main doors turn on the mightiest hinges in Pittsburgh.
This would be a magnificent main front for any church; here it is just the façade of the south transept.
Canon PowerShot SX20 IS. The south-transept entrance.
We have many more pictures of St. Paul’s from many years of passing by with a camera.
- In describing church architecture, the altar is always considered “east,” which makes the entrance opposite the altar “west,” and so on, regardless of what your lying compass says. ↩︎
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The Chancery, Oakland
Edward J. Weber, who wrote the book on Catholic Church Buildings, was the architect of this little building, part of the cathedral complex and now known as the St. Paul Cathedral Center. This building and Synod Hall behind it were built in 1914.
Canon PowerShot SX20 IS. We have more pictures of the Chancery here.
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South Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church, Wilkinsburg
Wilkinsburg’s own Milligan & Miller were the architects of this church, built in 1907.1
Old Pa Pitt’s favorite features of this church are the arcaded porches, like medieval cloisters, on both sides of the building.
The wheelchair ramp on this side was added with good taste (and a high budget).
Cornerstones from the previous churches are set in the wall under the roof of the right-hand porch.
Canon PowerShot SX20 IS. We also have some monochrome pictures of the South Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church.
- “Old Town of Aspect All Modern,” Pittsburg Press, July 14, 1907. “One of the most important additions to the structural beauty of the place will be the new South Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church, which is to replace the old burned down last February. It is to cost $125,000 and will be one of the finest church buildings in the community. The construction is under the charge of Architects Milligan & Miller, who designed the plans.” ↩︎
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More Details of Heinz Chapel, Oakland
More details of Heinz Chapel, including the arms of various American colleges and universities. We have another collection of details of Heinz Chapel here, or you can see our whole collection of Heinz Chapel pictures spanning nearly nineteen years.
Canon PowerShot SX20 IS.
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Mifflin Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church, Regent Square
Still serving its original congregation, now as the Mifflin Avenue United Methodist Church. This church in the Wilkinsburg quarter of Regent Square, a single neighborhood divided among four municipalities, was built in 1923. The architect was Victor A. Rigaumont, who would later become nationally famous as a reliable designer of Art Deco movie palaces. Perhaps we can see a little Hollywood sensibility already in this church: the design is more flamboyant than the usual corner-tower Gothic church, and the huge Gothic arch that includes both the three front entrance doors and the windows above them is more like a set designer’s fantasy Gothic than a pedantically correct interpretation of medieval forms.
Note the signature above this tiny basement door: “V. A. Rigaumont R. A. Architect.”
The education wing was built thirteen years earlier, in 1910; the architects were Wilkinsburg’s own Milligan & Miller. The older building was used as the worship space until the main church was built.
Sony Alpha 3000 with 7Artisans f/1.4 35mm lens; Canon PowerShot SX20 IS. -
Holy Cross Evangelical Lutheran Church (Christ Missionary Baptist Church), Brushton
This charming little church was built in 1912; and, having said that, old Pa Pitt has exhausted his knowledge on the subject. It now belongs to the Christ Missionary Baptist Church, which has kept it in beautiful and nearly original condition, as we can see from this photograph taken just before the dedication in December of 1912.
“New Church to Be Dedicated,” Gazette Times, December 7, 1912, p. 2. 
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Second Italian United Presbyterian Church, Brushton
This little church was designed by the Hunting-Davis Company, a firm usually associated with warehouses and industrial buildings, for an Italian mission of the United Presbyterian Church.1 It is kept standing as a community center.
Canon PowerShot SX20 IS. - The Construction Record, February 14, 1914: “Architects Hunting-Davis Company, Century building, have preliminary plans in progress for a one-story brick and concrete Italian mission, to be erected on Hamilton avenue, near Hale street, for the Brushton Italian Mission. Cost $12,000.” ↩︎
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East Liberty Presbyterian Church
Like a great European cathedral, East Liberty Presbyterian Church, which Ralph Adams Cram considered his masterpiece, is too huge and complex to take in all at once. We can only appreciate some of the details, and then come back later for more. Here are some views from various spots in East Liberty.
Canon PowerShot SX20 IS.
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