Homestead’s own Adam G. Wickerham, whose office was a short stroll down the street, designed this distinctive Gothic church, the foundation of which was laid in 1913.1 It replaced the earlier St. Matthew’s, which had been built only fourteen years before and still stands a few strides away. In the picture above, we can see another Wickerham building across the street: the old Rodef Shalom synagogue, now a nondenominational church.
Old Pa Pitt does not know the history of this later wing.
The Construction Record, August 23, 1913: “Homestead, Pa.—Foundations are in for a $35,000 stone church to be constructed on McClure avenue and Tenth street for St. Mathew’s P. E. Congrega[tion] from plans drawn by Architect Adam Wickerham, McClure avenue.” ↩︎
Charles J. Rieger was the architect of this little church with a big tower, which was built in 1899.1 (This is one of the earliest Rieger projects we have found; he had many years of productive work ahead of him.) The congregation must have grown rapidly, because only fourteen years later it moved a block up the street to a larger church. This building was sold to a Hungarian congregation; at some point it ceased to be a church and had a garage door cut into it.
Philadelphia Real Estate Record & Builders’ Guide, March 29, 1899, p. 201: “At Homestead, Allegheny county, the vestry of St. Matthews’ Episcopal Church, at a meeting held a few days since, instructed the architect to have all plans and specifications ready by April 4th. Rev. W. J. White Frederick Howden and George Hatcher, committee, Architect Chas. Rieger, Renshaw Building, Pittsburg, Pa., is the architect, and will receive the bids.” ↩︎
Even fifteen years ago this church might have been rescued, but now it has become such a picturesque roofless ruin that the best thing might be to stabilize it, as is often done with ruined Gothic churches in Europe, and leave it as a tourist attraction for moody poetic types. According to the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation, it was built in 1901, and the architect was Charles M. Bartberger, the younger of the two Charles Bartbergers.
Old Pa Pitt will admit that Braddock can be a sad place, but here is something to celebrate. This historic Black congregation is still going after nearly a century and a half, and its neat little building is beautifully kept.
The cornerstone of the building was laid late in 1906, when the Rev. Dr. J. T. Wanzer was pastor. The architect of the church was John Lewis Beatty,1 who was one of our most successful designers of Protestant churches. In this case the budget was small, but Mr. Beatty gave the congregation a building to be proud of. Certain economies were necessary: only the front is stone, the rest being ordinary red brick. But that front leaves an impression of solid respectability.
The Pittsburg Press used to publish an extensive column of “Afro-American Notes,” and in the edition for December 17, 1905 we find a paragraph about the plans for New Hope’s new building:
The New Hope Baptist Church of Braddock, Pa., is undoubtedly one of the most progressive churches in Braddock. They are making great preparations to begin their new building in the early spring. The Rev. J. T. Wanzer deserves great credit for the good work he is doing for the upbuilding of religious Christianity among the negro race. He is without doubt a good worker. Services every Sunday morning at 11 a. m. and evening at 7:30 p. m. All are welcome.
It was not always easy being Black in Braddock. While the plans for the church were in preparation, two of its most prominent members had a run-in with a gang of “hoodlums,” as we read in the Press:
Much bad feeling is being engendered by a gang of hoodlums, who infest the corner of Fourth street and Hawkins avenue, North Braddock, and attack negroes. Last night Reuben Poles and James Price, the former a trustee of the New Hope Baptist Church, colored, of Braddock, and the latter superintendent of the Sunday School, while on their way home from a church meeting, were called vile names, followed for several squares by five fellows, all over 20 years of age, and finally attacked. Poles was beaten into insensibility with a beer bottle.2
As we see from the language of the Press report, which describes the assailants as an infestation, most respectable citizens were disgusted and appalled by such “hoodlums.” But they were a fact that Black residents of the borough had to deal with. Undaunted, the members of New Hope finished their church—and they are still here, 120 years later, worshiping in the same building.
The addition to the left is well matched to the main church; it was probably built in the 1920s or 1930s.
“Will Build Churches,” Press, October 30, 1906, p. 7: “J. A. House, of West Homestead, has the contract for building the New Hope Baptist Church at that place, to cost $14,000. It was designed by Architect J. L. Beatty.” Though the article says the church is in West Homestead, that is an error. The Post for the same day mentions the contract, but leaves out the architect, and places the church correctly in Braddock. Notes of the Builders, Post, October 30, 1906, p. 13: “A two-story brick and stone church for the New Hope Baptist Church of Braddock, to cost $14,000, will be built by Contractor J. A. House, of West Homestead.” ↩︎
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.
Pittsburg Press, February 6, 1906: “The St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran congregation of Swissvale is having plans made by J. C. Fulton, of Uniontown.” ↩︎
“Break Ground for Church Tomorrow,” Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph, August 10, 1929, p. 5. ↩︎
Now the Homewood Church of Christ, a congregation that keeps the building in beautiful shape. Old Pa Pitt was out walking in Homewood a while ago when he spotted this church two blocks away. He immediately thought, “That looks like a Lutheran church designed by O. M. Topp.”
And so it was.1 The cornerstone, as we see, was laid in 1916, at a time when O. M. Topp was the favorite architect of Lutherans in Pittsburgh and the surrounding area. Lutheran churches from before the Second World War have a characteristic traditional church shape, like Catholic and Episcopalian churches but unlike the majority of Presbyterian, Methodist, and Baptist churches in our area. O. M. Topp’s designs for medium-sized churches like this one have a straightforward Gothic simplicity that marks them as his work.
Note the rectangular windows where most Gothic architects would place Gothic arches.
Source: Pittsburg Press, April 23, 1916, p. 20 “O. M. Topp has been selected to prepare plans for the rebuilding of a $40,000 church at Hamilton and Brushton aves., for the St. Stephens’ Evangelical Lutheran congregation.” ↩︎
Ingham & Boyd designed this beautiful church for a congregation that is still hanging on, now yoked with Swissvale Presbyterian Church. When they were built, though, the churches served different denominations: this one was a congregation of the United Presbyterians, a Pittsburgh-based splinter group that broke off from the main body of Presbyterians in the United States in 1858 and would later merge with them again in 1958, one century and two days after the split.
Every detail of this church is chosen both for its own exquisite beauty and for its contribution to the composition as a whole. Nothing is out of place.
As the cornerstone tells us, the church was built in 1915. Ingham & Boyd usually worked in a classical style for public buildings, such as their dozens of schools; but their relatively few churches are Gothic, and buildings like this one make us wish they had given us more churches.
Siting a building is an art in itself, and one to which Ingham & Boyd paid particular attention. This church looms in the distance as we come eastward on Biddle Avenue like a heavenly vision.
The view is different coming northward on Hay Street: here we are confronted by what looks like an English village.
With a long lens, we can appreciate the woodwork in these dormers.
It seems to old Pa Pitt that Charles W. Bier was a true original among our architects. He was not our greatest artist, but he developed a distinct style that was altogether his own. We may enroll him in our little club of early modernists, but he came at modernism in his own unique way. He combined regional Victorian variants of Gothic ornament with his own angular interpretation of the Art Nouveau that was wafting over from Germany and Austria. This church, whose cornerstone was laid in 1914, is one of his most characteristic works—and you could buy it right now, in good shape, with a fresh Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation plaque on the front.
Whenever you see a very broad and shallow arch with strong vertical lines above it, you should suspect Charles Bier.
Link, Weber & Bowers were the architects of this gorgeous school, and it is very cheering to see it getting a thorough renovation for a new life.
St. Colman was ripped off the face of his school, where he once stood over the entrance to greet students as they came in. Catholics often try to preserve the religious art from buildings they abandon, but as the number of buildings abandoned rises, the number of places to keep all that art dwindles. Father Pitt would suggest setting aside one vacant church—perhaps St. Anselm’s in Swissvale, which has plenty of room—as a museum of religious art, which could become a pilgrimage site and perhaps even bring about some conversions.
