Father Pitt

Tag: McClure Street (Homestead)

  • St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church (1913), Homestead

    St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church

    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.

    St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church
    St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church
    St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church
    A later wing

    Old Pa Pitt does not know the history of this later wing.

    St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church
    Canon PowerShot SX20 IS; Fujifilm FinePix HS20EXR.
    1. 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.” ↩︎
    Comments

  • St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church (1899), Homestead

    Old St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church

    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.

    Cornerstone with Maltese cross and date of 1899
    Canon PowerShot SX20 IS.
    1. 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.” ↩︎
    Comments