Allegheny House Dems announce $142,000 for historic preservation projects

PHMC grants fund restoration, preservation planning

Allegheny County Delegation    June 8, 2023 | 12:55 PM

PITTSBURGH, June 8 – The Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission has awarded over $142,000 in state grants to six area organizations, members of the Allegheny County Democratic Delegation to the Pennsylvania House announced today.

“These funds will go a long way in protecting a few of the many historic treasures in Pittsburgh and throughout Allegheny County,” said delegation chair Rep. Nick Pisciottano. “These grants are a worthwhile investment, as historic sites are a big driver of tourism for our region. I’m proud to see members of our delegation recognizing the importance of preserving our region’s rich history and advocating for grants like these.”

Awards to Allegheny County organizations:

  • $65,325 to the Historical Society of Upper St. Clair – The Gilfillan Farm Big Red Barn Foundation Project will install hidden drainage around the historic Pennsylvania-style barn and then restore the stone foundation. The goal of the project is to reduce or eliminate the water and sediment that currently runs through the foundation walls, emptying into the lower level of the barn, preserving the foundation and barn for the future.
  • $25,000 to the City of Pittsburgh – The project will prioritize finding alternatives to demolition by stabilizing and restoring distressed properties, when possible. The city will pull from existing planning efforts and data and use community engagement and input to identify historically overlooked properties in Pittsburgh’s Hill District neighborhood. Lessons learned will help the city create a holistic and human-scale planning approach that can be deployed citywide.
  • $20,000 to the Penn Hills Community Development Corp. – The project will develop a Preservation Management Plan for the Allegheny River Boulevard Historic District. The plan will provide the PHCDC and its partners with an assessment of the current resource conditions and offer informed guidance on how best to preserve, rehab and enhance the district in the future.
  • $17,295 to the Rodef Shalom Congregation – The grant will restore two torchieres at the main entrance of Rodef Shalom Congregation. The project calls for cleaning, stabilizing, repointing and re-glazing the torchieres to restore them to their original glory.
  • $7,500 to Sewickley Borough – The project will build upon the 2023 borough-wide cultural resource survey with a comprehensive review and update of the historic district ordinances in tandem with planning and zoning policies to form the borough’s preservation plan.
  • $7,500 to Preservation Pittsburgh – The project will help list Belmar Gardens on the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district.

Keystone Historic Preservation Grants provide funding to support projects that identify, preserve, promote and protect historic and archaeological resources in Pennsylvania for both the benefit of the public and the revitalization of communities. Funding also supports municipal planning initiatives that focus on historic resources or may be used to meet building or community specific planning goals. The program also supports construction activities at resources listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

A full list of the 48 projects across the state awarded $2.58 million in this round of KHPG grants is available here.