This Place Matters: 100 Students Clean up the Opera House
Posted On: September 27, 2010
One hundred students from five different colleges and a city high school went to work on the National Opera House grounds, producing more than 50 bags of trash, and filling a dumpster within 10 minutes on a temperate, sun-filled Saturday, October 16th.
YPA coordinated the cleanup with the property owner, Jonnet Solomon-Nowlin and her board of directors, along with Operation Better Block, Renew Pittsburgh, and others to prepare the grounds of this historic house for winter. YPA is grateful for Anthony Phillips, Jr. Hauling Co., Inc., for donating the Dumpster, and to the city for their efforts to remove the debris-filled bags.
Students came from Pitt, Carnegie Mellon University (Tepper School and the Heinz College), Chatham, Duquesne, and California University of Pennsylvania, and were joined with a group from Westinghouse High School. A teacher with the city schools’ Gifted Center also joined in. Several YPA members also participated. YPA A group photo was taken of the students holding the sign, “This Place Matters,” a campaign by the National Trust for Historic Preservation to recognize important historic sites across the country.
See photos from the cleanup here:
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| National Opera House Cleanup, Oct. 16, 2010 |
The National Opera House is located at 7101 Apple Street, in Homewood. Built in 1894, this City-designated Historic Landmark was home to Woogie Harris (brother of famed photographer Teenie Harris), who rented the house to a number of notables, including Roberto Clemente, Lena Horne, and several Steelers. Among the most famous occupants of the house was Mary Cardwell Dawson, who started the nation’s first black opera company, the National Negro Opera Company, in 1941. She ran her music school out of the house, as well.
Today, “Mystery Manor,” as it was sometimes called, is vacant and in need of repair. The students’ help was essential in sprucing up the grounds around the house, which were meticulously kept in the 1940s and ’50s. Their efforts directly support long-term plans to care for the house and work toward its eventual restoration (http://www.nationaloperahouse.org/).
YPA’s Day of Giving: October 13, 2010
Posted On: September 13, 2010
Leverage your donation!
The Pittsburgh Foundation’s Day of Giving is Wednesday, October 13, 2010. Help support the programs of the Young Preservationists Association of Pittsburgh by donating online on October 13th and your donation will be matched by the Pittsburgh Foundation!
This year the matching period will run for 24 hours and each nonprofit will receive a portion of the $500,000 pool of matching dollars! DONORS: The Day of Giving DONATE NOW Link will appear on OCTOBER 13, 2010 at Midnight.
YPA’s programs and publications have resonated with young people. Since 2003, more than 2,000 people have participated in our public programs.
For instance, this year, YPA published the region’s first tourguide of African American History, “Discover the Legacy: The African American Experience in Southwestern Pennsylvania.” Within two months of publication, more than 4,500 guides have been distributed.
YPA also inspired students at Propel Andrew Street High School to publish a book about the past, present, and future of Homestead.
YPA collaborates, networks, conducts tours, trains, and inspires a new generation to appreciate and preserve our past.
Donate on October 13th and help us continue our work to encourage young people to give life to history.
Here’s how it works:
1. Go to http://dayofgiving.pittsburghgives.org/nonprofits/
2. In the Organization Name box, type in Young Preservationists Association.
3. Click the Donate Now button.

4. Enter your name, email and phone number in appropriate boxes. Enter in donation amount. Minimum donation is 25.00.

5. Enter your credit card information on our secure server and click “submit.” You will receive confirmation that your donation has been received and an email will be sent to you for tax purposes.
Thank you for helping YPA Give Life to History!