Students Publish Preservation Book!
Posted On: June 10, 2010
On June 3, 2010, six high school students proudly sat at the Tin Front Cafe in Homestead and autographed copies of their new book, “Take a Walk From the Past to the Future of Eighth Avenue.”
They were participants in YPA’s Youth Main Street Advisors Program that encourages young people to explore and document their community and make recommendations for changes. The book was the product of a year-long process of discovery and creativity.
YPA is grateful to the Grable Foundation, which supported the project, and Red Engine Press, which published the book. Additional support was provided by SLB Radio, which conducted an interview workshop for the students, and Rivers of Steel, which provided research assistance. Louise Sturgess from Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation, and Eric Milliron, from Main Street Mt. Lebanon, spoke to the students at an orientation session held in October.
The 100-page book is available from either YPA or Propel Andrew Street High School (http://www.propelandrewstreet.org/) and are $12.00. Book sales benefit the school.
The Post-Gazette covered the story:
Students pen a historical look at Homestead Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 10, 2010
See photos from the training sessions and the book signing:
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| Propel Student Book Signing 6-3-10 |
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| Andrew Street HS Youth Main Street Advisors Interview Workshop, 12-10-09 |
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| Youth Main Street Advisors Program, Oct. 22, 2009 |
YPA Celebrates Historic Preservation Month!
Posted On: May 25, 2010
YPA celebrated National Historic Preservation Month at the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater in East Liberty on Friday, May 21, 2010.
YPA unveiled its new list of the “Top Ten Best Preservation Opportunities in the Pittsburgh Area.” The list, published annually, highlights historic preservation projects with a good chance of survival and reuse. It’s a great way for communities all over southwestern Pennsylvania to celebrate historic preservation victories in the making.
Here’s the Top Ten Report: Top Ten Report 2010
YPA also released a new, groundbreaking report, “The Economic Impact of Historic Preservation in Southwestern Pennsylvania.” The report quantifies how many dollars, jobs, new businesses, and housing units have been created in the last few years through historic preservation.
Download a copy of the report here: Economic Impact in SW PA
Finally, YPA published a new report, “The Top Ten Buildings We Wish We Had Back,” which looks back on what we have lost. They serve as lessons for what to preserve in the future. Download a copy here: Homage to the Fallen May 2010
Here are pictures from the fun, networking reception:
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| YPA's Preservation Month Celebration, 2010 |
Sponsored by the Neighborhood Investment Association
Catering provided by the Culinary Artists Catering Group
2010 Top Ten List Released!
Posted On: May 21, 2010
YPA has released its new list of the Top Ten Preservation Opportunities in the Pittsburgh Area. The Top Ten Report was released at YPA’s Preservation Month Celebration, held at the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater in East Liberty, on May 21st.
YPA counted down the Top Ten on its blog, “Give Life to History!”
The blog can be accessed at http://youngpreservationistsassociation.blogspot.com/
Download a copy of the Top Ten report here: Top Ten Report 2010
Here is a copy of YPA’s new report, “Homage to the Fallen: The Top Ten Buildings We Wish We Had Back” Homage to the Fallen May 2010
YPA Releases New Report: Historic Preservation Creates Jobs!
Posted On: May 20, 2010
On May 20, 2010, YPA and Pennsylvania Works! released a new report that details the economic impact of historic preservation in southwestern Pennsylvania. The report, called “The Economic Impact of Historic Preservation in Southwestern Pennsylvania,” demonstrates the power of historic preservation to stimulate investment, generate taxes, create new housing units, and create jobs for Pennsylvanians that cannot be outsourced.
The report shows that in ten counties in southwestern Pennsylvania, over a five-year period, 2004 to 2009, historic preservation projects created:
> $475 million total investment,
> $65.6 million in taxes generated,
> 1,204 new housing units,
> 5.2 million square feet of space, and
> 3,042 permanent jobs.
The report measured the economic impact of historic preservation among YPA’s list of the Top Ten Best Preservation Opportunities, historic Main Street and Elm Street communities, and federal historic tax credit projects.
At a time when jobs are paramount, there’s no better way to stimulate the economy than through reinvesting in our core communities and historic structures.
Download a copy of the report here: Economic Impact in SW PA
YPA and Pennsylvania Works! call on the Pennsylvania legislature to pass a state law that provides incentives to owners of historic properties to preserve and reuse their old buildings. For the past ten years, the Pennsylvania legislature has been considering this legislation, but has failed to act. The time to act is now in order to put people back to work and invigorate the struggling economy.
The proposed legislation would provide direct grants to owners of historic properties to be used for building rehabilitation. It provides $15,000 for owners of residential properties, and up to $500,000 for owners of commercial properties. These funds not only fix up historic properties, but they employ local skilled labor that cannot be outsourced.
This economic impact report underscores the need for Pennsylvania to adopt this preservation incentive legislation to extend the economic benefits of preservation to all communities across the Commonwealth. Preservation puts people back to work, restores our core communities, and reinvigorates the tax base.
This new economic impact report is the definition of YPA’s slogan, “Give Life to History.”
YPA Press Release: YPAPressRelease 5-20-10
YPA CEO’s Remarks: YPA CEO Remarks 5-20-10
See images from the Press Conference here:
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| YPA Press Conference, May 20, 2010 |
Preservation Solutions Developed for Hazelwood
Posted On: March 8, 2010
More than 115 people met on Saturday, April 10, 2010, to develop solutions for preserving historic sites in Hazelwood. YPA hosted the second-annual Preserve Pittsburgh Summit as a way for young people, and people of all ages, to get involved in preserving local history. The Summit was held at the Frick Fine Arts Building in Oakland, and tours of Hazelwood were provided in the morning.
YPA honored PA State Representative Jake Wheatley for his contribution to preservation in his district and in the state legislature. Rep. Wheatley addressed the audience as the opening speaker.
The sites that were featured included the 1790 John Woods House, the 1899 Carnegie Library of Hazelwood, the 1912 Spahr Building, and the 1914 Gladstone School. Summit participants developed solutions for the sites, and then squared off in a So You Think You Can Preserve contest. The winning team was the John Woods House, but all recommendations that were developed were constructive ideas for the reuse of these historic sites.
The Summit featured a keynote address by Kate Burns Ottavino, Director of Preservation Programs at the Brooklyn High School of the Arts, the nation’s first high school preservation program.
Kate Burns Ottavino Bio
That evening, YPA hosted the Preservation Awards Reception at the Carnegie Museum of Art. At the Reception, YPA awarded the top Preservation Videos, presented by First Commonwealth Bank.
The winners were:
Historic Site
Mershon’s Summer Kitchen & Stable
209 West Main Street
Saxonburg, PA 16056
Butler County
Winning Student
Jamie Cashdollar
Knoch High School, Saxonburg
Nominating Teacher
Mr. Michael King
Youtube Link:
Historic Site
Trinity Hall
231 Park Avenue
North Franklin, PA
Washington County
Winning Students
Devin Mast, Jarrett Maleski, Chelsea Denman
Trinity High School, Washington, PA
Nominating Teacher
Mary Ann Berty
Youtube Link:
YPA also gave the Michael Eversmeyer Promise Award to students from Propel Andrew Street High School for their work on a book about Homestead’s past, present, and future. The award was presented by Clearview Federal Credit Union.
Michael Eversmeyer Promise Award
Here’s a map of the sites featured on the tour:
View Preserve Pittsburgh Summit Sites 2010 in a larger map
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| From Preserve Pittsburgh Summit Uploads for 2010 |
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| From Preserve Pittsburgh Summit Uploads for 2010 |
2010 Preserve Pittsburgh Summit Sponsors
Katherine Mabis McKenna Foundation
Paramount Pictures Film Exchange: Pittsburgh’s Newest Landmark
Posted On: February 22, 2010
Paramount Pictures Film Exchange, 1727 Boulevard of the Allies
On Thursday, Jan. 28, 2010, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl signed the final legislation designating the Paramount Pictures Film Exchange to be a City of Pittsburgh Historic Landmark. Council had voted, 8-1, to designate the Film Exchange on Jan. 26th. You can see a copy of the legislation here: Final Bill Passage
YPA is grateful to Councilman R. Daniel Lavelle and the other Council people who voted in favor of this designation, as well as YPA’s Board, Advisory Committee, Members, and partners, such as the Uptown Community Partners, Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation, Pittsburgh Filmmakers, and the Pittsburgh Film Office. More than 75 letters of support had been received in support of the designation.
YPA is especially grateful for Drew Edward Levinson, the 21-year-old film student who first called our attention to this important historic landmark. His video appears below (scroll down).
Last spring, YPA nominated the Paramount Pictures Film Exchange Building, at 1727 Boulevard of the Allies in Pittsburgh’s Uptown neighborhood, to be a city of Pittsburgh Historic Landmark.
On August 5, 2009, the City of Pittsburgh Historic Review Commission voted to recommend to City Council the designation of the Paramount Pictures Film Exchange to be a City of Pittsburgh Historic Landmark. The Uptown Community Partners, the leading community based organization in the Uptown-Soho neighborhood, endorsed the nomination, along with more than 75 supporters.
The building was recently sold to a developer who plans to rehabilitate the building. The building had been owned by UPMC Mercy since 2008. This is a win-win for the Uptown neighborhood, which is undergoing a revival, the City of Pittsburgh, and for the region’s film history. If it were not for a YouTube video about the film exchange produced by Drew Levinson last spring, Pittsburgh’s rich motion picture legacy would not have been told.
Historic Significance
Designed by R.E. Hall Co. Architects of New York City in 1926, the Paramount Pictures Film Exchange building meets the Historic Review Commission’s criteria for its association with important cultural or social aspects or events in the history of the City of Pittsburgh, the State of Pennsylvania, the Mid-Atlantic region, or the United States.
The Paramount Pictures Film Exchange Building is the last original remnant of Pittsburgh’s “Film Row.” From the 1920s until the 1970s and 80s, film exchanges were operated by movie studios that contained a film library of reels, offices, and private screening rooms. Theater owners could view a picture before booking them into their theaters. Pittsburgh’s film exchanges were all within a couple blocks of each other forming a “film row,” because it was very much a ‘one-stop shopping’ deal, where theater owners could go out of one exchange and immediately into the next—possibly to negotiate or book films from several studios. Now, Pittsburgh’s last one remains, the Paramount Pictures Film Exchange building.
History Captured in Film
This history came to light just this spring, when YPA held a historic preservation video contest for students under the age of 25. This year’s first-place winner was a student at Pittsburgh Filmmakers, Drew Edward Levinson, who profiled the history—and possible threat—to the Paramount building.
Judges for the contest included a number of experienced preservationists who had never heard of this building, never knew of Film Row, and were fascinated by the video. The YouTube video is embedded below.
YPA held an awards ceremony on March 28th to honor Mr. Levinson and the video was shown before an audience of about 100 people at Carnegie Museum of Art. State Senator Ferlo encouraged Mr. Levinson to nominate the building for historic status, and YPA offered to assist. YPA’s board unanimously supports this nomination.
Here’s the YouTube video:
Here are two GigaPan interactive panoramas of the Paramount building:
YPA Letters & Testimony:
Testimony for 1-12-10
Letter to City Council 10-30-09
Paramount Pictures Film Exchange Building: Fact Sheets
Fact Sheet
Film Exchange Pamphlet Complete 6-30-09
Here’s the original historic nomination form:
Paramount Pictures Film Exchange Building Nomination Form
Articles:
City Council votes to designate Paramount building as historic landmark, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, January 27, 2010
Pittsburgh City Council designates Paramount Pictures building as historic, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, January 26, 2010
Pittsburgh approves historic status for Paramount building, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, January 20, 2010
Sale of Paramount building slated for today, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, January 19, 2010
Uptown Paramount building historic designation debated, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, January 18, 2010
Public supportive of Paramount, The Duquesne Duke, January 14, 2010
Preservationists aim to save Uptown film exchange building, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, January 13, 2010
Dozens attend meeting about Paramount Pictures building, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, January 12, 2010
Historic Uptown building faces demise, The Duquesne Duke, October 1, 2009
Movie buff’s effort saves a building of paramount importance to film history, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, August 10, 2009
Historical designation for Uptown building OK’d, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, August 6, 2009
Pittsburgh’s Film Exchange gets historic designation, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, August 6, 2009
A bid to preserve part of Pittsburgh’s film history, WQUQ 90.5-FM, August 4, 2009
Group wants to save some of Pittsburgh’s Hollywood history, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, May 10, 2009
YPA Participates in GigaPan Workshop
Posted On: May 22, 2009
Thanks to support from the Fine Foundation and Carnegie Mellon University, YPA CEO Dan Holland participated in a two-day training program, May 21 & 22, 2009, to learn how to use the GigaPan robotic camera.
The GigaPan camera creates very high-resolution panoramas by stitching together hundreds of individual photos. Once the images have been “stitched” and uploaded to the GigaPan website, a user can zoom in to specific features of the image.
The camera is a powerful tool for multiple applications, including architectural surveys of historic properties, land-use management, urban design to create models for new buildings as well as old, archival for future generations, promoting specific sites, and education.
Some sample GigaPans are embedded below. Keep checking this site for additional GigaPans of historic sites from around southwestern Pennsylvania.
Wheeling Through History Bike Tour a Great Success
Posted On: April 17, 2009
YPA’s Wheeling Through History Bike Tour: South Side Edition, held on May 19, was a smashing success.
A group of 15 cyclists joined Geof Comings from the South Side Local Development Company on a ride through history along the South Side Trail and Eliza Furnace Trail.
Short narratives were provided at a few stops along the trail to provide riders with an experience with history–while on the bike.
Accompanied by perfect weather, the ride was well-received by all as a great way to spend an evening with friends.
Above, crossing the historic Smithfield Street Bridge.
After the ride, YPA joined Leadership Pittsburgh, Inc., and the Pittsburgh Young Professionals as part of the New Pittsburgh Collaborative (NPC) quarterly HUB event at a reception at OTB Bicycle Cafe on Carson Street.
The NPC gang – a group of diverse young professionals dedicated to regional progress – networked with drinks, appetizers and tips for utilizing regional amenities during a down economy.
Tom Baxter, Executive Director of Friends of the Riverfront, and one of Sustainable Pittsburgh’s outdoor recreation partners, spoke at the event (below).
YPA’s next bike-friendly history tour will be a collaboration with Bike PGH and Venture Outdoors:
Friday, June 12, 2009
Car Free Friday Bike From Work Tour
In recognition of the launch of car-free Fridays (every Friday) BikePGH, Young Preservationists Association and Venture Outdoors will lead a leisurely urban bike ride exploring the roads and riverfront trails of the North Side and South Side. Guest speakers from the YPA will provide historic information along the route from their Wheeling Through History Tour. The ride will end at OTB Bike Cafe on the South Side for a happy hour of specially priced drinks. This event is FREE to members of BikePGH, YPA and Venture Outdoors. Non-members are encouraged to join one or all of the three groups ($60 for memberships to all three groups the day of the program!). Pre-registration is encouraged. BikePGH and YPA members can call the Venture Outdoors office to receive the Members price.
Price does not include bike rentals. Bike rentals are available through Venture Outdoors for $8.00. Reservations for rentals should be made by calling into the office, 412-255-0564 ext. 21 after registering for the program.
Location: Kayak Pittsburgh – Downtown (right under the Sixth Street “Clemente” Bridge, by PNC Park)
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 6:00 PM – 7:45 PM
Cost: $10.00 non-member
Organization: Venture Outdoors
Homewood Grade School Teacher Selected for Promise Award
Posted On: March 28, 2009
The Young Preservationists Association of Pittsburgh has selected Dawn R. Webb Turner to be the 2009 Promise Award winner.
The Promise Award was presented at YPA’s Preservation Awards Reception, March 28, 2009, at the Carnegie Museum of Art.
YPA’s Promise Award, started in 2005, will go to one person, organization or place that is undertaking a new preservation initiative that represents great promise for advancing historic preservation in southwestern Pennsylvania.
Ms. Webb Turner’s work with YPA over the past year as a volunteer to develop the Pittsburgh region’s first African American history tourguide, as well as her efforts to preserve the National Negro Opera Company first home, and her extensive experience, education, and community involvement makes her an ideal awardee.
Ms. Webb Turner is currently a third-grade teacher at Pittsburgh Faison Arts Academy in Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood. A Pittsburgh native, Ms. Webb Turner is a graduate of Westinghouse High School.
She received undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Pittsburgh, graduating Cum Laude. She has held positions as a Branch Manager for Three Rivers Bank and Assistant Vice President for PNC Bank. Ms. Webb Turner is currently developing the George A. Webb Sr. Learning Institute that will teach financial education and entrepreneurship to elementary-school aged children and older. She is also the Steward of Homewood North under the Clean Pittsburgh Commission, and started the “Let’s Clean Up Our House Committee,” a group of youth, residents, and block club members who are dedicated to cleaning up areas in the community.
Previous Promise Award winners have included The Union Project (2005); Braddock Mayor John Fetterman (2006); Sandee Umbach, director of Wash Arts (2007); and Tansy Michaud, a senior at Norwin High School (2008).
Preservation Video Awards Announced
Posted On: March 28, 2009
On Saturday, March 28, the Young Preservationists Association of Pittsburgh awarded $500 to four student-produced videos about saving historic sites in southwestern Pennsylvania. The winning videos were selected among entries for YPA’s Preservation Video Contest, begun in December 2008.
Each of the four videos was produced by young people under the age of 25 who are students at schools in southwestern Pennsylvania. Conest awardees include a student at Pittsburgh Filmmakers, 16 middle school students from Riverside Middle School in Ellwood City, a college student at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and a high school student at Ringgold High School.
Each of the videos is a call to action to save threatened historic sites. The short videos were uploaded to YouTube, the video-sharing website. Pennsylvania State Senator Jim Ferlo sponsored the financial awards for the students.
See a program from the Preservation Awards Reception: Preservation Awards Reception
Watch all four videos here:
First Place ($250):
Site: Paramount Pictures Film Exchange, City of Pittsburgh (Soho)
Winning Student: Drew Edward Levinson
School: Pittsburgh Filmmakers
Nominating Teacher: Lorraine Heidekat
Second Place ($125):
Site: “Save the Strand,” Strand Theater, Zelienople, Butler County
Winning Students:
Bethany Bettencourt
Selena Blair
Michaela Burr
Alex Deep
Connor Domhoff
Tyler Falk
Christian George
Austin Hall
Rachel Hunter
Justin Kording
Morgan Marion
Cole McDonough
Austin Ridgley
Hailey Vey
Chelsea Alberth
Kayla Hart
School: Riverside Middle School
Nominating Teacher: Mrs. Rebecca Erin
Third Place ($75):
Site: Old Indiana County Courthouse, Indiana, Indiana County
Winning Student: Brandon Roudebush
School: Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Nominating Teacher: Dr. Erick Lauber
Fourth Place ($50):
Site: The Longwell House, Monongahela, Washington County
Winning Student: Caci Lignelli
School: Ringgold High School
Nominating Teacher: Mr. Don Roberts
Paramount Pictures Film Exchange, 1727 Boulevard of the Allies
Testimony for 1-12-10
Fact Sheet
Paramount Pictures Film Exchange Building Nomination Form
City Council votes to designate Paramount building as historic landmark, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, January 27, 2010
YPA’s Wheeling Through History Bike Tour: South Side Edition, held on May 19, was a smashing success. The NPC gang – a group of diverse young professionals dedicated to regional progress – networked with drinks, appetizers and tips for utilizing regional amenities during a down economy. Car Free Friday Bike From Work TourIn recognition of the launch of car-free Fridays (every Friday) BikePGH, Young Preservationists Association and Venture Outdoors will lead a leisurely urban bike ride exploring the roads and riverfront trails of the North Side and South Side. Guest speakers from the YPA will provide historic information along the route from their Wheeling Through History Tour. The ride will end at OTB Bike Cafe on the South Side for a happy hour of specially priced drinks. This event is FREE to members of BikePGH, YPA and Venture Outdoors. Non-members are encouraged to join one or all of the three groups ($60 for memberships to all three groups the day of the program!). Pre-registration is encouraged. BikePGH and YPA members can call the Venture Outdoors office to receive the Members price.
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 6:00 PM – 7:45 PM
Cost: $10.00 non-member
Organization: Venture Outdoors
The Young Preservationists Association of Pittsburgh has selected Dawn R. Webb Turner to be the 2009 Promise Award winner.Site: Paramount Pictures Film Exchange, City of Pittsburgh (Soho)
Winning Student: Drew Edward Levinson
School: Pittsburgh Filmmakers
Nominating Teacher: Lorraine Heidekat
Site: “Save the Strand,” Strand Theater, Zelienople, Butler County
Winning Students:
Bethany Bettencourt
Selena Blair
Michaela Burr
Alex Deep
Connor Domhoff
Tyler Falk
Christian George
Austin Hall
Rachel Hunter
Justin Kording
Morgan Marion
Cole McDonough
Austin Ridgley
Hailey Vey
Chelsea Alberth
Kayla Hart
School: Riverside Middle School
Nominating Teacher: Mrs. Rebecca Erin
Site: Old Indiana County Courthouse, Indiana, Indiana County
Winning Student: Brandon Roudebush
School: Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Nominating Teacher: Dr. Erick Lauber
Site: The Longwell House, Monongahela, Washington County
Winning Student: Caci Lignelli
School: Ringgold High School
Nominating Teacher: Mr. Don Roberts