Historic Pittsburgh church receives $150,000 grant to start restoration
A historic Pittsburgh church has received a giant gift to kick off restoration.
The pastor of the historic church is thanking God they received a $150,000 grant to restore the stained-glass windows in the church which is well over 120 years old.
“When this was Allegheny, it wasn’t called Pittsburgh, it was called Allegheny, this church was here,” said Rev. Aisha Tate.
The Brown Chapel AME on Boyle Street on the North Side is a Pittsburgh historic landmark.
The current church was built in 1903, but the congregation has been around even longer. Their first building was destroyed by a storm.
The 120-year-old church is beginning much-needed restoration.
Rev. Tate says restoring the church to its original beauty has been her dream, and is now a reality thanks to a new grant.
“It gives us the foundation and the funds we need to begin to restore, when you restore the church you restore the spirit of the church, the spirit of the community, and all those that are part of this church,” said Tate.
Sean Jones and his company were chosen to restore 41 stained glass windows, thanks to his passion for restoring churches and his ties to the community.
“We will be restoring every window, completely taking them apart, putting them back together,” Jones said. “All paint restoration, a lot of wood restoration, the frames are in pretty bad shape. A lot of water damage.”
The Preserving Black Churches grant money came from the national trust for historic preservation. Hundreds of churches applied, and the Brown Chapel was the only one in Pennsylvania to receive it. While this is only the beginning of the restoration, reverend tate says the community is excited to see the already beautiful building improved
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
TRENDING NOW:
Missing Titanic tourist sub: Debris found during search, USCG says Woman killed in hit-and-run in McKeesport; police say man intentionally struck her Multiple black bears spotted across Allegheny County; here’s where they’re coming from VIDEO: Pittsburgh proclaims ‘Austin Martinelli Day’ in honor of teen’s fundraising efforts for St. Jude DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts
