Lower Burrell Cross on the Hill will continue to shine thanks to outpouring of support

All it took was a mention that the locally iconic Cross on the Hill needed repairs, and people across the country responded.

“Donations are really rolling in,” said Karen Snair, executive director of the Allegheny Valley Association of Churches in Harrison, which owns the 34-foot landmark.

“We’re overwhelmed by the generosity.”

The cross, erected in 1956 on private property in Lower Burrell, overlooks the Allegheny River and shines nightly on Tarentum, East Deer, Brackenridge and beyond.

A crumbling foundation jeopardized its future, Snair said, because it was an extreme safety hazard. Structural repairs to the 4-foot base are expected to cost about $10,000.

“As soon as people found out, our phones starting ringing off the hook,” she said.

Renovations are underway and expected to last about three weeks. Snair said the cross still is lit at night but will go dark during construction. “When that happens, people usually go nuts,” she said.

Association leaders long have considered converting the cross to LED lighting. Snair said now is the perfect time. “LED lights shine brighter, and they cost less to run,” she said.

The response to the call for donations has allowed the LED project to happen now, Snair said. She did not reveal the total collected but said it has surpassed the $10,000 goal.

An original cross made of wood stood on Pitcairn Heights, above West Tarentum, in the 1930s. It was illuminated during Lent and Easter only.

Plans for the metal Cross on the Hill originally were spearheaded by the First Presbyterian Church of Tarentum. An agreement with then-landowner Mildred Hess allowed the church to lease the land for $1 annually for 99 years at her Hilltop Drive property.

Designed by Alcoa Technical Center in New Kensington, the cross was constructed of steel donated from Allegheny Ludlum, now ATI, in Brackenridge. Because it is on private property, the cross is closed to view-seekers, but there have been events held there with permission.

It has been about 10 years since the cross required any extensive repairs, Snair said. “Every check that has come in has a note attached with a love story for the cross,” she said. “We’ve gotten contributions from all over the country.”