Greensburg houses of worship open doors for Westmoreland Historical Society tour

Westmoreland Historical Society has a new focus for its annual house tour. Instead of featuring private residences, the tour will include seven historic houses of worship in downtown Greensburg.

Set for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 17, the Main Street Greensburg’s Historic Houses of Worship Tour will give participants a detailed look into Westmoreland County’s Catholic, Protestant and Jewish history.

The edifices also are important to the area’s history of art and architecture, displaying the work of noted architects, craftsmen and stained-glass artists working at the time of construction, from the late 19th- to the mid-20th centuries.

“There are a variety of different spaces, from large like the cathedral, to more intimate like the synagogue,” said tour co-chair Clinton Piper. “It shows the broad range of religious congregations in Greensburg, which runs the gamut right on Main Street.”

The shift from private to public spaces was because of lingering concerns about hosting large crowds in small spaces.

“When we started talking about this tour, given the covid issues, we weren’t sure that homeowners would be willing to have people back in their houses yet,” Piper said. “The houses of worship are larger, basically public places.”

Organizers first approached seven congregations on Main Street.

“Greensburg has so many that we just started there, and they all said yes,” Piper said. “It was not intended to exclude anyone, it just happened. If it goes well this time, maybe we’ll try it again.”

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The Passion Window” in First Presbyterian Church, one of seven Main Street locations on Westmoreland Historical Society’s Main Street Greensburg Historic Houses of Worship Tour on Sept. 17.

Although the tour is mostly self-guided, representatives of the congregations and historical society volunteers will be present at each location to provide information and answer questions. Because Blessed Sacrament Cathedral will be open only for one hour, that portion of the tour will be guided.

“The congregations are very energized about the opportunity to open up to visitors,” Piper said. “They’re really invested in welcoming people and sharing their knowledge.”

Tour sites, from north to south:

Blessed Sacrament Cathedral, 300 N. Main — open 11 a.m.-noon only. Completed in 1928, the large-scale Gothic Revival-style church replaced an earlier 1887-88 brick building.

Pittsburgh architects Comès, Perry, and McMullen designed the church’s cruciform plan. It is constructed of sandstone from Neshannock Falls, Lawrence County, and outlined with Indiana limestone. The central tower rises more than 100 feet and contains four bronze bells that were gifts from prominent local resident Thomas Lynch and named for his four daughters. Beginning in 2010, the Cathedral underwent a large-scale restoration.

Congregation Emanu-El Israel, 222 N. Main — open 10 a.m.-2 p.m. only, masks are requested. Constructed of Ohio Stone, the temple was dedicated in October 1951. Six predominantly blue-and-white stained glass windows, each invoking a different holiday of the Jewish faith, help to illuminate the sanctuary. CEI has a rare set of Braille Torah scrolls in Hebrew, handmade by Rabbi Leonard Sarko, to assist those with vision impairments. Architect was Phillip Friedman.

Christ’s Church, 145 N. Main — Also a Gothic Revival-style building, the church is constructed of gray sandstone, likely quarried locally, topped by a slate roof. The use of red oak wood highlights the ceiling, while the chancel floor is Georgia marble. Completed in 1891, the church has 20 windows from prominent stained glass studios, including one from Tiffany. Architect was William Henry Archer.

Trinity United Church of Christ, 139 N. Main — The present brick building, designed by an unknown architect, dates to 1880. It features a central entrance with towers on either side. An original tall spire was removed at an unknown date, with the original bell placed in the adjacent churchyard. In addition to the towers, the façade features decorative brick details with sandstone accents around the doors, windows and arches.

First Evangelical Lutheran Church, 246 S. Main —The present building by architect M.H. Griese was dedicated on April 11, 1886, and has been updated and expanded several times: in the 1920s, 1948, in 1959 and 1998. A new Austin organ was installed in 1984, marking the bicentennial of the congregation in Greensburg.

First Presbyterian Church, 300 S. Main — Three other buildings predated the present church, a classic example of modified English Gothic Revival architecture by the Boston architectural firm of Cram & Ferguson. Dating to 1918, it was constructed of Massachusetts seam-faced granite and Indiana limestone. Woodcarving is featured in the pulpit, lectern, communion table, pews and choir and balcony railings. Memorial stained-glass windows, installed between 1921 and 1964, narrate biblical Old and New Testament stories.

First Church of Christ, Scientist, 425 S. Main — The first wood-framed church edifice was built on the site in 1920. A complete remodeling in 1953-54 included an addition by noted Greensburg architect Paul A. Bartholomew. The updates included construction of a new front entrance with concrete staircase, a glass wall façade, a spire above the west entrance, Sunday School room and library.

Toast the Tour

The historical society also will host its annual Toast the Tour cocktail party from 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 9 at The Woodlands, off Harvey Avenue in Greensburg, designed by Bartholomew for Robert and Margaretta Marshbank in 1938. The evening will feature cocktails and hearty hors d’oeuvres by Rizzo’s Malabar Inn, along with a private tour of the Colonial Revival-style home.

The home’s first-floor exterior has Cleveland cut stone, with wood shingles on the second floor and gable ends. Ironwork supports an arched window and the roof above the front door. The interior features hardwood floors, molded surrounds, a central hall extending the depth of the house, carved staircase, sunken living room with bay window and large fireplace, along with an expansive terrace edged in plantings and native rhododendron.

Cocktail party tickets are $75 and require advance purchase.

Advance tickets for the tour are $25, while tickets on tour day will be $30. Each ticket includes a booklet with historical information and photos.

All tickets are available at the Westmoreland History Shop at Historic Hanna’s Town, 809 Forbes Trail Road, Hempfield; by calling 724-838-1800, ext. 210; by emailing shop@westmorelandhistory.org; or online at westmorelandhistory.org.