University of Pittsburgh

University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania

University of Pittsburgh Strategic Plan (Website)

University of Pittsburgh report to the Getty (PDF) 88.5 MB

The University of Pittsburgh's Cathedral of Learning, a 42-story Gothic Revival building, is one of the best-known landmarks in Pittsburgh. The Cathedral, however, is just one part of a remarkable ensemble of buildings at the center of the campus built by Charles Klauder from 1924-1938, which also includes the Stephen Foster Memorial and the Heinz Memorial Chapel. In recent years the university has acquired seven additional historic buildings surrounding the Cathedral complex, including the Hotel Schenley and the Masonic Temple. Grant funds will be used to assess the exterior and interior conditions of these historic structures, develop a comprehensive preservation manual for its facilities division, and produce cost estimates for recommended conservation work.

University of Pittsburgh received a Getty grant in 2004 for $150,000 to support campus heritage planning.

Report Summary

Purpose: Grant funds were used to create a comprehensive architectural conservation assessment and preservation plan for two contiguous areas: the Cathedral of Learning complex (1926-1937) and Clapp Hall (1953) and the Oakland Civic Center (1895-1931), which together comprise the historic core of the University of Pittsburgh campus and which also serve as unique focal points for both the university and the city. The project examined historic documentation, surveyed existing interior and exterior conditions of buildings as well as the conditions of campus landscapes, and recommended preservation treatments when appropriate, provided standards for ongoing maintenance and recommended coordinated treatments for the two cores areas, including cost estimates for this work.

Historic Designation(s): Cathedral of Learning (City of Pittsburgh Preservation Ordinance; Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation; National Register of Historic Places); Schenley Farms / Oakland Civic Historic District (National Register of Historic Places); Oakland Civic Center Historic District (City of Pittsburgh Preservation Ordinance). Heinz Memorial Chapel, Stephen Collins Foster Memorial, William Pitt Union (formerly Hotel Schenley) (each recognized by the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation).

Planning Process: The university assembled a team of specialists, including architects, engineers, landscape designers, preservation professionals (especially those from firms with expertise in masonry and window repair), and representatives of the university community (such as facilities management, the university archives and special collections, and administration)..

The project team’s approach to the conservation study was guided by the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, to make possible a compatible use for a property through repair, alterations, and additions while preserving features that convey its historical cultural, or architectural values. The planning process also identified significant campus resources and their character-defining elements, as the foundation for the project’s scope.

Outcomes—Products: The central outcome was the production of “the University of Pittsburgh Civic Center Conservation Plan,” (2005) which constitutes a conservation manual combined with individual building briefs about significant sites. The manual included historic documentation of campus sites, an assessment of and recommendations about existing conditions (including documentation about the effectiveness of different treatment mechanisms and options), conservation planning and budgeting, and a resource guide and bibliography. Another outcome was a PowerPoint presentation that was expected to aid in training staff and disseminate information about the project to the campus community.

Outcomes—Strategies and Goals for the Future: The Civic Center Conservation plan raised many specific long-term theoretical, practical, and financial concerns regarding the care and maintenance of significant sites within the two areas noted above. Certain questions arose about the specificity and/or centrality of certain icons of the campus. Other questions focused on recommendations about aesthetic and functional improvements being coordinated together, such as HVAC upgrades in conjunction with window replacements, for greatest cost effectiveness. The project further addressed building-specific questions about the identification of issues affecting historic building fabric and the use of conservation study materials for training facilities management and also students in appropriate conservation practices. In addition, it offered recommendations about the deaccession of historic documents in facilities management archives for more appropriate inclusion in university archives and special collections.