The Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation (PHLF) is a

nonprofit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

organization founded in 1964 to support the preservation of historic buildings and neighborhoods in

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

USA The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. In 1966, PHLF established the Revolving Fund for Preservation with a $100,000 grant from the

Sarah Scaife Foundation The Scaife Foundations refer collectively to three foundations in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The three subdivisions are: the Allegheny Foundation, the Sarah Scaife Foundation, and the Scaife Family Foundation. A fourth foundation, the Carthage Fo ...

. PHLF used the grant to purchase, restore and renovate historic inner-city properties primarily in the North Side and South Side neighborhoods of Pittsburgh, which were rented or sold to low- and moderate-income families.

Allegheny County Survey

PHLF was the first historic preservation group in the nation to undertake a countywide survey of architectural landmarks, which Co-Founders Arthur P. Ziegler Jr. and James D. Van Trump did in 1965. The foundation's historic plaque program was begun in 1968, and since that time it has awarded over 500 plaques to designate significant historical structures within Allegheny County.

Hamnett Place preservation and restoration

In 2004, the PHLF launched initiatives in partnership with its for-profit development affiliate, Landmark Development Corporation, to begin restoration work on historic structures in the Hamnett Place neighborhood of

Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania Wilkinsburg is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. The borough has a population of 15,930 as of the 2010 census. Wilkinsburg is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The borough was named for John Wilkins Jr., a United States Army o ...

. Within a decade, more than 70 structures were improved, a new neighborhood center was opened, and the community's supply of

affordable housing Affordable housing is housing which is deemed affordable to those with a household income at or below the median as rated by the national government or a local government by a recognized housing affordability index. Most of the literature on af ...

was increased. The collaborators were subsequently honored with the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation National Preservation Award in recognition of their accomplishments. During this time, the

Hamnett Historic District Hamnett Historic District is a historic district in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania. Bordered roughly by Rebecca Avenue, the rear property lines on the east side of Center Street, Sewer Way, and Lytle Way, it encompasses 77 buildings and 114 acres. T ...

was also established; that historic district was then approved on June 28, 2010 for listing on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

. In 2015, the two affiliates entered into a collaboration with Falconhurst Development to begin an $11.5 million multi-site restoration within and near the Hamnett Historic District. In addition to restoring four vacant buildings which had been built sometime around the beginning of the 20th century, the developer had plans to open a series of new townhouses in the same area by 2016 with the collaborators again indicating that the housing would be affordable, based on

United States Housing and Urban Development Department The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It administers federal housing and urban development laws. It is headed by the Secretary of Housing and Urb ...

(HUD) guidelines. Ground was broken on the project in late September 2015.Beras, Erika.
Restoration Begins on Historic Wilkinsburg Housing
" Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: WESA Radio (PBS), September 28, 2015.

References

External links

Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation
{{Authority control Culture of Pittsburgh History of Pittsburgh Historic preservation organizations in the United States Organizations established in 1964 Organizations based in Pittsburgh Non-profit organizations based in Pittsburgh

Allegheny County Survey

Hamnett Place preservation and restoration

See also

References

External links