PITTSBURGH — A demolition order for the long-abandoned St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church on Liverpool Street has surprised many residents in Pittsburgh’s Manchester neighborhood, uniting neighbors who hope to preserve the building.
“This building is irreplaceable,” said Andrew Moore, a board member of the Manchester Historic Society.
Moore says that for more than a century, St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church has stood as a landmark in the neighborhood.
“People have memories of Father Jack O’Malley and memories of this church being an anchor in this community and we’d hate to lose it,” Moore said. “It loses history and a sense of place — that architectural history and also that history of what this church has meant to the community for over a century.”
Although the church is vacant, neighbors say it is not entirely empty.
Chloe Page said she has been caring for stray cats that have taken refuge inside the building.
“I think every living being deserves to be warm and fed, at the same time, trying to control the population,” Page said.
Neighbors are now working to rehome the cats before any demolition begins.
“I worry about the cats being taken care of and not being forgotten in the demo,” Manchester resident Emma Martin said.
Residents say the potential demolition has brought together a diverse group of community members.
“The effort to preserve this church has united members of the community,” Moore said. “Diverse groups of folks have come together to champion it and what it means to the community.”
The demolition order does not list a date by which the building must be torn down. The order is scheduled to go before the city’s Historic Commission on Wednesday.
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