East Liberty Presbyterian Church
| East Liberty Presbyterian Church | |
|---|---|
| Cathedral of Hope | |
View from Penn Avenue
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| Location | Pittsburgh, PA |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) |
| Website | www.cathedralofhope.org |
| History | |
| Founded | 1819 |
| Dedicated | 1935 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Ralph Adams Cram |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Specifications | |
| Nave length | 202 feet |
| Width across transepts | 117 feet |
| Nave height | 75 feet |
| Tower height | 300 feet |
| Administration | |
| Presbytery | Pittsburgh Presbytery |
| Clergy | |
| Pastor(s) |
Rev. Dr. Randall K. Bush Rev. Heather Schoenewolf |
| Laity | |
| Organist/Director of music | Dr. Edward Alan Moore |
| Music group(s) | Hope Academy |
| Designated | 1969 |
Rev. Dr. Randall K. Bush
East Liberty Presbyterian Church, also known as the Cathedral of Hope, is in the East Liberty neighborhood of the East End of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The current building is the fifth church building to occupy the site; the first was in 1819.
The church, built in the Gothic style, was built between 1932 and 1935 with a donation from Richard Beatty Mellon (1858–1933) and his wife, Jennie King Mellon, as a memorial to their mothers, Sarah Jane Negley Mellon and Sarah Cordelia Smith King, who were active members of the church. The principal architect was Ralph Adams Cram (1863–1942). Among the distinctions of the Cathedral of Hope are the representation of distinctly Reformed themes in statuary created by John Angel (sculptor) and Charles Connick designed stained glass (among nine other stained glass artists and studios). Notably, one stained glass window contains an image of Confederate General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, an ardent Presbyterian. Angel did the Last Supper group in marble.
The pipe organ in the church was also a gift of Richard Mellon, and it was built as Opus # 884 by the Boston firm of Æolian-Skinner. The organ was very large for its time, but not for East Liberty Presbyterian Church. The organ comprised eight divisions, including a six-rank string organ. The Indianapolis organ building firm of Goulding & Wood, Inc. completed an extensive renovation of the organ, completing the work in October 2007. The instrument now contains 120 ranks, with restoration work still to be done on the two antiphonal divisions in the rear gallery.
In addition to the main sanctuary, the church's campus includes an architecturally simpler chapel, a garth used for church services during summer months, extensive administrative offices, a large music rehearsal suite, a basketball court, and four duck-pin bowling alleys. The congregation formerly sponsored a men's shelter, providing temporary shelter, meals, and job training through the East End Cooperative Ministry. However, when EECM built a new building elsewhere in East Liberty, ELPC no longer housed any of these projects.
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