The Blairsville Armory in Indiana County, a 1909 building on the National Register of Historic Places, is the Young Preservationists Association's leading cause on this year's Top 10 best preservation opportunities in the region.
In its sixth year of publishing a Top 10 wish list of sites to be saved, YPA celebrates the cause at a gala tonight at the New Hazlett Theater in Allegheny Center. It will award Norwin High School student Tansy Michaud its 2008 Promise Award for her video about the history of Irwin and plan for its revitalization.
The YPA promotes preservation of historic sites in a nine-county area of southwestern Pennsylvania.
On the Top 10 list, the Blairsville site ranked No. 1 based on a grading formula that considers the strength of community efforts, feasibility of saving the site, threat to it and its location, said YPA founder and Chief Executive Officer Dan Holland.
With both Main Street and Elm Street funding and the first phase of a $1 million streetscape completed, "Blairsville has a very good plan, and we want to support that," he said.
The rest of the Top 10, with comments from Mr. Holland, in descending order, are:
2. The G.C. Murphy Building, 1907, West Newton, Westmoreland County. "Many of these classic storefronts are disappearing from the American landscape every year." The community has plans to restore the building for retail use.
3. Wilkinsburg's Main Street, 1890s to the 1940s. "The commercial core is an outstanding example of the classic Western Pennsylvania small-town main street."
4. The Meason House, 1802, Lemont Furnace, Fayette County. "A unique expression of the English Palladian villa in America, it was built by Isaac Meason, a pioneer in the iron industry. The house is threatened by encroaching development."
5. Colonial Hotel, 1904, Meyersdale, Somerset County. "The historic Colonial is one of the most important architectural, historical and cultural assets in the borough."
6. Zillmer Building, circa 1890s, Arnold, Westmoreland County. "It is the most architecturally distinctive building in the commercial district and on the city's demolition list. Short-term funding is needed to stabilize."
7. McKees Rocks' Main Street, 1890s to 1930s. "The McKees Rocks Community Development Corp. is transforming the economy, design and function of lower Chartiers Avenue. Listing on the Top 10 provides a much needed boost to fund-raising and financing efforts."
8. Overholt Distillery, 1853-1899, Broad Ford, Fayette County. "The distillery was one of the few to operate during Prohibition, distilling spirits for 'medicinal purposes.' Now abandoned and vandalized, it is envisioned as a destination on the newly established American Whiskey Trail."
9. Dormont Pool, 1929, Dormont, which has generally maintained its original look. "Friends of Dormont Pool formed to raise $1.2 million for renovations. They are halfway there."
10. The Garden Theater, 1915, Central North Side. "Nickelodeon-style theater believed to be the oldest theater in Pittsburgh. With city's historic designation, the theater is protected from demolition."
Mr. Holland said that, of the 60 sites YPA has recommended over the years, "we have had just one loss, the Murphy Building in Uniontown," which was demolished several years ago.
A number of them have been preserved, like the Armstrong Cork Factory, which was turned into luxury apartments in the Strip District, and the Union Project, a former church, now a community center in Highland Park.
"A larger number are too early to tell, and a small number still face an imminent threat but are not lost yet," he said. "The point is that preservation takes time. It's not the quick and easy thing but it is the right thing to do, and once things get preserved, it adds value -- economically, socially and politically -- to the community."
First Published: May 16, 2008, 4:00 a.m.
