Preservation Pittsburgh’s Religious Architectural Heritage Committee (RAH) is organizing the Second Annual Sacred Spaces Historic Tour taking place on October 12th, 2019, in Wilkinsburg, PA, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The tour will be free to attend and open to the public.

The tour will serve as an ‘open house’ for local religious properties. Tour participants will have a chance to view the interiors and exteriors of participating worship spaces. Attendees will learn about the histories of these religious structures and experience Wilkinsburg’s reputation as ‘The City of Churches’ from their congregations.

St. James Roman Catholic, St. Mark AME, Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Covenant Fellowship Reformed Presbyterian, and St. Stephen’s Episcopal are among the religious properties confirmed on the tour. Properties converted to or from spaces of worship, such as the Pittsburgh Urban Christian School (PUCS) and Gethsemane Holiness Church, will also be featured.

Open houses will feature a number of activities, including artistic performances/exhibitions, craft workshops and classes, and discussions about church history and architecture. A conversational reception with light hors d’oeuvres will follow the tour in The Sleeping Octopus at 1300 Wood St. in Wilkinsburg (formerly the Yingling Mansion).

The tour will highlight the communal value and historic significance of sacred spaces in Wilkinsburg’s continuing development. RAH aims to foster constructive dialog between borough residents and cultivate healthy community relationships across religious denominations.

This tour is funded by Neighborhood Allies and Preservation Pittsburgh.

Questions regarding tour information, participating religious properties, and Preservation Pittsburgh’s Religious Architectural Heritage committee may be directed to the committee by emailing sacredspacestours@gmail.com or calling (412)256-8755.