Pittsburgh preservationists see opportunities in Washington, Monessen
Courtesy of Young Preservationists Association
The former Fraternal Order of Eagles building, which later became Landmark Place, is one of the last remaining original structures in the Westgate section of downtown Monessen.
Washington North Main photo
Scott Beveridge/Observer-Reporter
The 100 block of North Main Street in Washington
Scott Beveridge/Observer-Reporter
Landmark Place at Eighth Street and Donner Avenue in Monessen
A group of preservationists sees opportunities to save places along Washington’s Main Street and an ornate former social hall in Monessen.
The Young Preservationists of Pittsburgh included Main Street, parts of which have fallen to blight, and Landmark Place in the Mon Valley city on its 2018 list of the top 10 preservation opportunities in the region.
“We reach out to the communities to see about the places they feel are significant,” said Matthew Craig, the organization’s executive director.
Main Street in Washington has been making a comeback with the openings of a brewery, whiskey distilleries and restaurants, along with pavilions having been constructed over adjoining parking lots for community events and a popular farmers market.
“We want to keep that momentum going,” Craig said Monday.
He said there is a movement involving the preservation of Main Streets in America.
“These commerce districts were left fallow and need to be rejuvenated,” Craig said.
He said Washington Main Street Manager Will Prince nominated the downtown, and Monessen Mayor Matt Shorraw recommended Landmark Place for the listing.
Landmark Place’s inclusion marks the third consecutive year that a Monessen building has made the list.
Last year, the John William Manown house made the list, calling attention to its need for a new roof. The Victorian-era house now serves as a Halloween attraction known as Castle Blood, years after it had been abandoned.
The 2016 list included the three-story Beaux Arts-style Monessen Savings & Trust building at Fifth Street and Donner Avenue. The city-owned structure continues to be neglected.
“How many can be saved?” Craig said. “I don’t know.”
Landmark Place, at Eighth Street and Donner Avenue, is among the last surviving original buildings in the city’s Westgate section. It was built by the Fraternal Order of the Eagles and later converted into a steelworkers union hall. The vernacular Renaissance Revival-style building was last used as a dance hall.
The building, which is owned by Ron and Jan Siarnicki, has been vacant for about a decade, Shorraw said. It has recently developed a leaking roof.