Tag Archives: east liberty presbyterian church

view from top of East Liberty Presbyterian Chuch

Get a Birds Eye View of East Liberty, Steeple Tour of East Liberty Presbyterian Church

The East Liberty Presbyterian Church tower

The East Liberty Presbyterian Church tower (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Another one of Pittsburgh’s best kept secrets. I happened to be at East Liberty Presbyterian Church one Sunday morning and I always read the bulletin because each Sunday they put in fun trivia facts about the music and things that happened on this day in history. I noticed they were offering a tour of the building after the service. It was one of those gray summer Sunday’s where I didn’t have anything else planned, so I stuck around and joined a handful of folks for a tour of the building from top to bottom, well it was actually from bottom to top. The tour ended with a hike, well really a climb, up a stunning stair case to the top of the steeple, with an incredible view of East Liberty and surrounding neighborhoods.

You will have to excuse the quality of the photo in this tweet, since it is from 2012, that was several years before I had an iphone and it was likely posted from my little Blackberry pearl phone.

I have posted about past tours at East Liberty Presbyterian Church here before and received many thanks for the tip. The next steeple tour is Sunday, June 11, 2017, details here. Wear pants and closed toe shoes.

English: Ralph Adams Cram, American architect

English: Ralph Adams Cram, American architect (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

East Liberty Presbyterian Church is an architectural gem, designed by famed architect Ralph Adams Cram. The tour gives you a chance to go “behind the scenes” actually, over the ceiling, to see some the interesting structural features. You can read more about Ralph Adams Cram and his work on East Liberty Presbyterian Church in this 2008 City Paper article here.

view from top of East Liberty Presbyterian Chuch

Secrets of the City: This Sunday Take A Tour to the Top of East Liberty Presbyterian Church

One of the most interesting tours I have taken in Pittsburgh – also offers a spectacular view.  Back in June of 2012 I happened to be at East Liberty Presbyterian Church they day they were offering a tour of the entire church – all the way up to the very top.

I am sure I took some photos of East Liberty from the top of the church, but I can’t find them.  It took some digging – but I found one of the photos I tweeted from the tour…

June 1 –  Tour the Tower of East Liberty Presbyterian Church

The East Liberty Presbyterian Church tower

The East Liberty Presbyterian Church tower (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This Sunday, June 1, 2014, East Liberty Presbyterian Church will be offering another tour of the building.

ELPC Tower Tour – June 1, 12:15pm
Do you want to scale the ELPC steeple and enjoy the tower and the view that it offers? You have an
opportunity to do so on Sun., June 1, at 12:15 pm.

Architect and ELPC Property Chairman Bruce Pollock will be our host for a climb to the top. Meet at the Hospitality Desk following our 11 am worship service. Wear slacks and comfortable shoes.
The tour will last for an hour, after which, there will be a 45-minute tour of the Sanctuary and Chapel.

Some tips for the tour:

  • Wear walking shoes – you will be walking up many steps
  • The tour starts at the Hospitality Desk – which is right inside the door on Highland Avenue.
  • Street parking is free on Sunday

If you go, please share some photos with us!

More About East Liberty – A History of the Highland Building

One of the other things I shared on twitter in June of 2012 was a link to this blog post on Building Pittsburgh about about the Highland Building, which is located directly across the street from the church.  In the past 2 years, the Highland Building has been completely renovated and is now an apartment building.

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Not to be Missed! – Bach Choir of Pittsburgh presents ‘The Promise of Freedom’

Bach Choir of Pittsburgh, under the baton of Artistic Director Thomas Wesley Douglas, continues its 74th season with a not to be missed concert that examines the power of oppression and focuses on ‘The Promise of Freedom’. The concert features the Ambridge Area High School Steel Drum Band, Todd Hartman, Director. Throughout history, music has emerged from those in servitude and slavery. The traditional spiritual, music from concentration camps, even the reggae of Bob Marley, all combine to form a body of musical literature that speaks from the heart and soul of the oppressed. The Choir presents a concert of music that finds hope in the sorrow of servile circumstance.

Saturday, May 10, 8:00 pm
Sunday, May 11, 4:00 pm
East Liberty Presbyterian Church – 116 S. Highland Ave.

Tickets range in price from $10 to $25 and are on sale now from ProArts Ticket Service at 412-394-3353 or at http://www.proartstickets.org. Discounts are available to groups of 10 or more. Tickets will be also be available at the door.