Fate of historic church building in Sewickley hangs in the balance

ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pa. — The fate of a historic church-owned building in Sewickley remains unknown as council members continue to review options and hear from opposing stakeholders.

For more than a century, the “Herbst House” has stood on Broad Street, at one time serving as both a Catholic school and convent.

It’s owned by the Divine Redeemer Parish, part of the Catholic Diocese, which wants to see the building torn down and replaced with green space.

According to church leaders, the structure has been vacant for three decades, and has fallen into a state of disrepair. During a meeting with the borough’s Historic Review Commission last month, a structural engineer claimed that two separate inspections determined the building was “beyond repair and unsafe for use,” records show.

But the church’s request to demolish the structure has been met with contention.

The commission ultimately recommended that council members deny the church’s request.

The Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation also wants to see the building preserved.

President Michael Sriprasert told Channel 11 that “this is a very important architectural historic home, in a national register historic district base there right in Sewickley and anyone driving on Broad Street will notice the architectural integrity of this building.” He added that the structure is a “major draw in the community.”

A diocese spokesperson told Channel 11 that the parish does not have the funds to “bear the multimillion dollar cost of renovating the structure.”

We asked Sriprasert to respond.

“This is really a community effort now,” he said. “We’ve been having many discussions with the church, with the parish, with the diocese, with the local stakeholders who care very much about preserving this building and we think there can be a solution.”

He said meetings have been scheduled next week to look at possible solutions, which could range from fundraising efforts to seeking historic tax credits for a potential rehab project.

“At the end of the day, when this building’s operational again, I think the value will really be there for the church, for the school, and for the community,” Sriprasert said.

Multiple community members and visitors who spoke with Channel 11 outside the property on Thursday said that they see both sides of the debate.

One person, who attended the next-door Catholic school as a child, told Channel 11 “it would be really awesome if they’re able to preserve it,” but she was also open to the idea of more green space for the church’s use.

It’s unclear when a final decision could be made.

Sewickley Council opted to table the matter during a meeting on Tuesday. President Cynthia Mullins told Channel 11 that the borough’s engineer will soon assess the structure in order to provide more information for council to weigh the situation.

The assessment is expected to happen “relatively quickly,” she said.

There is currently no deadline for council members to make a decision.

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