1901 Church

THE MISSION OF 1901 CHURCH, INC. (DBA THE STEEPLES PROJECT) IS TO TRANSFORM HISTORIC, FORMER ETHNIC CHURCH BUILDINGS INTO DYNAMIC VENUES WITHIN THE CAMBRIA CITY CULTURAL DISTRICT OF JOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA

AN OPERATING SUPPORT GRANT OF 45,000 FROM THE KATHERINE MABIS MCKENNA FOUNDATION OF LATROBE, PA, ENABLED 1901 CHURCH TO HIRE ITS FIRST FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE: A PROGRAM MANAGER WHO WAS TASKED WITH MANAGING OUR GRAND HALLE ON BROAD STREET, INCLUDING THE SCHEDULING AND PRESENTING OF PERFORMING ARTS CONCERTS AND OVERSEEING SPECIAL-EVENT RENTALS. THANKS TO A 525,000 RENEWAL PROJECT IN LATE-2019 AND EARLY-2020, THE GRAND HALLE'S INTERIOR NOW SPARKLES WITH ALL OF ITS DECORATIVE PLASTERWORK RESTORED AND A FRESH PAINT JOB COVERING THE ENTIRE MAIN ROOM. THE RENEWAL PROJECT ATTRACTED THE ATTENTION OF THE JOHNSTOWN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, WHICH NOW SCHEDULES TWO OF ITS SUBSCRIPTION-SERIES CONCERTS EACH SEASON AS CHAMBER-MUSIC EVENTS IN THE HALLE. (THE HALLE IS TOO SMALL TO ACCOMMODATE THE FULL ORCHESTRA PLUS THE 700 PATRONS WHO NORMALLY COME TO EXPERIENCE IT. BUT THE HALLE'S RESONATE ACOUSTICS BEAUTIFULLY FRAME CHAMBER PERFORMERS, RANGING FROM STRING QUARTETS TO ENSEMBLES OF 25-30 PLAYERS.) WITH THE HALLE'S GROWING REPUTATION AS A CONCERT VENUE, COUPLED WITH ITS POPULARITY FOR SPECIAL EVENTS - ESPECIALLY WEDDING RECEPTIONS - 1901 CHURCH BELIEVES THAT WITH EFFECTIVE FULL-TIME MANAGEMENT, WHICH THE HALLE NOW HAS, THIS SAVED AND RENEWED FORMER ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH BUILDING IS ON THE PATH TO SELF-SUSTAINABILITY.

FUND-RAISING IS UNDERWAY FOR THE FINAL DESIGN PHASE OF THE COLUMBA THEATRE PROJECT: IN 2022, 80,000 WAS COMMITTED TOWARD A 190,000 DESIGN PROJECT: 35,000 FROM THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FOR THE ALLEGHENIES; 25,000 FROM THE PENNSYLVANIA HISTORICAL AND MUSEUM COMMISSION; AND 20,000 FROM THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS. ADDITIONAL FUND-RAISING EFFORTS WERE STILL UNDERWAY AT THE YEAR'S END. THE FINAL DESIGN PHASE WILL MAKE THE FIRST PHASE OF THE COLUMBA THEATRE PROJECT SHOVEL-READY. SCHEMATIC DESIGN AND DESIGN DEVELOPMENT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED ON THE COLUMBA THEATRE PROJECT, WHICH WILL TURN 1901 CHURCH, INC.'S FORMER ST. COLUMBA CHURCH BUILDING INTO A PROFESSIONAL-QUALITY CENTER FOR DRAMATIC ARTS, WHICH JOHNSTOWN CURRENTLY LACKS. THE DESIGN TEAM INCLUDES AN ARCHITECT, WHO SPECIALIZES IN ADAPTIVE-REUSES FOR HISTORICAL BUILDINGS; A THEATRE- DEVELOPMENT CONSULTING FIRM; AN ACOUSTICAL CONSULTANT SPECIALIZING IN PERFORMING ARTS SPACES; A MEP ENGINEERING FIRM; AND A STRUCTURAL ENGINEER. DESIGN IS BEING DONE IN CONFORMANCE WITH THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR'S STANDARDS FOR THE TREATMENT OF HISTORIC PROPERTIES. PLANNING AND DESIGN ACTIVITIES TO DATE HAVE COST 152,000 WITH FUNDING PROVIDED BY THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS, A KEYSTONE HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLANNING GRANT, THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATIONS, THE 1889 FOUNDATION AND THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FOR THE ALLEGHENIES. MEANWHILE, COLUMBA IS OPEN AND BEING OFFERED AS A ROUGH SPACE FOR THEATRE COMPANIES TO USE FOR REHEARSALS, AUDITIONS, WORKSHOPS, CLASSES AND PERFORMANCES.

1901 CHURCH, INC., IS FINDING MULTIPLE WAYS TO USE ITS THIRD SET OF PROPERTIES - A CA. 1889, 13-ROOM QUEEN ANNE VICTORIAN THAT ORIGINALLY WAS THE RECTORY FOR ST. COLUMBA PARISH AND A FOUR-BAY GARAGE ACQUIRED IN 2020. THE HOUSE NOW PROVIDES CORPORATE OFFICES FOR OUR ORGANIZATION AND ANCILLARY SPACES FOR A BOX OFFICE, DRESSING ROOMS AND A GREEN ROOM WHEN THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS TAKE PLACE THROUGH OUR COLUMBA THEATRE PROJECT. OCCASIONALLY BEDROOMS IN THE HOUSE ARE RENTED TO LODGERS FOR WEEKEND OR LONGER-TERM OCCUPANCIES. HALF OF THE GARAGE IS BEING RENTED TO A NEIGHBORING NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, PROVIDING BOTH ORGANIZATIONS WITH BADLY NEEDED STORAGE SPACE. WE CURRENTLY ARE WORKING TO REPAIR THE HOUSE ROOF, A PORTION OF WHICH IS DETERIORATED AND ALLOWS LEAKS INTO THE ATTIC. FUNDS, TOTALING 12,000, WERE RAISED TO ASSESS THE ROOF CONDITION AND PERFORM STABILIZATION WORK ON A CENTER SECTION THAT WAS FAILING. NOW FUNDS ARE BEING SOUGHT TO PERFORM MORE COMPREHENSIVE REPAIR AND RESTORATION WORK.