Efforts to Preserve Historic Smithfield Church Faces Financial and Structural Challenges

Written by Christine Julia Dingzon

The historic Smithfield United Church of Christ, nestled in the heart of Downtown Pittsburgh, is confronting a significant challenge: the church’s building requires over $10 million in repairs, and the congregation lacks the budget to fund the necessary updates. With decades of deferred maintenance, the leadership is now working alongside local architect Rob Pfaffmann to find creative solutions and potential partners who can help preserve the church.

Pfaffman, who specializes in architectural preservation, has volunteered his services to develop a strategy for revitalizing the building. He recognizes the difficulty in finding partners to help with the preservation, given the enormity of the repairs. As he puts it, “If I’m a developer, if I’m the city… why should I care and why should I get involved in a building that has huge, millions and millions of dollars, of liabilities? Why would I want to take that on? But somebody’s got to take it on, right?”

In an effort to receive and secure support, Pfaffmann and church leaders pitched plans in October to a variety of community stakeholders, including real estate professionals and nonprofit organizations. One potential solution involved adding five stories to the adjacent Smithfield Building, creating new residential units, and incorporating sustainable features like a solar array and rooftop community space. However, any development in the Smithfield Building would require cooperation from the current tenants, including the Carnegie Library and Brooks Brothers.

The church has long been part of the Smithfield Street corridor which stretches through the heart of Downtown. The church’s leadership is hopeful that their efforts to preserve the building can contribute to the revitalization of the street, a concept that has accumulated attention from both residents and city officials.