The future of Sewickley’s Herbst House remains in limbo as talks continue with parish, foundation officials
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Sewickley officials don’t plan to take action this month on request to demolish the Herbst House, a former private residence, Catholic school and convent along Broad Street.
Council tabled action at its Sept. 13 meeting on a recommendation by the borough’s historic review commission to deny a demolition request from the the Divine Redeemer Parish.
Council President Cynthia Mullins said it will not be on this month’s agenda, and there is no timetable to vote on the matter.
Parish officials are in talks with Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation about what can be done with the property.
The Rev. Brian Noel said Tuesday, Nov. 1 his congregation still wants to raze the building and make it a green space for community and church activities.
“We were quite clear that the simple thing for us is to continue with the (demolition) permit,” Noel said. “We’re open to dialogue with the preservationists. … We don’t have a use for it. If that property stays, we still need a place where our students can gather and recreate.”
The commission unanimously voted Aug. 1 to recommend denying the demolition request after hearing from a Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh attorney, a structural engineer, parishioners and Noel, who became its pastor in May 2020.
Parish experts testified it may cost around $2 million to restore the building. Several parishioners also expressed the need to demolish the building while residents lobbied for its preservation.
Brief history
The Divine Redeemer Parish includes St. James Church in Sewickley and St. Mary’s church in Aleppo.
The house was built in the late 1800s and owned by D.C. Herbst, of the Independent Natural Gas Co. and Standard Oil Co.
The home was sold to the church in the early 1900s for $12,000. It became the first home of St. James School when it was dedicated on Dec. 6, 1913, according to church records.
The three-story mansion has been vacant for about three decades. It has deteriorated, primarily due to a leaking roof. Vegetation also reclaimed a portion of the property.
Foundation mum on details
Noel said representatives of the parish’s real estate committee have been in weekly communication with foundation officials, fielding questions they have about the structure and access the cost of a renovation.
“There’s a lot of moving parts,” he said. “We’re not looking to sell that property. It was never our intent to do that.”
Foundation spokesman Karamagi Rujumba offered a statement Tuesday afternoon but declined to explain how those parts were moving.
“We are interested with working with the borough, and with the parish and different stake holders in the community to come up with a viable solution,” he said.