First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh
I’m expanding my scope for the Churches of Pittsburgh project to the neighborhoods east of the city. There are so many magnificent and well-maintained churches concentrated in Oakland, Shadyside and Squirrel Hill that are very much a part of these university communities. The first stop on my expanded list is the First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh. This Shadyside church has a beautiful stone exterior that I hope to get around to photographing one of these days, but for now, I concentrated my photography on the sanctuary. It is a moderately sized church, considering the number of neighboring churches per capita. The most beautiful feature in this church’s sanctuary is the ceiling. I’m finding that to be a theme in this project. The ceilings in many of the older church buildings are a work of art. In many cases, they rival the stained glass windows and effectively focus the attention upward—very fitting for houses of worship, right? Anyhow, let’s get to the photos.





