Inspire Preservation: Lia NigroI grew up in a small town in the…

Downtown Pittsburgh with the Smithfield Bridge & Monongahela River, ca. 1890-1910. (Pittsburgh Railways Company Records, 1872-1974, AIS.1974.29, Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh)

The Pittsburgh city skyline from Mount Washington, over the Smithfield Bridge and Station Square – one of the city’s early efforts at economically-advantageous historic preservation. (L. Nigro, 2016)

The Monongahela Incline, opened on May 28, 1870, was the first incline constructed in Pittsburgh. (Image courtesy Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh. Second Century Acquisition Fund, 1999.34.1)

This December 2016 view of the Monongahela Incline from the top of the Mount Washington captures the spirit of a city over time. (L. Nigro)

Reminders of the railway are never distant during a walk or bike ride along the Westmoreland Heritage Trail, formerly the Penn Central rail corridor (2016)

Map of the interurban electric lines in the region from “Lewis’ Pittsburgh Street & Trolly Guide” Pocket Directory. (1919, H. A. Schafer News Co. Distributors)

Lia (right) with her sister (left), overlooking the Columbia River between Oregon and Washington.

A walk on one of the region’s rail-trails, such as the Westmoreland Heritage Trail, offers a connection to the area’s cultural and natural identity (L. Nigro, 2016).

Inspire Preservation: Lia Nigro

I grew up in a small town in the Pennsylvania rust belt, in

a river valley where the smoke and whistles of once lively industry have

gracefully given way to songbirds and a carpet of vines. Here, the relationship

between the natural and built environment was never in question. 

A contemporary view of the landscape evokes

the memory of accumulated years. Development of the industrial landscape, the patterns

of settlement and economic life that followed, and the promises of revitalization

fit together as naturally as the curving rivers, hillsides, and railroads.

Near Pittsburgh, I traced the indelible connections between memory and place.

Even as the landscape transformed through

colonial settlement to industrial powerhouse to the modern revival, many of its

buildings and neighborhoods, communities and ways of life, landmark sites and notable

views, and unique natural attractions have persisted in some way. In this

region, I came to understand that heritage preservation involves more than just saving the existence of one building, site, or corridor.

Transportation sign announcing Trafford, a town to the east of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The town was named by George Westinghouse, founder of the Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company. In addition to the Westinghouse plant, development in the town featured a housing plan for company employees. (Image via traffordhistory.org)

While many remarkable physical features do remain in this

area, the passing of time has been accompanied by transformation, growth, and

loss. The processes of both physical and social change reveal the value in preserving representations

of a landscape. 

Having access to maps, photos, drawings, and newspapers helps planners, historians, educators, and architects, and can play a critical role for each of us in understanding identity. These resources allow us to explore the landscape of the past, the

landscape of the present, and – most importantly – the living connections

between them.

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Did You Know?

This intersection of historic, cultural,

and natural resources in Southwestern Pennsylvania is a National Heritage Area.

• Learn more about NPS National Heritage Areas  –  While NHAs are not national park units, the National Park Service partners with, provides technical assistance, and distributes funding from Congress to the 49 NHAs. 

• Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area – Created in 1996, this area encompasses over 5,000 square miles in eight counties of Southwestern Pennsylvania. 

There are many archivists and information professionals dedicated to the preservation mission of the National Park Service. 

• Discover
  
  more about NPS Archives, Records, and Research 

• NPS Libris Discovery Portal: Find historic photos, documents, reports, maps, museum collections, and more from the National Park Service

• Learn more about cultural landscape preservation

As 2017 begins, we are featuring a series of landscape preservation inspiration posts from members of the program. Missed anything? Check out the full series here.

The early years of observation and collection: Lia (right) and sister investigate in Pennsylvania. (Photo courtesy of L. Nigro)

Sources & More:  

• Pittsburgh Railways Company Records / University of Pittsburgh


• Carnegie Museum of Art via Historic Pittsburgh 


• Maps of PA