Polish Hill is a distinctive ethnic sector in the Upper Hill district of Pittsburgh. It was formerly known as Herron Hill before a mass influx of Polish immigrants arrived during the 1890s. The Immaculate Heart of Mary Church and School was opened in 1897 and a cathedral below was dedicated for service in December 1905. The cathedral features an enormous painted green dome that is a distinctive and a treasured site above the city.
The domed cathedral remains in operation, but the red-brick school graduated its final class in 1987. Today the facility remains abandoned and crumbling with decay. Efforts to renovate the structure have met city planning resistance due to the presence of asbestos and foundation deterioration. The carcass has remained vulnerable to harsh weather, vandals and squatters. Defacement includes rampant graffiti scrawls and stencils that have created a mode of expression for the disenfranchised.
It is difficult to confirm if the memorials are accurate or simple representations. Each painted memorial is accompanied by lit candles set on altars. The impression is staged rather than genuine.
The edifice is suffering a losing battle towards ultimate saving and re-purpose. Absent of a large cash infusion, its future appears doomed. Time and deterioration has not been sympathetic to a no longer desirable building.
