By Bill Zlatos

Published: Tuesday, January 22, 2013, 12:01 a.m.
Updated: Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Built a year after Fort Pitt was besieged by Indians in 1763, the Fort Pitt Block House avoided future attacks. It later survived an attempt by the Pennsylvania Railroad to convert the Point to a rail yard.

Now a group of preservationists is trying to save the 249-year-old building from the impact of another threat — flooding.

The Fort Pitt Society, owners of the building, plans to begin the first phase of preserving the building on Wednesday when TUV Rhein-land Industrial Solutions takes computerized X-rays of the gun loops — openings in the building where soldiers could fire their muskets at the enemy. The gun loops and the roof are the only parts of the building that are made of wood.

“It's one of the greatest, if not the greatest, historical treasure in the city of Pittsburgh. It's literally where Pittsburgh began, and that should be important to every Pittsburgher,” said Maureen Mahoney Hill, a consultant for the Fort Pitt Block House in Point State Park.

It will take two days to complete the X-rays to determine which timbers need to preserved. Work on the timbers is expected to begin in April, when temperatures are warm enough to inject preservatives.

“Probably the biggest challenge for the Fort Pitt Block House and Fort Pitt was flooding almost immediately after it was constructed,” Hill said. She noted that floodwaters rose to the roof during the 1936 flood.

Emily Hoover, curator of the block house, said 80 percent of the building and 60 percent of the gun loops are original.

“If the gun loops were to fail or completely rot out, the entire building would collapse. That's why it's very important we do this project and do it now instead of later,” she said.

Masonry restoration and French drain repairs are expected to be completed by August. The last phase, interior repairs, is scheduled to be done by the end of October.

“We'll try to keep it open as much as possible,” Hill said. She noted that the building may have to close at times for safety or lack of space.

The Colcom Foundation is paying $90,000 of the cost of the project and an anonymous donor the remaining $50,000

The block house, the only surviving structure from the fort, was given to the Daughters of the American Revolution by Mary Schenley in 1894.

Bill Zlatos is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-320-7828 or bzlatos@tribweb.com.

1. Storm won’t pack as big of a punch in W.Pa.
2. Government defends recording Armstrong County man’s jail conversation
3. Four city school board candidates won’t be challenged in fall
4. Catholic philosopher’s works to go high-tech
5. Municipal roundup: Dormont mayor’s battle still tight
6. Former Mt. Lebanon commissioner on top
7. Food haulers targeted  by police, ag inspectors
8. Newsmaker: Tony Cintron
9. Prosecutor brings compassion, passion to role as deputy AG
10. Trauma study in Pittsburgh region won’t need up-front approval
11. Trib poll: Peduto pulling ahead in Pittsburgh mayor’s race

There are currently no comments for this story.
Subscribe today! Click here for our subscription offers.