Former St. Alphonsus Church in Springdale supplies Pittsburgh's official Christmas tree — again
Pittsburgh’s 108th Christmas tree once again will hail from Springdale.
While the approximately 40-foot blue spruce won’t be cut down until Saturday, crews from the city’s public works department were at the former St. Alphonsus Church on Thursday to cut down another tree on the property. Officials intend to use branches from that tree to help fill gaps in the main Christmas tree, which will be displayed at the City-County Building in Downtown Pittsburgh.
“We’re happy they could use the tree,” said Tom Babinsack, business manager for Guardian Angels Parish. “They’re dying, so it’s good they could use it before they die.”
As the tree makes its way to Pittsburgh, there will be traffic restrictions through the Lower Valley, Oakmont, Verona and the area near the City-County Building.
There will be temporary delays and rolling traffic closures from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. Saturday along Freeport Road from Springdale to the Hulton Bridge in Harmar and along Allegheny Avenue and Allegheny River Boulevard in Oakmont, according to city officials.
There also will be traffic delays and rolling closures through Verona and Penn Hills, then along Washington Boulevard to the Fifth Avenue entrance to the busway in Pittsburgh.
Officials began searching for the city’s Christmas tree in August. To be considered, a tree had to be at least 40 feet tall. It could be of any evergreen variety.
The new tree will be in place and decorated before Pittsburgh’s Light Up Night on Saturday, Nov. 18.
The first Pittsburgh Christmas tree was displayed in 1914 on the construction site of the City-County Building.
Springdale seems to be fertile ground for official Pittsburgh Christmas trees, at least recently.
Last year’s tree, another 40-foot blue spruce donated by Guardian Angels Catholic Parish, also stemmed from the former St. Alphonsus Church campus.
In 2019, a Springdale family donated a 50-foot blue spruce to serve as the city’s official holiday tree.
Kellen Stepler is a TribLive reporter covering the Allegheny Valley and Burrell school districts and surrounding areas. He joined the Trib in April 2023. He can be reached at kstepler@triblive.com.
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