{"nrhp_refnum":"12000219","name":"Calvary Episcopal Church","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"315 Shady Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Pittsburgh","county":"Allegheny County","state":"PA","lat":40.45645423700006,"lon":-79.92139022599997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2012-04-18","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["national"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A Late Gothic Revival Episcopal church complex on the northeast corner of Shady Avenue and Walnut Street in Pittsburgh's East Liberty and Shadyside area, built 1906-1907 with additions in 1924, 1951 and 1975.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the church is a significant example of Late Gothic Revival ecclesiastical architecture, designed by Ralph Adams Cram, with custom stone, wood and stained glass work showing craftsmanship with few parallels in the region. It also cites its 1921 status as the site of the first radio broadcast of a church service and its role as the largest and most influential parish in the Diocese of Pittsburgh.","narrative":"Calvary Episcopal Church occupies a corner lot in a largely residential part of Pittsburgh. Construction ran from 1906 to 1907 under the Boston architect Ralph Adams Cram, with the Howard Hager Company of Pittsburgh as general contractor. The church is built of smooth pale grey limestone under dark slate roofs, with engaged buttresses, parapeted gables and tall lancet windows. A square stone tower over the crossing carries an octagonal spire about twenty stories high, visible for several miles. The stone carving, wood carving and stained glass were supplied by firms from Philadelphia, Boston, London and Pittsburgh. Its significance rests on its architecture and craftsmanship. The church also holds a place in broadcasting history, as the site of the first radio broadcast of a church service on January 2, 1921. The Kingsley Association settlement house, founded in 1893, was sponsored by the parish.","period_of_significance":"1907-1924","architect_builder":"Ralph Adams Cram (architect); Cram, Goodhue & Ferguson (architects); Howard Hager Company of Pittsburgh (builder)","architectural_style":"Late Gothic Revival","criteria":["C"],"status_note":null,"vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:10:27.531325-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_PA/12000219.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/12000219/4b18d8b951-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/12000219/4b18d8b951-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 2.0","author":"Tim Engleman from Saxonburg, PA","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CalvaryEpiscopalShadysidePHLF.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Tim Engleman from Saxonburg, PA</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 2.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CalvaryEpiscopalShadysidePHLF.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71997664","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvary_Episcopal_Church_(Pittsburgh)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5024179"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/pennsylvania/allegheny-county/calvary-episcopal-church-12000219/"}