Mount St. Peter Roman Catholic Church
Why it's listed
Built on a ridge east of downtown New Kensington, the church was completed in 1942 in the Art Deco style, with later buildings added around a quadrangle: a parish hall, a convent in 1948, and a two-story International-style school in 1946. Its red Michigan sandstone facing and much of its interior marble, bronze railings, carved wood and granite balustrade were salvaged from the R. K. Mellon mansion in Pittsburgh, dismantled between December 1940 and May 1941, and from other Pittsburgh buildings. Italian parishioners, many of them aluminum workers at the Alcoa plant, helped build it during wartime shortages of money, materials and labor. The church is also tied to Monsignor Nicola Fusco, the pastor from 1923, who was involved in Alcoa's labor relations and spoke from his pulpit on both sides of union questions. The complex is valued for its ties to the aluminum industry and for its reuse of materials.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the church is significant under Criterion A for its association with aluminum workers at the New Kensington Production Works and for the role of its priest, Father Fusco, in labor matters. It is also argued to be significant under Criterion C as a local example of mid-20th century ecclesiastical architecture, built by Italian parishioners using salvaged materials from the Mellon Mansion in Pittsburgh and other buildings during wartime shortages.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 98000398, listed May 5, 1998. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 100 Freeport Rd., New Kensington |
|---|---|
| County | Westmoreland County |
| Listed | May 5, 1998 |
| Reference number | 98000398 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1942-1948 |
| Architect / builder | Enos Cooke (architect) |
| Architectural style | Art Deco (church); International (parish school) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Social History, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The complex is described as being in excellent condition. |
| Acreage | 3.1 |
| Coordinates | 40.56385, -79.76136 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 98000398.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6923812
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.