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Architectural historian offers presentation on Waynesburg

By For The Greene County Messenger 4 min read
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The block of East High Street between Cumberland and Morgan streets looks almost the same today as when this photo was taken about 1903, just before the street was paved with bricks. Source: Mary Beth Pastorius postcard collection.

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Pastorius

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This is the earliest known image of Waynesburg, published in 1843. On the left is the first brick courthouse that stood on the Public Square from 1800 to 1850. Remnants of some of these early 19th-century colonial buildings remain. (Historical Collections of the State of Pennsylvania by Sherman Day.)

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Historical preservationist, Mary Beth Pastorius, will be the featured speaker at the Rev. John Corbly Descendants Association's 85th annual reunion this year.

Waynesburg native Mary Beth Pastorius believes buildings hold a key to the past as they are places where people worked and lived.

“These buildings tell the story of the people of Greene County,” said Pastorius, who used nearly 100 historic photographs of downtown Waynesburg to explain its development in a presentation earlier this month at the Hartley Inn in Carmichaels. The meeting was hosted by the Warrior Trail Association, which fosters an appreciation of Greene County history and scenic beauty.

Pastorius’ presentation examined the town from its beginning in 1796 through the mid-20th century. She identified dates and styles of buildings and talk about the owners, craftsmen, architects and materials that created them.

“Part of my objective is to tell the story of how the town started, developed, styles of architecture at different eras. If you come to my lecture, you’ll come out with a basic knowledge,” she said.

Pastorius grew up in Waynesburg and still has family here, noting, “My love of architecture began in Waynesburg because there is so much wonderful architecture here.”

Pastorius, whose maiden name is Morgan, graduated from Waynesburg High School in 1967 and earned a bachelor’s degree in human development/individual and family studies from Penn State University in 1971. She taught home economics for 10 years, working in Maryland, Colorado and at the Department of Defense schools for military families in Germany. Pastorius has been a resident of Sewickley for 33 years where she and her late husband, Thomas, raised their two sons.

In 1986, the couple founded Penn Brewery, the second, oldest microbrewery in the the eastern United States. It is located on Pittsburgh’s North Side in historic German brewery buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Sites.

“I’m passionate about history,” said Pastorius, who also became involved in architectural research in the 1980s.

A press release for her presentation noted Pastorius has collaborated with Pittsburgh History & Landmarks (PHLF), the National Trust, Preservation Pennsylvania and Sewickley Valley Historical Society for more than 30 years to research historic sites and create brochures, articles, tours and exhibitions. She is a trustee of PHLF and was named “Sewickley Woman of the Year” in 1990 for her research contributions to an exhibition and book on the nationally important firm of Longfellow, Alden & Harlow.

“I did extensive research in the 1980s for Dr. Margaret Henderson Floyd, chair of the Dept. of Fine Arts at Tufts University on the architectural firm of Longfellow, Alden & Harlow whose work is of national importance. They practiced in both Boston and Pittsburgh,” explained Pastorius. “The project culminated in an exhibition and a major book by Dr. Floyd, published in 1995, “Architecture After Richardson: Longfellow, Alden & Harlow, Boston and Pittsburgh.’ The exhibition was recognized by the Pittsburgh Press as one of the 10 best in the city in 1990.”

Pastorius has researched Waynesburg architecture since 2008, supported by a Sprout Fund grant. She authored a brochure entitled “Rediscovering Eden,” a self-guided walking tour of Waynesburg. Pastorius said Eden is the name for the area given by the original settler, who named it for the last Royal governor of Maryland, Sir Robert Eden. The brochure was distributed at the meeting and is available at the Greene County Tourism Office.

Besides researching architecture, Pastorius has invested in buildings in Waynesburg. She is completing rehabilitation of two buildings at the corner of High and Morgan streets.

“This is giving back to my hometown,” she said, identifying one as the Hook-Morgan Building, an 1870 Italianate named for its original owner and her father, and the other as the Ganiear House, which was built in 1846 by cabinet maker James Ganiear and stayed in the family until the 1970s.

Pastorius noted that Waynesburg is well represented in several eras of architecture with many structures coming in times of prosperity. Waynesburg architecture ranges from two dozen pre-Civil War buildings to many built in the Victorian era to those constructed in the Beaux-Art and Art Deco styles of early 20th century. She mentioned some of the buildings, including the Greene County Courthouse, the first building of Waynesburg University, Margaret Belle Miller Middle School and Fort Jackson Hotel.

Besides preserving the past, Pastorius said historic structures can be used in economic revitalization as she and her husband did when they owned Penn Brewery.

“They can be used to make the town a nicer place to live,” said Pastorius. “Everybody deserves that.”

Pastorius is interested in sharing her program with other community and school groups. For more information, contact her at 724-833-1513.

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