East Liberty Presbyterian Church

          This fine old church is now a beacon of freethinking, progressive religion.  But its construction was funded by the ungodly rich Mellon Family in the 1930s.  At the time, they were the richest family in the world.  Locals used to call the church "Mellon's Fire Escape," assuming that it was the Mellons' attempt to atone for their unscrupulous business practices and lavish lifestyles... Who knows?  In Pittsburgh, even hallowed ground is rife with old, old secrets.

 Above the main entrance is Jesus' statement in the Gospel of St. Matthew: "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."  

 Behind the balcony, in the very back of the church, highlights from the Book of Revelation are depicted in the stained glass.  Revelation is a crazy-ass book, but it makes for a magnificent window with angels, and devils, and dragons, and monsters, and mythological beasts.  

East Liberty Church is an architectural marvel.  Pure artistry.  I like the way their lofty, European space makes a counterpoint to their gay-friendly, woman-friendly, social-justice friendly ethos.  It's like a hippy with a conservative haircut.  The congregation is much older than its current building--dating back to the late 1700s--but this place is a welcome departure from the traditional ecclesiastical architecture of the region.