by The Rev. John M. Leggett, Diocesan Historiographer/Registrar
and Lynne F. Wohleber, Diocesan Archivist

The first Anglicans and the struggle to establish churches.  The Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh covers the southwestern corner of Pennsylvania and includes the current counties of Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Cambria, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Somerset, Washington and Westmoreland.  In the mid-1700's  this rich transmontane area drew the first Indian traders, exploring surveyors, military men and later settlers, many of whom were at least nominal Anglicans primarily from Maryland, eastern Pennsylvania and Virginia.  

The second Trinity Church building in downtown Pittsburgh was constructed in the 1820's .

The earliest penetration of the southwest corner of the state, then sparsely populated with Indians, was made by Episcopalians who set up posts in the 1740's along the Allegheny, Youghiogheny and Ohio rivers.  Maryland surveyor Christopher Gist crossed the mountains in the early 1750's to survey large claims of the best farm land.  Young George Washington, already a Virginia vestryman, was guided by Gist when he came west to warn the French to withdraw from this region claimed by the British.  The French's refusal to leave led to invasion and capture of the tiny stockade built by Virginians at the future site of Pittsburgh in 1754. Washington read the burial office from the 1662 Prayer Book in 1755 when British churchman General Edward Braddock, fatally wounded while attempting to drive the French from Ft. Duquesne at the Forks, was carried back over Chestnut Ridge and buried in the middle of the wagon tracks of US 40 in Fayette County.  The successful 1758 campaign of British churchman General John Forbes marked the end of French control of the region.  

When the first new migrating settlers arrived in the 1760's, there were no settled Episcopal clergy.  Laity read Morning Prayer, mainly in farm cabins but sometimes at Ft. Burd or Ft. Pitt, or in public houses as those were established.  Before the American Revolution there were no organized Episcopal churches left anywhere in this corner of the state.  Some of the more dedicated laity maintained Prayer Book worship in their homes until after the first Convention of 1789, but they kept no records, elected no vestries, and built no houses for worship.   From then until the 1820's, the leadership of the scattered congregations established was mainly in the hands of the few early ministers who sought ordination as Episcopalians and rode wide itinerant circuits.

The first known Episcopal clergy resident in this western third of what was then Diocese of Pennsylvania included:  Robert Ayres, a Methodist ordained in 1789, residing at Brownsville, Fayette County; Francis Reno, trained for the ministry by Presbyterians and ordained in 1791, residing at Woodville, Allegheny County; Joseph Doddridge, a Methodist ordained in 1792, residing in Independence, Washington County; and  John Taylor, a Presbyterian ordained in 1794, who resided in Hanover Township, Washington County, before moving to Pittsburgh to teach school.  

First buildings of worship.  Rural log or stone houses for Episcopal worship were first built outside Pittsburgh in the late 1780's and early 1790's. The stone half of the Green Academy of Art in Carmichaels is the only remnant of that era.  In the decade 1805-1815, a second generation of parishes was organized and sanctuaries built, including Trinity Church, Pittsburgh (now the Cathedral) and Christ Church, Brownsville.  Land had been given or purchased for both these congregations in 1787 and 1796, respectively, but neither elected a vestry nor made any move to build until after the turn of the 19th century.

In the 1820's, two Trinity, Pittsburgh rectors, William Thompson and John Henry Hopkins, became pioneer church planters in county seats like Butler and Greensburg.  Hopkins is credited with having launched seven new parishes.  He also established a residential school to train clergy in his own home, and by 1829 four of his first candidates had been ordained, with four more in process.  

The pace of parish development picked up after the 1830's with the completion of the Pennsylvania Central Canal, which finally connected Philadelphia and Pittsburgh in 1840.  By the mid 1850's, the two ends of the state were lined by railroads which greatly spurred industrial and population growth.  Many skilled English and Welsh workers came to staff its iron and steel mills and its glass plants, as well as to work the coal mines.  Development of Episcopal congregations, established in many of these new industrial locations, was speeded by the discovery of oil and natural gas.

Resistance/acceptance of a western diocese.  For a decade after 1810, Joseph Doddridge, pioneer missionary in our region, wrote letter after letter to the eastern bishops pleading with them to convince General Convention to establish a western diocese.  But conservative forces continued to guard oversight of entire states.  The first division finally was set up in 1838 in western New York, but no further divisions took place until the western third of Pennsylvania with its 24 counties became the Diocese of Pittsburgh in 1865.

Chosen as Pittsburgh's first bishop, John Barrett Kerfoot (1866-1881) was a man of evangelistic zeal and great energy.  He and his successor Cortlandt Whitehead (1882-1922) traveled all over the western region from Lake Erie to the Mason-Dixon Line, establishing new missions and strengthening existing parishes.  Kerfoot was particularly interested in developing church secondary schools and establishing diocesan charitable organizations.  The Church Home for aged women and orphans, now called Canterbury Place, had been established in 1859, but it was under Whitehead that St. Margaret's Hospital, the Layman's Missionary League and St. Barnabas Home took shape.  In 1910, the thirteen northwest counties in Pennsylvania were set apart as the Diocese of Erie.

Alexander Mann's (1923-43) consecration in 1922 came during prosperous times.  Especially interested in family Christian education, he helped initiate summer gatherings at Chautauqua Lake and at Kiski in Saltsburg.  During the Great Depression and up to the World War II era, however, the diocese experienced severe financial hardship, clergy shortages, and parish structures falling into disrepair.  More than 1600 young men and women from the diocese served in the armed forces, as did many clergy.  When Austin Pardue (1944-68) became bishop, he immediately attacked the problem of 22 clergy vacancies.  With the assistance of Pittsburgh's first and only suffragan, William S. Thomas (1953-70), 45 new rectories were built or purchased, 26 parish houses were erected and 16 new congregations were established, mainly in the new post-war suburbs.  Bishop Thomas made Calvary Camp a diocesan project and used it as a key force for spiritual formation of young Episcopalians and future clergy.

Robert Brace Appleyard, consecrated in 1968, served as a unifier and peacemaker during this time of national strife, division and uncertainty. During the 1970's various parishes experienced revitalization via charismatic evangelical and traditional influences.  Several nationwide renewal movements came together to found Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry, Ambridge, in 1975.  During the next 15 years, the Brotherhood of St. Andrew, Church Army, Community of Celebration, Episcopal Church Missionary Community, South American Missionary Society, and Youth Quest located their headquarters in Pittsburgh.  The Cursillo Movement became one of the most visible expressions of parish spiritual growth in the 1980-90's.

Alden Moinet Hathaway, consecrated bishop in 1981, articulated his vision for parish revitalization and church growth when he assumed his episcopate.  Calling for the planting of ten new parishes within the first ten years of his ministry, five new congregations had been successfully planted, three projects were terminated, and four partnerships involving ten parishes in cooperative ministry had been developed by 1995.

Robert William Duncan came to the Bishop's staff in 1992 as Canon to the Ordinary. With his guidance a whole new approach to diocesan budgeting took place, old diocesan departments were terminated, and diocesan organizational life greatly strengthened.  The main thrust of his ministry was in helping parishes recast their visions for ministry so as to move toward the Great Commission model "from maintenance to mission."  Ordained Bishop in 1997, he has maintained an unceasing schedule of parish visits and support for making the Diocese "the best it can be," while holding to his vision of "One Church of Miraculous Expectation and Missionary Grace."

Henry Scriven became Assistant Bishop in September 2002.  Born in England and educated at Repton School and Sheffield University where he studied Biblical Studies, he attended seminary at St. John's, Nottingham and was ordained in 1975.  Following four years in London and 2 years in Northern Argentina with SAMS, Bishop Henry and his family left England to serve at Christ Church, Little Rock, Arkansas at the beginning of the Falkland's War.  Work with SAMS continued in Spain with the Spanish Episcopal Reformed Church from 1984-1990, followed by five years as Chaplain of the British Embassy Church in Madrid.  Following his consecration as Suffragan Bishop in Europe in 1995, he spent the next seven years traveling around the 40 countries of that diocese until he came to assist Bishop Duncan.

If you are interested in more history about the development of the Episcopal Church in southwestern Pennsylvania, contact Lynn Wohleber, the diocesan archivist, via email.

The first suggested seal for the diocese was put forward by the Rev. Dr. John Henry Hopkins, Jr., in 1883.

Although the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh was established in 1865 under Bishop John Barrett Kerfoot, designing a corporate seal to represent the Diocese was not seriously considered until after Corlandt Whitehead became bishop in 1881.

Around 1883, the Rev. Dr. John Henry Hopkins, Jr., son of the former rector of Trinity Church, Pittsburgh suggested a design for a seal that was non-heraldic and was more a Bishop's seal than a corporate one.  As Bishop Whitehead described it, "representing Our Lord in glory presiding over Trinity spire - and Pittsburgh smoke stacks - and (suggesting) the Pitt's Borough by depicting a Burg or Tower under Luther's Hymn `Ein feste Burg.'"

The first step in the adoption of a corporate seal came before the convention of 1898, held in the chapel of St. Margaret's Memorial Hospital.    In his annual address, Bishop Whitehead called attention to the number of other dioceses across the country that had seals of varying degrees of complexity, interest and historical symbolism.  A committee of four clergymen and 3 laymen was appointed to prepare a design to be submitted for the next day.   After much discussion at the second session, the design was referred back to committee for more research and to be presented at the next year's convention.  Convention records show that this postponement was due to the motion of Fr. Amos Bannister of St. Mary's, Beaver Falls, whose familiarity with the "intricacies of heraldry" led him to press for a less hasty decision on the design.

At the 1899 convention, held at St. Paul's Church in Erie the committee, then consisting of Fr. John H. McCandless, A. H. Judge, H. H. Barber, Fr. H. E. Thompson, A. J. Greenfield and Charles E. E. Childers, submitted a design that was divided horizontally, with the upper portion containing a gold mitre with ribbons extending to either side and emblazened with the motto "Numine Benigno" (Rejoice in God).   The lower half was divided vertically ... the upper left section bearing a portion of the arms of Wm. Pitt (a silver and blue checkered  bar dividing two black bars, the upper with two beveled silver circles and the lower with one) and the lower left section the arms of Wm. Penn (a single black bar with 3 silver plates).  An ecclesiastical group consisting of a gold Crozier and crossed Keys crossed on a field of blue completed the right side.  Surrounding this was a pointed oval border (vesica) bearing the words "Sigillum Diocesis Pittsburgensis." The design was approved, and the Seal was ordered adopted and engraved.   

In the November 1907 issue of "Christian Art" magazine, an article by Professor Pierre de Chaignon LaRose of Harvard (considered the foremost authority on heraldry at the beginning of the 20th century) pointed out the shields of four dioceses in the United States that served as bad examples of heraldic design, of which Pittsburgh was one.  The intent had been to combine the arms of William Pitt (Earl of Chatham), for whom the See City was named, and the arms of William Penn, the founder of the State, with the ecclesiastical emblems representing the Church at large.  However, according to Mr. LaRose the design actually stated that "some clergyman (cross and keys) had married first a Pitt and second a Penn."   Bishop Whitehead, "amused as well as sufficiently humbled" by this discovery, obtained the consent of the 1909 convention to authorize several slight changes in the arrangement of the parts without affecting its general design.   After much correspondence with Mr. LaRose, the altered version was adopted at the May 1910 convention. (see panel on the right)    Following the acceptance of the  Seal by convention, Bishop Whitehead commented, "So let us hope that this beautiful emblem, which we of the diocese of Pittsburgh have adopted for our own, may in some measure, at least, serve to draw us closer together, mindful of the fact that we are all members of another, and strengthen our love and loyalty to the whole church - while the word of our motto shall teach us continually to seek the guidance and favor of that good Providence in which we `live and move and have our being.'"

Several variations of the seal have been used over the years.  During the Episcopate of Bishop Robert Appleyard a crusader's cross was inserted at the tip of the vesica between the "g" and the "e" in "Pittsburgensis," and balanced with another at the bottom.   This variation was used primarily on stationery, while the formal seal was used on the convention journal.   

During the cross-over years between Bishop Alden Hathaway and Bishop Robert Duncan, a red and ivory stylized seal was designed for use on diocesan stationary.  In 2000, a purple version of the formal seal was returned to the stationery, and the colorful variation from Bishop Appleyard's Episcopate was adopted for use on the diocesan website.  


During the 20 years following the creation, in 1865, of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, there was no central office established for diocesan business.  Bishop John Barrett Kerfoot, when not on the road between the southern and northern borders of western Pennsylvania, often conducted meetings in his home.    It was not until the episcopacy of Bishop Cortlandt Whitehead that need for a central location was addressed.  In 1882, the Bishop made request to Diocesan convention for a diocesan headquarters,  "where the Bishop can have his office and be found during business hours by any of the Clergy and Laity who may wish to see him."  He envisioned a place where clergy could meet one another ...  where the Board of Missions, various committees of the Convention, and special assemblies of the Clergy and laity could gather ...  a Church reading room and facilities for converse or correspondence, where the books so generously given might be kept for reference or use and the Registrar's collections of journals, pamphlets and records might always be at hand.  He believed that the cost would be minimal in comparison to the advantages of the inauguration and continuance of such a center of Church work and interest.  "In the convenience and utility of the rooms all Churchmen of the Diocese visiting the See City would equally share …"   In April 1886, the Church Rooms, located on the third floor of the Jackson Building at Penn Avenue and Sixth Street, were opened.

The Diocesan offices moved into the Lewis Block Buillding on the corner of Smithfield Street and Sixth Avenue in 1895.  They remained there until 1913.

The location was changed in April 1895 to three rooms on the fifth floor of the Lewis Block Building on the corner of Smithfield Street and Sixth Avenue diagonally across from Trinity Church, where they remained until 1913.  At that time, the staff consisted of Bishop Whitehead, Archdeacon Charles J. de Coux and their secretary Miss Jane Cuddy.  Because of the proposed demolition of the Lewis Block building, in  March 1913 The Church Rooms were re-established at 1411 First National Bank Building (corner of 5th Ave. and Wood St.), where Fr. de Coux edited The Church News.   A move in May 1916 to the third floor of the Jenkins Arcade on the corner of Penn and Stanwix provided a large assembly room, individual offices for the Archdeacons, the Bishop, the Secretary and librarian of the Prayer Book Society, and a lobby/reception room.  It was not until May of 1923 that Bishop Alexander Mann, in office little more than a year, moved the diocesan offices to the third floor of Trinity Church.  The name was changed from  "the Church Rooms" to Trinity House and the quarters occupied by the diocese became known as The Diocesan Offices.   Invitation was made through the April issue of The Church News for all parishioners to attend the opening and blessing at 3:30 p.m. on Ascension Day (May 10).  Following the ceremony, music was furnished by violin and piano and a Tea was served by the Diocesan Women's Auxiliary.   There were now seven spacious, well-lighted rooms.  

Since 1923 numerous changes were made to the space, including insertion of additional walls to create more offices.   In the summer of 1998, the Diocesan Offices were reconfigured and redecorated to provide office space for the Bishop, Canon Missioner, Administrator, Foundation Director, Archivist, Communication Director, Receptionist, Bishop's secretary, Bishop's clerk, Canon Missioner's secretary, Administrator's secretary, and Bookkeeper.  Space was also allocated for a machine room and Lobby.  

With the coming addition of an assistant Bishop and secretary in the fall of 2002, it was evident that more space would be needed.   Plans were put in place to move next door to the ninth floor of the Oliver Building.   The suite of offices includes a large conference room that overlooks the Cathedral and Trinity Burial Ground, a small conference room, a machine room, a kitchen and offices for staff that surround secretarial carousels.