Churches of Western PA
 

So, Im going to make my first book and its going to be about churches in Western Pennsylvania. I still have a lot of them to photograph, its taken almost 4 years to photograph all of these ones. I have about 15 other ones I want to cover that are up in the Northwestern part of the state. Anyways, here's most of the photos I have so far for it. A lot of these I have to back to and rephotograph them as I have gotten much better since I moved to Pittsburgh four years ago, which is when many of these photos are from.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2933/3...d5dcae61_h.jpgAF5_6650 by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/662/32...26cd6fd9_h.jpg29152909436_8b2ccddddd_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2856/3...41992c28_h.jpgDSC_5408 by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2941/3...659234e8_h.jpgDSC_8307 by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/669/32...9c1cedbf_h.jpgDSC_8530 by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3898/3...f2af3fd9_h.jpgDSC_7880 by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2861/3...74d6a842_h.jpgDSC_3834 by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/734/33...a1996304_h.jpgDSC_2331 by photolitherland, on Flickr
https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3868/3...f4a2ab75_h.jpg23307870843_c539b4d00b_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3935/3...f151e2ab_h.jpg23307874943_27800daa2b_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/601/32...3e4dd214_h.jpg23639154360_c99d4fd3cc_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3707/3...6944c0c3_h.jpg9300313327_606849f189_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3726/3...f6120ed3_h.jpg23798487211_533272c365_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3839/3...2ab2d95b_h.jpg10484465584_21f93ea7d4_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3843/3...de2459d8_h.jpg10485066123_9b5720143f_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3953/3...18072537_h.jpg13049128585_ee7c7e43d2_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3755/3...a804ff2a_h.jpg14352786629_f552bc36f6_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3668/3...c2063b85_h.jpg15306159767_7a482d2154_o by photolitherland, on Flickr


https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2936/3...d6a4bb5b_h.jpg15367030840_fa519b85b4_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/621/33...8fd3089f_h.jpg16097404864_da45b84ef1_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2912/3...749a5c3d_h.jpg16476904334_52bf0e61c5_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3866/3...d307ae22_h.jpg16770181382_76c0208baa_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2897/3...494f569d_h.jpg17468766728_42be2ddc54_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2826/3...16844495_h.jpg17814368124_61ddcd8549_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2840/3...c73fba0c_h.jpg18848165045_9a5712e4d9_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/644/32...5969dc3f_h.jpg19995345360_ed622752b7_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2943/3...c2f96bc2_h.jpg21684787348_c91bba61c4_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/668/32...4284fb88_h.jpg23204635021_4d13e9ca54_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3821/3...c125689b_h.jpg23306541004_074e31eb56_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3872/3...668245fd_h.jpg23934704925_5dfbb97199_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3734/3...b2bd9372_h.jpg23934779275_939fd52d1f_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3858/3...4c76327d_h.jpg23984458493_6483a0b100_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/649/33...54986659_h.jpg24148821136_e10f98d54e_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/567/33...91f332dc_h.jpg24273364734_d7a5ab3bc4_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/598/33...4669cd7d_h.jpg24274513483_113b0dce18_o copy by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3825/3...87045c5d_h.jpg24408142305_bb0080ba40_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3942/3...c0594a7e_h.jpg24493164535_d9054107c3_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/626/32...9c07d2bb_h.jpg24562288449_72888c01ef_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2873/3...882d012d_h.jpg24585351626_eb8c5cc96e_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2891/3...a6133193_h.jpg24808158591_eae6aa6b30_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2854/3...070f5d79_h.jpg24929944965_588eb5f99b_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3701/3...dfd9e0fc_h.jpg26131530886_ff8d809fa2_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/585/32...db0c6ce2_h.jpg26227992693_c9910f0e99_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3883/3...ebae940a_h.jpg26448845690_1203747a54_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3751/3...3db3879e_h.jpg26695555186_54b9e75e17_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3689/3...ea3ebaaf_h.jpg26738856712_b8054fb2ec_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3767/3...f3322c6f_h.jpg26765067991_987466aa67_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/593/32...36bcd4f5_h.jpg27397713434_4883fee5b8_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3771/3...6270f847_h.jpg27809870316_9bbfdeeafa_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/726/33...cc5b6481_h.jpg27972166855_ee8773d065_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/724/33...87844ca0_h.jpg28702923126_ea345a8346_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3864/3...2b0b8291_h.jpg28723947056_c99654251f_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3847/3...33bd373b_h.jpg28735121845_bf7b5d71bf_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3746/3...5aa1fade_h.jpg29214362710_4e4d64fe6b_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3828/3...2957dc52_h.jpg29898283336_3e22d8bb05_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2835/3...c9839d0a_h.jpg30965225263_f3eeb2a64a_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3911/3...69b3a88a_h.jpg32319458533_c26009980b_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2852/3...92a6f3f4_h.jpg32470719444_9b02941831_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/721/33...7cd8c4a1_h.jpg32471683684_d2a9ea74f0_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/737/33...7493ed3d_h.jpg32499513203_569c9e433a_k by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2828/3...93aa6a02_h.jpg32915989070_35e7d008e0_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/663/33...68a57744_h.jpg32925142570_81b0120138_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/708/33...472bfe41_h.jpgPOT_2368 by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3803/3...8e4a74b6_h.jpg33135097845_c1166bc6c0_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3816/3...717c2902_h.jpg33135109995_564c3520f5_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3785/3...db31d17b_h.jpg33135135795_6c71df6f75_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3936/3...069943af_h.jpg33277051455_3ae49e7b0c_o by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/727/32...5aee4851_h.jpgAF5_6906-2 by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/571/33...ac482720_h.jpgPOT_2290 by photolitherland, on Flickr

I love taking photos of churches. This is an awesome thread. Thank you for sharing.

I can only hope one day I can travel all across Europe and take photos of the churches there.

I just visited Switzerland and Italy. To say the least, the churches there are awe inspiring.

Great pictures! The river towns around Pittsburgh have a great stock of churches!

Great job! Looks like lots of Eastern Orthodox churches there.

Yes there are tons, not as many as there used to be. Its mostly Catholic and Orthodox churches in Western, PA. Theres a lot of all kinds of churches though, but if its not Catholic or Orthodox, they usually don't have very pretty interiors, at least not compared to Catholic and Orthodox ones. Occasionally you'll find a pretty Lutheran interior or Episcopalian. Methodist churches are usually rather bland on the inside and Baptist ones are the most bland architecturally. Synagogues also are usually rather boring as well.

A couple new ones from today.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/620/33...776e52ed_h.jpgAF5_7686-3 by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/662/33...32d021f9_h.jpgAF5_7635-2 by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/640/32...3590e1e6_h.jpgAF5_7093-2 by photolitherland, on Flickr

Very beautiful churches. Even if I had the best camera I couldn't take such pretty pictures, you are very talented. Thank you for sharing with us .

Hail Satan but great thread!

Well considering Pittsburgh had massive waves of Eastern Europeans between 1900-1930's it's no surprise. Czech, Polish, Russian, Italian, Ukranian, Slavik.
Newspapers used to be printed in multiple languages like Czech, Polish, English and Russian.
America was a melting pot.

Now, if you have to press the #2 on the phone to choose english, people write their congressmen. I can't stand people who act like this isn't a massive country of immigrants. The only thing I can think is that rednecks hate spanish signs because they are brown people and they are racist.
There was no complaining when newspapers used to accommodate all the different languages spoken here before the people inevitably assimilate naturally into the mainstream culture as they always do within one or two generations.

Im an atheist, but love religious architecture more than anything. Historic churches, synagogues and mosques are works of art. One doesn't have to believe the bullshit dogma to appreciate them. Whenever I get this book published, I can bet Ill be the only atheist publishing a book about church architecture lol

Yeah man, I wasn't accusing you of loving religion so much that you feel compelled to visit all the churches. lol.

I totally get it, before skyscrapers were invented, the most amazing and intricate architecture in the world had been massive churches.

just stunning -- do a book store tour and be sure to come out here to mcnally-jackson and the strand so we can autographed copies!

^
If I get to that point I for sure will. In the meantime, heres a couple of new ones from yesterday. I have a bunch more to photograph around the area, but I plan on completing the photos by July or so hopefully. I need to stop fucking around and get a project done for once.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2849/3...e623334a_h.jpgAF5_7816-Recovered by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/584/32...b8804a5a_h.jpgAF5_7803 by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/572/33...361ecfe8_h.jpgAF5_7067 by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/623/33...df2067f0_h.jpgAF5_7043 by photolitherland, on Flickr

Great pics! We are starting to lose churches here in the Philly region due to the funding issues within the diocese and it is sad to see some of these architectural gems being bulldozed.

^
Same here in the Pittsburgh area. I would imagine a good portion of these churches will become abandoned soon. Hardly any of them have large congregations and the ones that do are mostly older people. Which is good in my opinion that people aren't following religious dogma as much anymore, but the downside is that many of these works of art are lost.

Such an amazing set of beautiful photos. Well done!

Beautiful. I was hearing a choir looking at these. lol

A couple of new ones from today from down in Greene County, PA.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3674/3...9f1d31f2_b.jpgAF5_8700 by photolitherland, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2944/3...f11388cb_b.jpgAF5_8594 by photolitherland, on Flickr