Episcopal Church of the Redeemer

Location:

5700 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15217

Description:

The Episcopal Church of the Redeemer is a historic parish church located at 5700 Forbes Avenue in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh. The congregation traces its origins to 1900, when local families began worshiping together in a Sunday school meeting first held in a private home; by 1903 the group had formally organized as a parish and erected a temporary chapel. Over the next decades, the parish grew and acquired land on Forbes Avenue, where its current church building was constructed in the mid‑1930s. The present structure, completed around 1937, was designed by E. Donald Robb of the architectural firm Frohman, Robb & Little—a firm known for work on the Washington National Cathedral—and exemplifies twentieth‑century Gothic‑inspired ecclesiastical design adapted for a neighborhood parish setting.

Architecturally, the building blends traditional Gothic motifs, such as pointed arch openings and buttressed walls, with a scale and material palette suited to its suburban urban context. Expansions in the late 1930s included enlargement of the nave and construction of additional spaces for parish activities, and between 1939 and 1962 a remarkable series of stained glass windows was installed, designed and crafted by local artist Howard Gilman Wilbert, whose work depicts a range of biblical figures and saints and contributes significantly to the church’s artistic heritage.

The church has been recognized as a historic landmark by the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation, underscoring its architectural distinction and its role in the religious and community life of Squirrel Hill for more than a century.