A landmark building soon will be gone from Mt. Pleasant Borough’s diamond.
Minniefield Demolition Services has begun to raze the historic McCali Manor building that last housed apartments and a former restaurant at Main and Diamond streets.
Part of the building is said to date to before the American Revolution, but the modern two-story version became an eyesore after it was gutted as the result of an April 5 stove fire and was condemned.
“One of our oldest buildings won’t be there any longer,” Mayor Diane Bailey said. “Many people are sad the building is coming down. It was quite historic. But many people are also happy it’s coming down since it couldn’t be saved, and it was an eyesore and a danger.”
Over the years, the building was home to a tavern and the local Elks lodge.
No one was injured in the fire. It displaced seven people who were staying there while working on an area construction job. It also housed an after-school ArtTEK for Teens program offered by River Art Works, a nonprofit founded by the building’s owner, Jane Altman.
Altman said the ultimate goal of her organization is to establish a retreat in Westmoreland County where students can gain marketable skills in various art fields — including technology-based efforts such as the creation of holograms. She envisions a tourism appeal at the proposed facility that would help make it sustainable.
Since the fire shut down the related ArtTEK pilot program, she said, a more immediate goal is to find spaces in several Westmoreland neighborhoods where students can gain experience with such endeavors as drone imaging and 3D printing.
“There’s a huge need for both of those things right here, right now,” Altman said.
With the loss of McCali Manor in the fire, Altman said she lost her income source for the ArtTEK program, as well as a location for workshops and lots of equipment.
“It took us months to clean up from that,” she said. “We salvaged desks and most of the chairs and workbenches, but we lost some drones and half of our 3D printers.”
Altman plans to seek a buyer for the McCali Manor property once demolition is complete.
Meanwhile, she has set up a GoFundMe page for River Art Works, with the goal of raising $10,500 to help fund a feasibility study of the proposed art retreat. She said an organization, which she would not name, has agreed to match any donations made until Feb. 27.
“That feasibility study is the first step,” she said.
The $54,800 cost of the McCali Manor demolition is being funded through Westmoreland County’s Act 152 program, which draws upon fees collected by the Recorder of Deeds Office.
Typically, such projects are expected to be completed within 90 days of notifying the contractor to proceed, said Brian Lawrence, executive director of the county’s Redevelopment Authority and Land Bank.
Two blighted residences in the borough have been acquired by the land bank for demolition. The combined $19,800 cost of razing them is being covered through a countywide demolition program that draws upon federal funding.
Lawrence said a home at 405 Braddock St. was demolished last week and another at 405 Howard St. is slated for imminent demolition.
“Those properties were sitting there for a very long time and had become eyesores,” he said.
Jeff Himler is a TribLive reporter covering Greater Latrobe, Ligonier Valley, Mt. Pleasant Area and Derry Area school districts and their communities. He also reports on transportation issues. . A journalist for more than three decades, he enjoys delving into local history. He can be reached at jhimler@triblive.com.