Restorations in store for historic Gallatin Avenue Living Centre
Over the past 25 years, the 117-year-old Gallatin School building in Uniontown has helped hundreds of homeless families and individuals build the security and skills they need to live independently.
The Gallatin Avenue Living Centre use is 无毛视频渢he best of both worlds,无毛视频� said Irmi Gaut, executive director of City Mission Living Stones, which raised $3 million to purchase the building back in 1998.
By reviving a historic structure that had fallen into disrepair, it helps eliminate the stigma of public housing, Gaut said.
无毛视频淭he community sees a landmark structure that they grew up with here, and it无毛视频檚 preserved,无毛视频� she said. 无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 giving that sense to our community of historic preservation, and that we have taken this building and taken care of it all these years 无毛视频� when it was a school, it served the population one way, but now it无毛视频檚 still serving our community, just in a different way.无毛视频�
The Gallatin Avenue Living Centre is finishing up the first phase of renovations to the 117-year-old former Gallatin School.
The building had been vacant for years when City Mission bought it from a private owner, said Gaut, who was part of the first effort to restore the building. She recalled seeing spots where fires had been set, evidence of drug activity, and pigeons everywhere.
City Mission has maintained the historic features 无毛视频� like the external masonry, and a rotunda with elaborate wrought-iron railing.
无毛视频淚 remember going to different lighting vendors just to look for wall sconces that would match the wrought iron rail,无毛视频� Gout said. 无毛视频淚t was just a lot of care that went into each of the selections that were made to finish this place 无毛视频� It无毛视频檚 done in a sense that respects the past.无毛视频�
Through City Mission无毛视频檚 efforts, in 1998 the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Over the past 25 years, the building has taken on some wear and tear.
So City Mission took on funding that will allow the building to keep contributing to the community and also preserving the landmark that无毛视频檚 been a source of pride.
无毛视频淲e care about how this place looks, how this place comes across to the community who drive by every single day,无毛视频� Gaut said. 无毛视频淎nd so that无毛视频檚 one of the efforts that we无毛视频檙e really focusing on this year and next year.无毛视频�
In 2024, City Mission received funding through the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Authority, along with the Allegheny, Hillman and Eberly Foundations for renovations to the building.
Most of that work was completed this year, including replacing the rubber roof and skylights, adding new apartment flooring and cabinetry, upgrading the elevator and security system, installing a new generator, and repairing the exterior masonry.
Work will begin in 2026 on the second phase, this one completed through Regional Assistance Capital Project funding. All 123 custom windows will be replaced with new ones that are more energy efficient while still being architecturally compatible.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 not your average window that you can just go to Home Depot and purchase,无毛视频� Gaut said.
Outside the building, the Living Centre will replace aging concrete steps, repair railings and sidewalks, do landscaping work and install new signage.
The space is a mix of temporary and permanent housing.
Eighteen of the rooms at the center are single-room occupancy permanent units for single adults, with a kitchenette and a shower. Five are transitional units for families, while another seven are for permanent supportive housing units.
The building also houses the administrative and service offices for City Mission. Most clients are referred from City Mission无毛视频檚 emergency 30-day shelter when they need additional housing. Filling that gap in services was what inspired City Mission to start the center, Gaut said.
无毛视频淲e just saw the recidivism rate just for the shelters, when you don无毛视频檛 have that longer-term housing available for people where they can really dig into the services and try to start to have their own place where they can learn how to be a good tenant and how to develop the skill set that they无毛视频檙e going to need in order to live independently,无毛视频� Gaut said. 无毛视频淭hat all takes time and resources, and this is the place where we do all of that.无毛视频�
Residents get access to case management, which helps them obtain Social Security cards, photo IDs and other items they无毛视频檒l need to get jobs or outside housing. It also helps the residents create a structure to help them pay off their bills.
Case management continues for six months after they leave.
无毛视频淲e don无毛视频檛 just finish housing someone and say 无毛视频楪ood luck,'无毛视频� said Debbie Doppelheuer, City Mission无毛视频檚 director of operations. 无毛视频淲e are still invested in them.无毛视频�
Another program offers specialized services for residents with mental health or substance abuse issues, where a case manager also works with landlords to get them housed, find furniture for them and give them a foundation to move out on their own.
The center also offers life skills workshops, performing monthly inspections of the residents无毛视频� apartments to remind them of the steps they无毛视频檒l need to have a satisfying home 无毛视频� cleaning the bathtub, or taking out the trash.
It无毛视频檚 tough to find a parking spot for the Tuesday night Bible study, Doppelheuer said, which brings back residents who无毛视频檇 lived there 15-20 years ago who return for the camaraderie with the staff and their friends.
无毛视频淭hings like that give people encouragement and allow them to be successful,无毛视频� she said.
The restoration work means Uniontown residents can keep admiring or finding community at what Doppelheuer calls 无毛视频渢he Grand Old Lady of Gallatin Avenue.无毛视频�
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 a magnificent building, and we take the care of it very seriously,无毛视频� she said. 无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 an extra level of maintenance, of preservation 无毛视频� there无毛视频檚 just a lot of things that are unique to a historic building, and we无毛视频檙e always so honored to take care of it.无毛视频�