St. Benedict the Moor stands on the tower of the church that bears his
name, welcoming you to the Hill with open arms. The Roman Catholic church
of St. Benedict the Moor has a reputation for having some of the best gospel
music in Pittsburgh.
Of all the literally hundreds of jazz clubs that used to dot the Hill,
only the old Crawford Grill remains, pparently indestructible. While urban-renewal
schemes swirl around it, the Crawford Grill abides and manages to keep
up the Hill's proud tradition of great jazz by great musicians.
The Lower Hill was completely destroyed for "slum clearance" in the worst
days of urban renewal. Only Epiphany Church remains of the old buildings.
For a brief time while St. Paul's was being built in Oakland, Epiphany
was the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Pittsburgh.
The latest round of urban-renewal schemes showed more sensitivity to the
neighborhood. Instead of big warehouse-like apartment blocks, the planners
behind the Crawford Dwellings created a pleasant neighborhood of mixed
housing for all income levels. The scheme has worked; the new neighborhood
is full of people of all types who sit on their porches and wave to passing
pedestrians.
Some information on the cameras used for these
photographs:
Epiphany: LOMO Lubitel 166U, Fuji Superia
ISO 100 film.
