Steeples Project receives $17,500 grant to save former parish rectory that survived 1889 Johnstown Flood
Rep. Frank Burns July 2, 2024 | 4:51 PM
HARRISBURG, July 2 – State Rep. Frank Burns announced that The Steeples Project has been awarded a $17,500 grant from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission to repair the roof of the former rectory of St. Columba Church in Cambria City.
St. Columba was founded by Irish immigrants in 1882, with the church rectory completed just weeks before the Johnstown Flood. When five local Catholic parishes were consolidated in 2009, the parish closed and the rectory was later converted into a bed and breakfast before becoming part of The Steeples Project to create a public theater venue with the rectory and the newer, 1914-built church.
“This is an opportunity to save history, by reusing existing buildings that are architectural treasures in their own right, while also creating something new that will contribute to the economy,” Burns said. “But the rectory roof is in dire need of repair, which if not addressed threatens the building’s structural integrity. This grant will help with those efforts.”
According to The Steeples Project, the former church rectory will be incorporated into the public theater project, which, when completed, anticipates an annual economic impact of $2.7 million.
The grant is from the Keystone Historic Preservation Grant program and was one of just 44 projects recently awarded.