St. Mary’s Church was built by a German Catholic parish in 1854 and stood as one of Pittsburgh’s earliest religious structures.  The church sat abandoned for ten years until the Graff family purchased it.

LDA first worked on the Priory to create Pittsburgh’s only small European-style hotel.  The hotel accommodates 26 rooms and suites, a manager’s apartment, a parlor, dining room and kitchen.

In addition to the architectural and interior finishes, LDA  selected furnishings which included both antique and reproduction pieces.

A few years later LDA was commissioned to prepare an adaptive use plan for the church building to convert it for banquet and conference facility use.

The vestry spaces were used for a caterer’s kitchen and new HVAC equipment.  All interior plaster and wood surfaces were restored including the central octagonal skylight.

Project Data

Client:  Graff Family

Size:  10,000 square feet

Banquet Facility: 26 room hotel

Construction Cost: $1,700,000

Designation/Awards:  Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Historic Preservation Commendation, City Historic Preservation Award