East Liberty Presbyterian Church, sometimes referred to as the Cathedral of Hope, is in the East Liberty neighborhood of the East End of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The current building is the fifth church building to occupy the site; the first was in 1819. It occupies an entire city block.
History
The congregation of the East Liberty Presbyterian Church was founded in 1819. The land on which the present church stands was donated by Jacob and Barbara Negley. An acre-and-a-half site, the congregation's first building was a brick school and meeting house of forty-four square feet. The first pastor of the congregation was the Reverend W.B. McIlvaine, who was called as pastor in 1829. His ministry of four decades began with his ordination and installation in April 1830.
The pastorate of Rev. McIlvaine saw 622 members added to the church, spurring plans for a larger church building. In 1847 Mrs. Negley, now a widow, donated an additional tract of land that includes the current South Highland Avenue frontage. Three thousand dollars was raised and the second church, measuring 70 by 50 feet and seating about 400, was erected. The Pennsylvania Railroad extension into Pittsburgh in 1853 caused the Village of East Liberty's population to grow. Eventually, the second church proved too small and discussions began again on the construction of a third building. The building of the third church was delayed by the Civil War, but in 1862, $13,000 was raised and the new church completed by 1864 at a total cost of $23,000. Additions in the 1970s included two significant Memorial Stops. The first being the State Trumpet and the second being the Mounted Cornet. In 2007, the Indianapolis organ building firm of Goulding & Wood, Inc. installed a new organ composed of approximately 60% new pipework and 40% from the original organ. The instrument now contains 120 ranks, with restoration work still to be done on the two antiphonal divisions in the rear gallery.thumb|The 2007 Goulding & Wood Console
The first organ in the chapel was built by the Austin Organ Company of Hartford, CT. This instrument had originally been installed in the fourth East Liberty building in 1919, a gift of Mrs. W.M. McKelvy, C. Lockhart McKelvy, and John E. McKelvy. The instrument consisted of sixty-three stops played by a four-manual console. By 1970, consideration was given whether to restore this instrument or purchase a new one. After much deliberation, a new pipe organ was purchased from the Austin Organ Company and installed in February 1973. The new, and current, Austin is a three manual instrument of 36 ranks and played by a three-manual console. Notably, the organ case predates the 1919 Austin organ and is likely that of the 1888 organ built by Frank Roosevelt for the East Liberty Presbyterian congregation. Its inscription reads: "Donated to the First Presbyterian Church of East Liberty by Mrs. B. A. Negley, in the 89th year of her age. Pastors - Rev. William B. McIlvaine, Rev. John Gillespie."