A surprise demolition order for the long-abandoned St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church on Liverpool Street has jolted Manchester and suddenly put a familiar neighborhood landmark on the brink. The order arrived this week with no firm takedown date, shining a spotlight not only on the church’s soaring architecture but also on a small colony of stray cats that have turned the place into their unofficial shelter. For many longtime residents, the tower and stained glass are everyday reference points, pieces of the neighborhood’s story they are not ready to lose.
City files lay out the damage and the application
City planning documents posted by the City of Pittsburgh show that the demolition request covers 1250 Liverpool St and was filed as a ZDR application by KP Builders Inc. on behalf of Manchester Academic Charter School. The report notes that the church, built in 1897 and last used for regular services in 2014, is in rough shape, with collapsed framing, a shifted interior balcony, and vegetation growing out of the tower. Architects and applicants told the meeting that stabilizing the structure would run about $8 million, and scaffolding has already gone up to protect people passing by.
Neighbors rally and worry about the animals
Neighbors told WPXI that while the church is vacant, it is far from empty. Several residents have been quietly looking after cats that slipped inside and settled in. Andrew Moore, who serves on the board of the Manchester Historic Society, called the building “irreplaceable.” Others, including Chloe Page and Emma Martin, say they are scrambling to find new homes for the animals before any demolition work starts. The looming loss has unexpectedly united people who do not usually team up, from longtime neighbors to charter school staff, around a shared goal of saving what they can.
Preservation groups and the neighborhood’s options
Meeting notes indicate that preservation organizations, including the Manchester Historic Society and Preservation Pgh, have stepped up with offers to look at funding and salvage possibilities, according to the City of Pittsburgh. Developers have floated the idea of salvaging architectural features such as stained glass and masonry for reuse, but they also stressed that time and safety concerns are driving their decisions. Neighbors are pressing for a delay long enough to craft a formal salvage plan and talk seriously about community fundraising.
What’s next
The demolition order does not set a specific deadline for tearing the building down, and the case is heading to the city’s Historic Review Commission on Wednesday, according to WPXI. That hearing could either hit pause or clear the way for demolition, and neighbors say they plan to show up and push for salvage, delay, or some preservation alternative. The City of Pittsburgh development report notes that the application was discussed at a March 19, 2025, neighborhood meeting and is formally filed as a ZDR demolition request.
For now, neighbors say they will keep fighting to preserve whatever pieces of St. Joseph they can, while also working to get the cats to safety before any heavy equipment rolls in. Residents are urging others to watch for Historic Review Commission announcements and community updates as the hearing date draws closer.
