PHOTOS BY EXPOSURE IT

When Realtor Adam Cannon of Piatt Sotheby’s International Realty talks about his recent listing at 2821 Sarah St., he’s going to invite you to stop by.

After all, telling the tale of a massive space on Pittsburgh’s South Side that has served various purposes over the years is complicated — and it requires a bit of finesse

“This is a property that really needs to be seen in person,” he adds.

Alongside the church next door, Cannon’s team has the property listed for $750,000. Both buildings were once part of St. Peter’s Parish. Built in 1880, the former convent and rectory were most recently headquarters for Emmaus Community of Pittsburgh, an organization that provides assisted living for adults with intellectual disabilities; the organization is moving to new headquarters that better suits its needs, according to Karen Jacobsen, chief executive officer of the Emmaus Community.

Emmaus has been in operation since 1989, when Lorraine and Ken Wagner first opened a drop-in program for adults with disabilities.

“State institutions for people with intellectual disability had begun closing, and good quality housing in the community was sorely lacking,” says Jacobsen.

While they only intended to purchase the building facing Sarah Street, Emmaus leadership soon realized the social hall on Carey Way shared a basement with the main building, which led to them purchasing the entire property.

By 1994, Emmaus was welcoming its first residents.

“The goal was to provide permanent, family-style homes for adults with intellectual disabilities in a community where people with and without disabilities share their gifts, talents and lives,” says Jacobsen.

Converting a former sanctuary into another use is not uncommon in Pittsburgh, as the city has a high number of churches no longer in use. Some have been adapted as condos; others are music venues and event spaces. For this 10-bedroom, 13-bath building, Cannon encourages prospective buyers to think creatively.

“This is such a unique property with so many possibilities,” he says. “It’s a very interesting blend of office space, living spaces, kitchens and bedrooms.”

As Cannon leads a tour of the building, he dreams about a music venue in the accompanying church with an Airbnb next door, or perhaps a facility to help residents struggling with addiction. The possibilities are endless, he says.

“I could see a start-up or nonprofit making great use of this building,” he says. “It has nearly 12,000 square feet, so there is a ton of space to get creative.”

Over the years, Emmaus made a number of updates to the two attached buildings. Many resident rooms include an ensuite bathroom, while others share accessible bathroom spaces. There are offices and kitchens for both staff and residents. Throughout the property are original details such as millwork, uncovered religious art and stained glass windows.

Located at the rear of the property, the former social hall is divided into offices and a gathering space — although it could be reopened into a large venue once again. The elevator is a plus for accessibility needs and, despite the age of the well-cared-for building, Cannon says it is in good shape.

One of the most unusual features of the property, which is currently zoned for residential living, is the basement bowling alley — a true relic of a time when life in Pittsburgh often centered around the local parish.

“I can’t get enough of the bowling alley,” says Cannon. “It’s an original duckpin alley with four lanes, a manual ball return system made entirely of wood and a really unique pin-setting mechanism.”

When church members would bowl, kids from the parish would receive a quarter to sit at the end of the alley and reset pins by hand.

“I would love to see the next owner preserve it,” says Cannon as he lobs a ball down the lane.

For the Emmaus community, the hope is the home continues to be a bright spot on the South Side. Jacobsen adds Emmaus now operates almost 20 homes in the Pittsburgh area, and their new headquarters will allow them to better serve the residents in those homes.

“Our goal has been to offer hospitality to all who entered the doors,” she says. “If the walls could talk, they would tell of the love, the laughter and the life that has been lived under its roof: the joys and the celebrations, the holidays and the happiness, the growth and the dreams of people looking to make the world a better place.”

Meg St-Esprit is a Bellevue-based freelance journalist who covers real estate, lifestyle, education, parenting and travel for a variety of local outlets including Pittsburgh Magazine, PublicSource, Kidsburgh, Pittsburgh City Paper, and City Cast Pittsburgh. Meg offers Hot Property, an inside look into unique and historic homes on the market. Each week, Hot Property goes behind the For Sale sign to share the story of a special Pittsburgh-area home.

About: South Side Flats
Population: 6,430
Planes, Trains, & Automobiles: Located within minutes of most of Pittsburgh’s major arteries, the South Side Flats is a great location for residents who need to access the airport regularly via Interstate 376 or Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s Airport Flyer route. The South Side is extremely walkable, and residents enjoy many amenities without having to leave their community. There are plentiful bus stops in the neighborhood, and the T can be picked up easily from Station Square for access to the South Hills, Downtown or the North Shore.
Schools: Pittsburgh Public Schools (pghschools.org)
Neighborhood: The South Side Flats is home to many commercial spaces, including restaurants, bars, and retail shops. It’s also a popular night spot that can draw raucous crowds on weekends. Residents can walk to small delis and local eateries as well as an Aldi and a Cheesecake Factory in the SouthSide Works complex. It’s an eclectic and diverse community with a wide range of residents, from students in apartments to character homes. The South Side is also home to the largest clock face in the country— just one of the neighborhood’s many claims to fame.

Neighborhood data provided by Niche.com