Neglected Histories
Donation protected
Boarded up beauties can be found in every Pittsburgh neighborhood. You'll find that the stories behind these places reveal community concerns and historical insight that go beyond a single parcel of land.
The Neglected Histories documentary series will reveal the human dimensions of property neglect and bear witness to neighborhood change. We’ll explore the decision making processes for community agents of change, be they developers, government officials, or neighborhood leaders.
Each 20 to 30-minute documentary is focused on one neglected or abandoned property per episode. Interviews with community members will draw lines between the story of a run-down property in its heyday and the causes of its current neglect. We'll also look at the impact of that neglect on the neighborhood, and future plans for the property.
My name is Heather McClain, I'm the producer/director of Neglected Histories. My professional background is in public radio producing and reporting, a form of journalism known for thorough news gathering, and sound-rich storytelling. I will bring 8 years of public radio experience to this project. Including 3 years with the 90.5WESA talk show “Essential Pittsburgh”, a show focused on local topics of importance and local people.
While I grew up in a suburb of Philadelphia, I’ve lived in Pittsburgh off and on since 2001, when I first came to the University of Pittsburgh for an undergraduate degree. The architecture drove my earliest appreciation for Pitt’s campus and later the city of Pittsburgh itself. By the time I graduated and left town in 2005, big changes were already taking place in Oakland and parts of East Liberty, where I spent much of my off campus time. New money and entrepreneurial energy contributed to what seemed like the constant opening, closing, demolishing, and rebuilding of places that were meaningful to me and my college friends.
When I came back six years later as a professional journalist, the importance of place was made more powerful as I met people who’d been pushed out of increasingly unaffordable neighborhoods. At the same time, I met newcomers who were moving into “fixer-uppers” and learning to rehab their first home. Which often required research into who built it, how it was built, how it was maintained and who once lived there. One of my goals with Neglected Histories is to promote the importance of place, and broaden our knowledge of local history, factors that are important to keep in mind when deciding what’s next for a property, and a neighborhood.
As developers, city planners, and neighborhood groups make plans for future growth, I want these videos to serve as anecdotes, and unexplored perspectives. I intend to build community partnerships with all groups and with individuals who have a personal connection to these neglected places. By bringing these groups together I hope to enrich our sense of community, renew neighborhood pride, and change the conversation on blight. I also hope to inspire viewers to consider the pace of neighborhood change and backstories of neglected places in their own communities.
If you care about how neighborhood change and social justice connect to historic preservation. I encourage you to support this project and contact me with your ideas.
I'm looking to raise $15,000 to fund production of the pilot episode, which features the newly named August Wilson Park, in Pittsburgh's Hill District.
You can read about the episode here.
The Neglected Histories documentary series will reveal the human dimensions of property neglect and bear witness to neighborhood change. We’ll explore the decision making processes for community agents of change, be they developers, government officials, or neighborhood leaders.
Each 20 to 30-minute documentary is focused on one neglected or abandoned property per episode. Interviews with community members will draw lines between the story of a run-down property in its heyday and the causes of its current neglect. We'll also look at the impact of that neglect on the neighborhood, and future plans for the property.
My name is Heather McClain, I'm the producer/director of Neglected Histories. My professional background is in public radio producing and reporting, a form of journalism known for thorough news gathering, and sound-rich storytelling. I will bring 8 years of public radio experience to this project. Including 3 years with the 90.5WESA talk show “Essential Pittsburgh”, a show focused on local topics of importance and local people.
While I grew up in a suburb of Philadelphia, I’ve lived in Pittsburgh off and on since 2001, when I first came to the University of Pittsburgh for an undergraduate degree. The architecture drove my earliest appreciation for Pitt’s campus and later the city of Pittsburgh itself. By the time I graduated and left town in 2005, big changes were already taking place in Oakland and parts of East Liberty, where I spent much of my off campus time. New money and entrepreneurial energy contributed to what seemed like the constant opening, closing, demolishing, and rebuilding of places that were meaningful to me and my college friends.
When I came back six years later as a professional journalist, the importance of place was made more powerful as I met people who’d been pushed out of increasingly unaffordable neighborhoods. At the same time, I met newcomers who were moving into “fixer-uppers” and learning to rehab their first home. Which often required research into who built it, how it was built, how it was maintained and who once lived there. One of my goals with Neglected Histories is to promote the importance of place, and broaden our knowledge of local history, factors that are important to keep in mind when deciding what’s next for a property, and a neighborhood.
As developers, city planners, and neighborhood groups make plans for future growth, I want these videos to serve as anecdotes, and unexplored perspectives. I intend to build community partnerships with all groups and with individuals who have a personal connection to these neglected places. By bringing these groups together I hope to enrich our sense of community, renew neighborhood pride, and change the conversation on blight. I also hope to inspire viewers to consider the pace of neighborhood change and backstories of neglected places in their own communities.
If you care about how neighborhood change and social justice connect to historic preservation. I encourage you to support this project and contact me with your ideas.
I'm looking to raise $15,000 to fund production of the pilot episode, which features the newly named August Wilson Park, in Pittsburgh's Hill District.
You can read about the episode here.
Organizer
Heather McClain
Organizer
Pittsburgh, PA
