The Allegheny City Historic Gallery
ACHG preserves & promotes the history of Pittsburgh Northside formerely known as Allegheny City.
Leader
Bill Gandy
Location
322 North Shore Drive Pittsburgh, PA 15212
About the project
The mission of the Allegheny City Historic Gallery is to preserve and promote the history Pittsburgh’s Northside, formerly known as Allegheny City. The ACHG was initiated online about 5 years ago by native Northsider’s Bill & Kimberley Gandy. Since then we’ve created free online galleries, historic blogs, and video presentations. We also continue community outreach appearing at neighborhood events and organizations also schools and youth organizations. Grazin in the Grass (The Old Northview Heights Reunion), 1st Ward Reunion, East Street Valley Reunion and Beaver Avenue Reunions are original events that we host.
In 2015 we opened a physical location at 433 East Ohio Street with the assistance of Councilwoman Darlene Harris, the URA and online fundraising efforts. The gallery was free to the public to come and look at old images, do research and family photo exchanges. The Allegheny City Historic Gallery also hosted book signings, lectures, walking tours, holiday events, tour groups, non-profit organizations and youth groups. We also created Northside memorabilia T-shirts, posters and sold old school candies. After 1 year of operation our physical location closed. Our fiscal sponsor, Northside Leadership Conference and our landlord The Historic Deutschtown Development Corporation decided not to renew our lease. There was never a good reason given, however the business that was located next to us expanded into our old location. Even-so our activities online have never ceased nor our community outreach and reunions. Please watch this video of our activities and follow this link to see our 1-year resume.
Our current goal is to open a new location for current Northsider’s to visit and those born here to have a place for memories during their pilgrimages home. We currently have a new fiscal sponsor and a new location at 322 North Shore Drive. We will continue our activities, but at accelerated pace.
The Steps
Once we obtain our fundraising goal, we will begin by buying 3 new laptops in order to continue our creations, archiving, uploading etc. We will also purchase 3 external hard drives in order to store more archives.
Our second step will be to obtain new frames, office supplies, book shelves and filing cabinets to furnish the new location.
The next step will be to purchase T-Shirts, Old School Candy, Posters, Books and Souvenirs to create a self-sustaining gift shop.
Finally we will use the funds to create an ACHG Kid's Calendar and give them free to Northside Elementary School Children.
Why we‘re doing it
We do what we do for the love of the neighborhood that we were both born and raised in.