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Donated Paintings Help Fund Land Purchase
VISTAS
The Wingfield Pines property is 80 acres of wooded and fertile floodplain that fronts the Chartiers Creek in Upper St. Clair and South Fayette townships. It was named by former owners who, for a time, ran a golf and swimming club.
The club has been closed since the 1980s, and an active conservation group, the Upper St. Clair Citizens for Land Stewardship (USCCLS), was interested in buying the property.
Says USCCLS President Tracey Buckman, "The property presented so many opportunities for things we need. There's potential for fishing, hiking, hunting and perhaps even organized overnight camping. It complements the adjacent 500-acre Boyce-Mayview Park, which has tremendous habitat, but relatively little room for human activity because of the steep slopes, wetlands and limited creek access."
Opportunity Knocks
One day in 1999, one of the USCCLS members called Buckman and said, "Did you know that the Wingfield property is going up for auction?"
USCCLS didn't know exactly how it could save the property, but the board approved expending some effort to find out. "We knew we couldn't buy it, because we aren't a land trust," says Buckman, "but we called Allegheny Land Trust, and (then-Director) Andy Loza agreed that it would be good for his organization to own."
It took almost two years to get an agreement, and although the Trust would own it in fee simple, the process of the closing was very complex. "When Andy left, Sue Gold (Trust president) took over," says Buckman. "Her diligence and concern and support got the bargain nailed down."
The agreement, which was an option to purchase for $450,000, was signed in March of 2001. "In the nick of time to receive an Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) grant," describes Roy Kraynyk who, by then, was the Trust's new executive director.
There was an immediate need to raise an additional $230,000 to match the DCNR grant. USCCLS and Allegheny Land Trust began a grassroots fundraising campaign in the community.
Youngblood Works Donated
Then, in a stroke that was as creative as it was generous, USCCLS members Rob and Nan MacLachlan offered to donate a series of French and Indian War paintings by Nat Youngblood to be sold to raise funds. "You could have knocked me over with a feather," declares Buckman.
Explains MacLachlan, "I had hiked on the Wingfield property even before
I knew it might be purchased. It's very quiet and spacious, and I
just fell in love with it. Almost anytime I go down there, I see geese
zooming along the Chartiers, blue heron, fox, herds of deer running
at full speed—things you never see in your back yard. When USCCLS
began talking about raising money to buy the property, I was a way
to make it happen."
The paintings were appraised at $30,000. The Trust and USCCLS began the search for a buyer.
One of those interested, Mellon Financial Corporation, agreed to buy the paintings. Not only did they offer the full $30,000, but they also shared the MacLachlans' hope that the paintings would be displayed at the Fort Pitt Museum.
According to a Mellon spokesperson, "Mellon was extremely proud to be a part of this effort to preserve both historically significant local art and the Chartiers Creek watershed."
Finally—on December 28, 2001, the property was officially saved.
Space to Plan
A site planning charette was held in early April. The brainstorm involved representatives of the Trust, USCCLS, PennDoT, CMU, and Upper St. Clair and South Fayette townships. It was facilitated by two senior landscape architecture students from Penn State's Hamer Center for Community Design Assistance.
Ideas include refurbishing the clubhouse for a new Trust office, establishing a canoe launch, using the former swimming pool as a hydroponic community garden, and turning the bathhouse into a laboratory for an abandoned mine drainage (AMD) mitigation project.
"Of course, all of these ideas require funding," notes Kraynyk. "Stewardship is one of the ongoing needs we have for all of our properties."
Whatever the future holds, the conservation of the site is appreciated. "Allegheny Land Trust is a true partner," states the USCCLS's Buckman. "We are very pleased that they were able to help fulfill one of our dreams for the township and region."
This story is reprinted from the VISTAS newsletter. Visit www.alleghenylandtrust.org.
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