The Masonic Lodge Building / The Old Leech Homestead Project
Leechburg Area Community Association, P.O. Box 513, Leechburg, PA 15656
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Proposal
 

The Leechburg Area Community Association (LACA) recently chose a new mission: to restore and preserve one of the oldest buildings in Leechburg, the former Masonic Building, which is also know as the Ôø‡Ôø‡Ôø‡Old Leech Homestead.Ôø‡Ôø‡Ôø‡ LACA intends to make it into a community gathering place as well as a retail business incubator, creating another viable area of retail activity for downtown Leechburg.

Leechburg, unlike many other small communities, has been recently experiencing growth and revitalization. Many downtown buildings have been rehabilitated. Four new businesses have opened and other businesses have expanded just in the past year. A privately endowed mural and town parklet now enhances our downtown, and our first Bed & Breakfast is now open.

The purchase and restoration of the former Masons Building will help ensure LeechburgÔø‡Ôø‡Ôø‡s progress. Not only will Leechburg be Ôø‡Ôø‡Ôø‡the town you want to come home to,Ôø‡Ôø‡Ôø‡ but also a community that will entice visitors to stop, shop and consider making it their home town. As we show we value our community, others will see value in our town too.

Because the restoration of the building has been estimated to cost over $175,000.00, no local independent buyer has been found. Therefore, to ensure this building is preserved, LACA has agreed to take on this project. We will partner with the Strongland Chamber of Commerce, the Freeport, Leechburg & Apollo Group (FLAG), the Pittsburgh History & Landmark Foundation (PHLF), the Leechburg Area Museum and Historical Society, and the many friends of Leechburg who love this town.

  

The project will be done in stages with the ongoing help and supervision of PHLF, especially through the expertise of Anne Riggs, a graduate of the Carnegie Mellon University School of Architecture and the FLAG Main Street Manager. The expertise and advice of Anne and other PHLF team members totally dovetails with this project with regard to historical restoration practices, grant applications, and fundraising.

Due to their 501C3 non-profit status, the Strongland Chamber Foundation will assist the project by providing the infrastructure for funding, fund raising, and financial accounting. They will also help us with advice related to community restoration projects, entrepreneur recruitment , and publicity.

The Leechburg Historical Society, which designated the former Masonic Lodge a historically significant building, will partner with LACA in researching the evolution of the property and providing assistance obtaining preservation easements in order to protect the buildings historical character in the future. They are also providing the initial hosting of a web presence for this project, which is crucial in fundraising.

The Friends of Leechburg both here and across the country will help fund this project. Our initial goal is to raise $100.00 from one thousand friends. The remaining funds will come from grants, bequests and rent collected from the incubator business.