History
The stone edifice that holds within its ramparts the congregation of Waverly Presbyterian Church, stands at attention at the corner of Forbes and Braddock Avenues in the heart of the East End of Pittsburgh. Despite striking an impressive pose at what was once a major trolley junction, Waverly’s humble beginnings are a closer reflection of the congregation inside.

Begun as a Sunday School in the home of Miss Lavinia M. Smith, the need for a church was apparent to the community as numbers increased. After many site changes in October of 1882, the philanthropy of George and Mary Peebles allowed for the construction of a small chapel on Waverly Lane, providing Waverly with both its first home and its name. A building was then erected in 1897 on the corner of Waverly and Peebles Avenues just blocks from the current location. This building still stands today.

In the 1920’s the size of the congregation required a larger and more accommodating space for worship. Under the pastoral leadership of the Rev. Thomas Pears, Jr., a new building was planned for the corner of Forbes and Braddock Avenues. It was at this juncture that the stock market crash and the ensuing depression threatened this vision. The members of the congregation banded together, taking out second mortgages on their homes, and hosting dinners every Thursday for one dollar per meal in order to pay for the church.

Those grueling years and hard earned monies did eventually pay for the stunning gothic structure standing today. The sanctuary, enhanced by the windows of R. Toland Wright contains over 70,000 pieces of stained glass and features biblical characters from both the New and Old Testaments. The congregation currently includes a family of 135 active members of the congregation who participate in a wide variety of activities.

Drama has long been a part of the Waverly tradition. An annual melodramatic theatre production featuring members of the congregation at their zaniest raises enough money to provide scholarships to children of the congregation to attend church camp. Members of the Sunday School put on monthly puppet plays reflecting biblical and moral teachings.

Surrounded by many distinct neighborhoods, Waverly is a congregation embracing both the community and world. One of our focuses for many years now has been mission work and providing for both those surrounding neighborhoods and areas abroad. Rotating on a three-year basis with a youth mission trip, a local mission project, and building homes near the border of Mexico, it has been a goal for our church family to do our part in reaching out.

While small, we are mighty and have consistently been more than a congregation – WE ARE FAMILY! Our heart and core is in the youth of the church and with many strong and invigorating children/youth programs, we continue to attract young families into the fold. From our humble beginnings of 52 to 526 at our peak in the 1960’s, to today’s membership of 135, we are a diverse and eclectic congregation approaching mission, youth and community by laughing, grieving, praying, working and playing together in the name of Christ.