Restoring a Connection to the Past

Once a part of Mayview State Hospital's farm, which was largely run by the hospital's psychiatric patients, this old stable looms ahead as visitors approach Upper St. Clair's recreation center from Mayview Road.


















Despite its age, the stable's facade maintains a quaint dignity.















Although some of the boarding is deteriorating, the stable's arched windows and deep red bricks increase the structure's aesthetic appeal.





















Ivy crawls up the side of the old stable; in the summer, its lush emerald complements the stable's scarlet bricks.















Old and new in tandem--the Mayview stable in the foreground, with the Upper St. Clair Township Recreation Center behind it.

















A single life form at the stable--isolation was once a key element of Mayview State Hospital and its working farm.















As visitors pass the Mayview stable and observe its exterior, they may connect to the lost era that it represents.








The new Upper St. Clair Recreation Center is the epitome of modern recreational facilities and is testament to the fact that this picturesque western Pennsylvania township is always looking toward the future. Every aspect of Upper St. Clair’s state-of-the-art community recreation center is absolutely pristine, from the glistening basketball court to the immaculate swimming pools. The building that houses these attractions is itself an impressive, crisp example of modern architecture. But right next door to the recreation center looms another structure, a quiet yet commanding building that was erected decades before the new recreation center was a figment of anyone’s imagination. Dating back to the 1940s or 1950s, this quaint structure once served as a cattle stable and was a working part of Pennsylvania’s Mayview State Hospital (opened in 1893). At one time, the patients of this well-known psychiatric hospital worked in the old stable that now resides next to the recreation center; the stable is thus a relic from a bygone age of isolated mental hospitals and primitive psychiatric practices. Although this old building is clearly historic, Upper St. Clair Township authorities have considered demolishing the structure, pointing out that its insides are probably unsafe and not conducive to frequent human entry. However, important benefits may come with restoring the building’s exterior—and allowing people to enjoy it from the outside--rather than destroying the structure altogether. Such recycling could aid the community by protecting the local environment, increasing the township’s aesthetic value, and providing residents with an opportunity to connect to the past.

By choosing to restore this old stable’s exterior instead of demolishing the whole building, Upper St. Clair Township could help to maintain a healthy local environment. Township authorities have already acknowledged that since the Mayview stable is so old, it may contain traces of building materials that are now known to be harmful. For instance, the building was almost certainly erected prior to the widespread discontinuation of lead paint sales, and it may very well contain traces of lead paint. Today, lead is associated with certain health risks; if the metal manages to accumulate in an organism’s bones or other tissues, it can act as a neurotoxin, damaging nervous connections and leading to various disorders. If the old Mayview stable does indeed contain lead paint, demolition of this building could harm local ecosystems by releasing substantial amounts of lead-contaminated dust and other debris into the environment. Such contaminants could prove to be dangerous if local residents (particularly humans) inadvertently ingest them.

However, the potential release of lead-contaminated debris is not the only hazard associated with demolishing the old Mayview stable. The stable’s age also gives rise to the possibility that the building contains a type of mineral called asbestos. Like lead, asbestos was once a popular building material; however, it has been identified as a carcinogen or cancer-causing agent. Inhalation of asbestos may result in lung cancer, asbestosis (a type of lung disease), or other serious health afflictions. As is the case with lead, demolition of the Mayview stable could release asbestos into the surrounding environment, threatening local inhabitants’ well being. By refraining from demolishing the old stable, Upper St. Clair Township could largely avoid these potential hazards. For this reason, reusing the stable and maintaining its place in the community would help to ensure a healthy local environment and would preserve Upper St. Clair as a safe, desirable place to live.

Preservation of the Mayview stable’s exterior would also add to Upper St. Clair’s aesthetic value. Although the stable is aged and is a little rough around the edges, it clearly remains an attractive building and still maintains an air of historic elegance. Vibrant red bricking adds to the building’s visual appeal, as do the various arched windows that characterize this old stable. In the summer, lush ivy creates splashes of green amongst the bricks’ ruddy hue and appears to reflect the quiet grace that age has bestowed on this building. The stable thus serves as a serene, historic counterbalance to the bustling recreation center next door. Old is juxtaposed with new, and the two seem to complement each other. Additionally, this large old stable (which could easily fit into a pastoral painting) helps to break up the suburban sprawl that has become prevalent in much of Upper St. Clair Township, adding a quaint dimension to the community. By restoring and recycling this building’s exterior, township authorities could perpetuate these positive qualities and could maintain the pleasant beauty that helps attract people to Upper St. Clair Township.

Moreover, the Mayview stable’s preservation would provide Upper St. Clair residents and visitors with a means of connecting to the past. This stable was once a part of the working farm that was largely operated by Mayview’s psychiatric patients. Such work was often a comfort to the patients, who frequently enjoyed the routine nature of the labor. In many cases, these excursions to the Mayview farm were their only means of leaving the hospital for an appreciable amount of time, for they lived in an age of isolated psychiatric hospitals and primitive mental health care. Antipsychotic medications had not yet emerged, and many techniques for treating perceived mental illness were unethical by today’s standards. Patients were often subdued by force in those days, and straightjackets were used liberally. Hot and cold compresses and steam cabinets were also common elements of treatment. With the December 2008 closing of Mayview State Hospital, the cattle stable next to the Upper St. Clair Township Recreation Center has become one of the last remaining local links to this era of psychiatric treatment. The preservation of this structure can therefore provide Upper St. Clair residents with a means of connecting to this time period; it may also help to increase their appreciation for modern medicine and health care.

Restoration of the Mayview stable’s exterior could benefit the Upper St. Clair community by maintaining a healthy local environment, by adding to the township’s aesthetic value, and by providing a link to local history. These benefits reflect the advantages of restoring, reusing, and recycling historic buildings rather than destroying them. Such recycling prevents contaminants associated with demolition and extensive construction from being released into the environment and helps to keep local inhabitants healthy. Additionally, these historic structures allow people to connect to the past and to learn from it. In these ways, restoration of historic buildings serves both human beings and the environment.

The Most Cherished Ideals of Dear Old Upper St. Clair

Upper St. Clair, a picturesque western Pennsylvania township located in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, has a reputation for affluence. Indeed, Upper St. Clair Township is full of pretty homes—some of them quite large—with well-maintained front yards. It is also home to a rather significant number of financially successful individuals; people working in traditionally high paying jobs like plastic surgery and law are well represented in Upper St. Clair. For these reasons, certain persons in surrounding townships have come to regard Upper St. Clair as a land of snobbish wealth. Even at scholastic events, it is not entirely uncommon for Upper St. Clair students to be referred to as “rich USC kids” by children from neighboring townships; as a former Upper St. Clair student, I have been on the receiving end of such comments on more than one occasion. However, most Upper St. Clair residents realize (or at least hope) that this stereotype is meant to be more teasing than caustic. For Upper St. Clair’s inhabitants know very well that their community does not focus solely on wealth and appearances. While it is true that the authorities of Upper St. Clair Township place emphasis on visually pleasing dwellings, the township attaches even greater importance to the values of education, respect for nature, and community.

Almost any denizen of Upper St. Clair will attest to the fact that our township values well-kept, presentable homes and yards. Other townships may simply hope that their residents will choose to maintain visually pleasing abodes; Upper St. Clair, on the other hand, has certain regulations. For instance, there is a rule for how high the grass in a front yard may grow before the owner of said grass must mow his or her lawn. The township is very thorough in its quest for promoting visually pleasing residences, and therefore it does not stop at monitoring the height of the grass growing in people’s yards. Upper St. Clair is very specific about the types of fencing that residents may erect in their yards and where that fencing may be installed. Fencing in any part of one’s front yard is generally not allowed, since such an act may cause the individual’s house to be obscured. Where fences are present, they tend to be wooden or wrought iron as opposed to chain link. Although these regulations may at first appear to be a bit excessive, they really do help to make Upper St. Clair a beautiful, pleasant place to live. On a personal level, these regulations have taught me the importance of caring for one’s property.

Amazingly, the township’s love of beauty is exceeded by its passion for promoting its other major values, particularly education. Indeed, Upper St. Clair is as well known for its excellent education system as it is for its affluence. The township pours money into its educational facilities in order to ensure that Upper St. Clair students can receive a solid education. Almost all of the schools in Upper St. Clair are newly renovated and are constantly being endowed with the latest in educational technology. When I was in high school, for instance, the school district provided nearly every classroom with a very expensive new learning device known as a Promethean Board. These interactive “Pro boards,” as they came to be known, were essentially large computer screens that teachers could connect to their laptops and use to display information stored in their computers. Using a special pen, instructors were able to write and erase on the Promethean boards, and they could also generate graphs and tables instantly. In almost no time, the Promethean board became an extremely useful classroom tool for our teachers. Upper St. Clair teachers, incidentally, also tend to be top-notch. The school district puts a considerable amount of effort into finding passionate educators who have a deep, lively interest in their chosen field of study. Most of these teachers have high standards for their students, but they are willing to work hard to help students meet those standards. Upper St. Clair also does its best to ensure that teachers prepare students for life after graduation by familiarizing them with such processes as thinking critically, writing research papers, and delivering speeches. This emphasis on concrete education is evident in Upper St. Clair school district’s high graduation rate, college acceptance rate, PSSA (Pennsylvania System of School Assessment) test scores, and average SAT scores. Upper St. Clair is considered to be one of the foremost school districts in the state of Pennsylvania; the hard work that allows for this ranking is a clear reflection of how highly Upper St. Clair values education. This dedication provides Upper St. Clair students with the foundation they need in order to become good college students and productive members of the working community. As a graduate of Upper St. Clair school district, I can attest to the lasting, positive impact that the USC school system tends to leave on its students. My years of interaction with passionate teachers have made me interested in learning, and the academic skills I learned through the Upper St. Clair school district have already proven to be useful in college.

Upper St. Clair values respect for nature nearly as highly as it values education, and the township puts considerable effort into promoting this respect for wildlife and the environment. At Upper St. Clair’s Boyce Mayview Park, people can adventure through a beautiful wetlands ecosystem flourishing with impressive plants and animals. In order to encourage Upper St. Clair children and their families to visit the wetlands, the school district sends students on field trips to explore the wetlands and hosts various summer activities that involve learning about the different forms of wildlife that make up the wetlands ecosystem. The USC school district also promotes regard for nature by sending all of its sixth grade students on a field trip to a wooded, mountainous part of Pennsylvania known as Deer Valley. During this trip, Upper St. Clair kids participate in numerous nature-related activities that include dissecting and analyzing owl pellets, determining the pH of a large lake, hiking, learning about different types of trees, and simply sitting quietly and listening to the sounds of a Pennsylvania forest. Although my own Deer Valley experience was cursed with seemingly endless rain, I thoroughly enjoyed being among the various forms of Pennsylvania wildlife and developed a greater respect for the dynamics of nature. The township also encourages interest in the various wooded areas throughout Upper St. Clair itself by installing trails that allow residents to walk through the woods and appreciate their beauty. As a child, I spent hours wandering these wooded trails with my friends; our woodland adventures (which frequently led to close encounters with deer, turkeys, snakes, and other wildlife) increased my affinity for animals and deepened my appreciation of nature in general. As my own experiences clearly indicate, the township’s efforts help its inhabitants to develop a greater respect for nature and wildlife, and its nature-related events also serve as enjoyable community activities.

The public activities that Upper St. Clair offers its residents reflect yet another of the township’s most important values: community and family. The township promotes this value with as much enthusiasm as it does education and interest in nature. The month of May is marked by Community Day, a huge event complete with games, a parade, home cooked foods, and various contests for pet owners and their animal friends. Through such township-sponsored events, Upper St. Clair dwellers are able to form new friendships with people they may not have met otherwise. Upper St. Clair’s emphasis on community and family also manifests in various recreational facilities. Throughout Upper St. Clair are parks and playgrounds erected by the township in an effort to encourage interaction and friendships among its inhabitants. However, Upper St. Clair has not stopped at building playgrounds. In the summer of 2009, the township finished constructing a state-of-the-art community recreation center. This immaculate new facility is complete with indoor and outdoor swimming pools, running tracks, a large basketball court, a party room, several outdoor sports fields, and the latest exercise equipment. The swimming pools and sports fields have already become popular meeting places for friends and families, and weekly exercise and dance classes provide additional opportunities for community members to meet and interact. By bringing all these people together, Upper St. Clair’s interest in promoting community has helped to build a stronger, friendlier township.

Although it is certainly true that Upper St. Clair values well-kept houses and yards, the township is not solely concerned with superficial ideals; in reality, Upper St. Clair is even more interested in upholding the values of education, interest in nature, and community. The township’s emphasis on these respected values makes Upper St. Clair a pleasant and desirable place to live. Growing up in Upper St. Clair has caused me to adopt all of these values and to emphasize them in my own life. I am now a person who firmly believes in the importance of responsibility, learning, respect for nature, and community. These are universally important values, and any individual would do well to uphold the ideals that Upper St. Clair treasures. Far from being a community of stifling snobbery, Upper St. Clair is, in truth, a friendly township that presents its residents with life-shaping values and a wealth of positive opportunities.