Duties

• Advises the Mt. Lebanon Commission on matters relating to historic preservation.
• Works to educate the community about historic preservation and what makes Mt. Lebanon special. 
• Serves as a resource for community members regarding rehabilitation of their properties.

If you have any questions, please contact Staff Liaison Laura Pace Lilley at (412) 343-3552. Have an idea for a renovation to your property and want help from the Historic Preservation Board? please e-mail lpace@mtlebanon.org.

Neighborhood Sign Policy

Back in 2017 the Commission approved a Neighborhood Signs Policy and made an amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to permit the signs. For approval, the signs have to go through both the Historic Preservation Board and Building Inspection office for review and approval.

Mt. Lebanon Design Guide

​Get detailed, illustrated information and ideas for preserving and renovating your historic home with this online-only design guide, prepared by the Mt. Lebanon Historic Preservation Board with the help of consultant Nicole Kubas, an architect and preservationist. Pictures of Tudor, Colonial Revival, Bungalow, Foursquare, Dutch Colonial, French Provincial and other styles that are common throughout our National Register Historic District and other parts of Mt. Lebanon are included.

​​This guide will:

• Help you define the architectural style of your home and recognize its significant features. ​
• Show how you can preserve or restore those significant features sensitively as the house ages, while also adapting to today's lifestyles.
• Demonstrate repairs, additions or changes that, if done properly, will enhance the value of your home.​
• Provide suggestions for maintenance and home improvement in special sections on roofs, windows, masonry, energy efficiency and sustainability, garages, doors, woodwork, lighting, chimneys and porches.

Design Guide (Flipbook Format)

Design Guide (PDF Format - large file)

Guide to finding and vetting a contractor

Embarking on a renovation project? Here are some questions to consider asking to make sure your contractor is right for the job and that the work will maintain the historic character of your home.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission’s Outside and Above ground Meter and Regulator Location Requirement

Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania is regulated by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (“PUC”) and must comply with the PUC’s regulations. Section 59.18 of those regulations require gas meters and pressure regulators be located outside and above ground to enhance public safety, and Columbia Gas is committed to the protection of our customers and our communities.

An exception to the requirement that meters are to be located outside may be granted if Columbia Gas can readily confirm a building is, or is eligible to be, listed on the national register of historic places, or is located within a historic district that is listed in the national register of historic places and there are unique circumstances which make an exterior meter location difficult to install. Should an outdoor meter exemption be granted, at a minimum, an exterior and above ground regulator must be installed.

Section 59.18 is a safety measure. The relocation of inside meters to the outside of a property enables Columbia Gas to perform safety checks and equipment maintenance more often and expedites emergency response.

The historic building provisions under Section 59.18(d)(1)(ii) do not provide for mandatory exceptions to outside meter locations. They are to be applied on a case-by-case basis. Specifically, the regulation anticipates there may be circumstances where a building would qualify for the consideration of an inside meter under Section 59.18(d)(1)(ii), but would not be granted one based upon overriding operational or safety considerations. Therefore, a request for an exemption to the outdoor and above ground gas meter location requirement will be considered on a case-by-case basis and may or may not be granted with safety as the priority.

The meter relocation reconsideration form should be completed by customers who wish to request an exception to the PUC’s outside and above ground meter location requirement and returned to the Columbia Gas Public Affairs Department, 121 Champion Way, Canonsburg, PA 15317 or via email to swaitlevertch@nisource.com.

The National Park Service’s Preservation Briefs provide guidance on preserving, rehabilitating, and restoring historic homes and buildings. They assist historic building owners recognize and resolve common problems prior to starting work. The briefs are especially useful to Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Program applicants because they recommend methods and approaches for rehabilitating historic buildings that are consistent with their historic character.

The following articles spotlighting historic Mt. Lebanon architecture were written by members of the Historic Preservation Board and first appeared in the indicated issues of mtl, Mt. Lebanon magazine.

Preservation Road is a series of articles that provide practical ways property owners can identify, maintain, and preserve the historic qualities of their homes. The articles not only detail how to properly preserve certain features of your home, but ​give ​examples of how cost-effective maintenance can help reduce expensive repairs or replacement down the road.

God’s Own Mansions is a series of articles that provide detailed information on the era, design, and historic significance of 15 churches and synagogues in Mt. Lebanon.

• Before We Were: Pre 1912
• Founding Families
• Neighborhoods
• Schools
• Businesses
• War Record
• Churches
• Public Safety
• Sports/Recreation