Last updated: 8/14/2022
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Address
800 Waterfront DrivePittsburgh, PA 15222
phone: 412-288-2777
e-mail: info@paconserve.org
web: waterlandlife.org/

Staff

Description

We preserve Western Pennsylvania’s most exceptional natural land. We have permanently protected more than 255,000 acres of land – forests, streams, meadows, farmlands and more – in Western Pennsylvania.

We restore rivers and streams. We’ve restored more than 3,000 miles of Western Pennsylvania’s local rivers and streams.

We study wildlife and their habitats. Our scientists study the region’s rare, threatened and endangered plants and animals to guide our land and water conservation efforts.

We own and care for Fallingwater.

We care for Fallingwater, the internationally renowned house designed in 1935 by famed American Architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Fallingwater was inscribed to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2019 and inspires visitors from around the world as a symbol of people living in harmony with nature. Since 1963, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy has owned, operated and preserved Fallingwater as a house museum to tour and experience.

Immerse Yourself in Wright in the Laurel Highlands

About 90 minutes east of downtown Pittsburgh in the Allegheny Mountains sits a magnificent 3,000-square-mile expanse of ridges and valleys called the Laurel Highlands. Rich in natural heritage, history and beauty, the region attracts millions of visitors each year to enjoy its many offerings of outdoor recreation, parks, resorts, arts and cultural amenities.

Among the cultural amenities are three separate locations – Fallingwater, Kentuck Knob and Polymath Park – that display Frank Lloyd Wright’s iconic architecture in four unique houses. To fully appreciate Wright’s visionary designs and understand the true artistic and cultural importance of his legacy, you’re encouraged to experience all three locations over two or more days.

Need a meeting or conference space?

Consider the Barn and Fallingwater. Today, the Barn at Fallingwater houses administrative offices and is also used for meetings, exhibitions, lectures, weddings, classes and other programs, social events and gatherings.

Mission

The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy has been dedicated to protecting and restoring the region’s exceptional natural places since 1932. As a member-based nonprofit organization, we work in cities and towns across Western Pennsylvania and rely on the help of thousands of members, partners and volunteers. We are making a difference in our region’s water, land and life. We do this work for the benefit of wildlife and people who call Western Pennsylvania home, and for future generations.

History

Three years into the Great Depression on February 16, 1932, 10 citizens came together to start a nonprofit conservation organization with the goal to alleviate widespread unemployment through public works programs. They also wanted these programs to create a positive impact on the region’s natural resources. Their actions founded the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, known then under its former name as the Greater Pittsburgh Parks Association.

Today, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy is still going strong and has protected more than 255,000 acres of natural lands in Pennsylvania, helped to establish 10 state parks, and protected or restored more than 3,000 miles of rivers and streams. In 1963, Edgar Kaufmann Jr. entrusted the Conservancy with Fallingwater, his family’s weekend home and Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterwork in Mill Run, Pennsylvania. We also enrich our region’s cities and towns through 132 community gardens and green spaces that are planted with the help of more than 10,300 members and nearly 12,000 volunteers. We invite you to explore the challenges and successes that comprise our history of caring for water, land and wildlife in Western Pennsylvania.

Educational Programs

We recognize that a sustainable future depends on an engaged and informed youth. We offer our properties, projects and staff expertise to schools and other organizations, partnering to cultivate our youth as conservationists. WPC Education Partnerships in Action offers a glimpse into some of those collaborations.

To learn more about potential educational partnerships, please contact Danielle Forchette, WPC education coordinator, at dforchette@paconserve.org.

DISCLAIMER
This information, including business hours, addresses and contact information is provided for general reference purposes only. No representation is made or warranty is given as to its content or the reliability thereof. User assumes all risk of use. Stories USA, Inc. and its content suppliers assume no responsibility for any loss or delay resulting from such use. Please call ahead to verify the dates, the location and directions.

MUSEUM CONFERENCES

Museum Trustee Association Spring Forum 2024

April 10 - 14, 2024

Atlanta, Georgia

Texas Association of Museums 2024 Lubock Annual Conference

April 14 - 17, 2024

Lubbock, Texas

2024 Colorado-Wyoming ANNUAL MEETING

May 1 - 4, 2024

Worland, Wyoming

West Virginia Association of Museums 2024 Conference

June 6 - 8, 2024

Shepherdstown, West Virginia

RECENT UPDATES

Museum Vendors

02/18 Tessellate

New York City, New York

10/30 Museum Fabrication Group, LLC

Denton, Texas

03/07 ConservArt Inc.

Boca Raton, Florida

Museum Associations

03/07 South Carolina Federation of Museums

Columbia, South Carolina