Riverview United Presbyterian Church
3505 Perrysville Avenue. Like the neighborhood it serves, Riverview United Presbyterian Church has a rich and varied history. Formerly Watson Memorial Presbyterian Church, this building is the third erected by its local congregation since its beginnings in 1890.
The church has its roots in the Sunday School and mission organized by people who had moved from “downtown” Allegheny. Individuals from Perrysville Avenue, East Street, and friends of local residents contributed $2,200 toward the erection of a chapel. This frame chapel with bell tower was dedicated in 1891. By 1898, the congregation had outgrown the structure, and a new church of tippecanoe sandstone was built on the site. The original chapel was moved on skids and rollers into Riverview Park and serves today as a favorite picnic shelter.
The much grander structure we see today was designed by Edward Allison and built in 1908. The exterior of the church is sandstone, and its outstanding features include the massive bell tower and the detailed stained glass window depicting Mary Magdalene looking at Jesus with a biblical quotation from John 20:16.
In 1977, the church became Riverview United through the consolidation of the congregations from Watson Memorial, Eighth United, and North End United Presbyterian Churches.