"Mr. Jacob Negley, whose wife had been a Miss Winebiddle, and consequently, inherited much real estate, controlled practically what is now known as East Liberty Valley, in the early days, called Negleystown. He was largely instrumental ... in erecting a small frame school building at what subsequently became the corner of Penn and South Highland avenues. This was for the accommodation of the children of the district, as well as his own. It was ... a long distance to the then established churches, and Mr. Negley very often, for the benefit of the neighborhood, invited some minister passing through, or one from one of the other churches, to preach in his own house and later in the school house. In 1819 the little school house was torn down to make way for a church building." _Killikelly's History of Pittsburgh._ Reformed Presbyterian Church "The First Reformed Presbyterian Church of Pittsburg, long afterwards known as the 'Oak Alley Church,' was organized in 1799. Rev. John Black, an Irishman of considerable intellectual force, who had been graduated from the University of Glasgow, was its first pastor.... He included, in his ministry, all societies of the same persuasion in Western Pennsylvania. He preached here until his death on October 25, 1849." _Boucher's Century and a half of Pittsburg._ Roman Catholic Church "The number of Catholics prior to 1800, in what is now Allegheny county, must have been very small. They were visited occasionally by missionaries traveling westward.... [These] priests, ministering to a few scattered families, celebrating Mass in private houses, fill up the long interval between the chapel of the 'Assumption of the Blessed Virgin of the Beautiful River' in Fort Duquesne, and 'Old St. Patrick's Church,' which was begun in 1808. Rev. Wm. F. X. O'Brien, the first pastor, was ordained in Baltimore, 1808, and came to Pittsburg in November of the same year, and at once devoted himself to the erection of ... 'Old St. Patrick's.' It stood at the corner of Liberty and Washington streets, at the head of Eleventh street, in front of the new Union Station.... The structure was of brick, plain in design and modest in size, about fifty feet in length and thirty in width. Rt. Rev. Michael Egan dedicated the Church in August 1811, and the dedication was the occasion of the first visit of a Bishop to this part of the State." _St. Paul's Cathedral record._ Protestant Episcopal Church "The building of the first Trinity Church was begun about the time it was organized and chartered, 1805. It occupied a triangular lot at the corner of Sixth, Wood and Liberty streets. It was built in an oval form that it might more nearly conform to the shape of the three cornered lot and for this reason was generally known as the 'round church.' Rev. Taylor in his latter years became known as 'Father' Taylor. He remained with the church as its rector until 1817, when he resigned." _Boucher's Century and a half of Pittsburg._