This month, Mt. Lebanon expects to be celebrating our newly created historic district’s listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Established in 1966, the National Register is the nation’s official list of properties recognized for their significance in American history, architecture, archeology, engineering and culture.

Mt. Lebanon’s district, which was defined by the Mt. Lebanon Historic Preservation Board with the help of consultant Laura Ricketts of Skelly & Loy architects, includes about 4,200 properties built before or circa 1945 that the Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Board and the National Parks Service have deemed “historic.”

National Register designation is honorary—it places no restrictions on properties. In fact, an owner can even tear down a property in the district if local code permits. However, it is a prestigious honor that is not easy to earn and, once earned, can carry some real estate clout.

“This designation brings an incredible and well deserved recognition to our community and further highlights another great reason for living here,” says Howard Hanna Mt. Lebanon Manager Patrick Gray. “Not to be forgotten is the added value this national attention gives our homes. The desirability is magnified; the demand for homes here increases and, therefore historically, so will our property values.

“Mt. Lebanon has been such an integral and interesting part of the growth and development of not only the South Hills but also Greater Pittsburgh. This endorsement by the National Register speaks volumes in reference to the genius of our historic development and how it created a solid foundation for the great values this community boasts today.”