10 N. Fremont Avenue - Christ the King Church

Christ the King Church is the former Emanuel’s Lutheran Church which had a very long history in Bellevue, occupying the building at 10 North Fremont Avenue from the time of its construction in 1908 until 2015.

In 1907 the Reverend B.F. Hankey, D.D. became the founder and first pastor in Bellevue of the Emanuel’s congregation. Soon afterward the congregation purchasedx a lot on North Fremont Avenue in Bellevue, adjacent to the streetcar line to West View. At that time Bellevue was a rapidly growing “streetcar suburb” that was attracting many former residents of Pittsburgh’s North Side neighborhood due to its clean air, attractive streets, and convenient transportation. W.H.C. Moore and H.G. Ruehl were contracted to erect a gray stone building to cost $17,340. The new church was dedicated on February 7, 1909. A bell tower was added at the front of the building in 1922, and a matching 15-room Parish House annex was built in 1927 at a cost of $40,000.

Despite the sudden death of the Reverend B.F. Hankey on November 5, 1930, Emanuel’s continued to expand during the pastorate of the Reverend G. Lawrence Himmelman, D.D., who came to Bellevue from Jeannette in June 1931. The confirmed membership numbered 489 by 1932. The congregation enlarged the church as it presently exists, extending the original building to join the Parish House, which greatly enlarged the sanctuary and increased seating by 150. Arthur Steinmark was the architect for the expansion which was completed by April 1942 and cost $62,000. The project included installation of a public address system and Schulmerich Carillon chimes, the stained glass window at the front of the sanctuary was moved to the rear, and a beautiful new window installed above the altar. A church history notes that despite wartime shortages and rationing which hindered new construction in Pittsburgh and across the nation, “with influential men on our committee...we were successful in securing steel and other materials after the market was closed to unrestricted buyers.” On April 22, 1942 members gathered to celebrate the successful completion of the project which they called “Building a Greater Emanuel’s.”

The 13 stained glass windows along the sides of the sanctuary, designed and crafted by Hunt Studio, were completed in the 1950s at a cost of $7,600; they are symbolic in design and depict the major virtues in Christian life. Hunt Studio was founded in Pittsburgh’s West End by Henry Hunt in 1906 and is still in business today.

By the early 2000s, the Emanuel’s congregation was experiencing declining numbers, and regular attendance at weekly services had dwindled. Only a few years after celebrating its centennial in Bellevue, Emanuel’s closed its doors on July 12, 2015; fortunately they would not be closed for very long.

On December 14, 2015 the property was purchased by Christ the King Church, a small but dedicated non-denominational congregation led by Bishop George and Pastor Susan Beninate. Originally birthed in Bellevue 36 years ago, Christ the King Church held its earliest meetings in the former VFW and then moved to the YMCA on Lincoln Avenue. After worshipping in a succession of buildings in various towns around the Pittsburgh area, Christ the King Church finally found a permanent home at Emanuel’s in Bellevue, where the members enthusiastically set to building a dynamic ministry while restoring the church building to its former grandeur and also re-establishing its integral role in the Bellevue community. Although the building remained in beautiful condition overall, members faced the urgent task of addressing a serious moisture infiltration problem. The exterior stonework was re- pointed in 2018; the roof is now in the process of being restored and repaired; and in the near future, the basement social hall will be fully restored and reopened for use as an outreach to the public.