Since 1956, hope has shined from a glowing cherry 34-foot-tall cross overlooking Tarentum, Brackenridge and part of Route 28.
But now, it's gone dark.
The beacon on a hill in Lower Burrell regressed to a lit “T” before Thanksgiving then, with obviously more lights out, the landmark wasn't a cross at all, but an illuminated line, seemingly without purpose. Monday, the cross' lights were out completely.
But help is on the way, according to the icon's owner.
“Some people are actually angry about it while others are sympathetic about the cross lights,” said Karen Snair, executive director of the Allegheny Valley Association of Churches, which owns and maintains the “Cross on the Hill.”
Among them was David Crain, 62, of Harrison Township, who was disappointed when he showed off the cross to his out-of-state grandchildren recently and the cross was only a “T.”
“That's part of our community history and it's important,” he said.
Employed by Allegheny Technologies Inc. in Harrison Township, Crain sees the cross almost daily when he leaves for work just after 6 a.m.
“I say a prayer that everybody at work is safe,” he said. “And the last thing is a thank-you for the cross on the hill.”
He and others have donated money for the repair.
But Snair is not sure how much the fix will cost because an electrician needs a bucket truck to see what is wrong.
Access to the site has been the problem, she said.
Although the late Mildred Hess gave the church a 99-year lease for the tiny parcel on Hilltop Drive where the cross sits, there seems to be no formal access agreement to reach the cross, Snair said.
A new retaining wall is preventing access from Hilltop Drive; however, a resident along Montana Avenue will allow access as long as association of churches pays to modify a fence to allow entry for the bucket truck, according to Beth Kendra, the association of churches' secretary.
And weather could impact timing of the fix: The land owner requests that the truck enter when the ground is frozen so it doesn't chew up the lawn, according to Kendra.
Snair said it's a shame that the cross is not fully lit during Lent, and the goal is to repair the icon by Easter.
Mary Ann Thomas is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach her at 724-226-4691 or mthomas@tribweb.com.
