History
Howard Heinz, the son of HJ Heinz, a prominent Pittsburgh manufacturer, founded what would become Heinz House by starting a small boys club, the Covode House, in 1901. The Covode House provided recreation and social opportunities for boys on Pittsburgh’s North Side, almost all of whom were first generation immigrants.
Howard’s passion for helping young children was inspired while he was a student at Yale and saw the tough life of street youth in New Haven, Connecticut. The Covode House improved children’s lives by providing a friendly, supportive environment where a community was built and friendships were nurtured. In 1903 girls were admitted to the house’s programs, making Heinz House a true pioneer, since girls were not admitted to the Boys and Girls Clubs nationwide until 1989.
The house known today as Sarah Heinz House was constructed in 1913, when the demand for services outgrew the space at Covode House. The house is named in honor of Howard’s mother, Sarah Sloan Young Heinz, who died in 1894.
The house built in Sarah’s honor stands today. It is a magnificent structure with a brick and stone exterior that exudes pride and integrity while the walls and stained glass windows inside are decorated with depictions of character and virtue. In the 1930’s, Sarah Heinz House became one of the first, or “charter” members of the national Boys and Girls Clubs of America.
Also in the 1920s, the Heinz House camp was launched to provide an outdoor experience for inner city youth. Located near McConnell’s Mill and Ellwood City, the camp has sessions for girls and boys each summer where kids can swim, canoe, play sand volleyball, do arts & crafts, fish, sleep in tents and gain an appreciation for nature.
In 2003, Heinz House leaders again saw the need to grow to meet the needs of its members. A plan was developed to build an annex and renovate the existing building to enrich programming. An environmentally sound (“green”), energy efficient, state of the art building will open in 2007 adjacent to the original Heinz House building. For more information, see Building Character Campaign.