Calvary Church began its parish life as a frontier church in Pittsburgh in what was then the gateway city to the American frontier. Located in the city's rural but developing East End section, Calvary rented its first space in 1861. Later it built its own structure at a cost of $9,000.
With the industrial boom, the church grew. The Vestry commissioned Dr. Ralph Adams Cram of Boston to design an architecturally stunning structure, and the result was one of the most extraordinary Gothic Revival churches in the United States. Today the church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is the largest and most influential Episcopal parish in the Diocese of Pittsburgh.
Many of Pittsburgh's most prominent industrialists have considered the parish their spiritual home. The church enjoys a membership of several thousand today.
The fund is designated for the needs of the church in Shadyside.