Preserving Donny's Place

By Al Preston

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Blog: Donny’s Place

            There’s been a lot of talk about recent efforts to preserve Donny’s place as a historic location (which I know has recently been denied, this was written prior to that decision and I think the conversation is still important). Donny’s was a gay bar that was one of the more well-known bars in the city. Donny himself was well known and liked in the bar scene and passed recently.

            It would be remiss for us to not be aware of these efforts. As an institution that represents itself as a source of Pittsburgh LGBT+ history, this effort is of interest to us for a few reasons. As historians, we are all for preserving history, especially the history of those that have been typically oppressed or silenced. The Holiday Pride is actively working towards opening a physical location for the community to go to. Theoretically, the efforts in preserving Donny’s Place are very exciting and cool.

            However, as museum professionals, we know that not everything is so easy. There are a lot of logistics that go into preserving a location. Buildings need to be restored, maintained, and preserved in a particular condition which means there needs to be architects, historians, administrators, and leaders willing to invest in the project. If this historic sight is going to have visitors, which tend to keep it open, there needs to be some sort of curation and educational presentation. All of this requires money and a whole lot of time.

            There are also some important social and cultural considerations to be made as well. Does the community want this place to be preserved? Will there be continued investment? Is there enough of a historical prevalence to this location on its own or is there some argument that must be made? Do all parties involved in this process know what they are undertaking?

            While we would love all historical locations to be preserved, there is some practicality that needs to be considered. The condition of the building matters a whole lot. Status as a historical landmark matters little if the building cannot be restored or maintained to a particular degree. Losing the building to a lack of funds, interest, or unforeseen circumstances nullifies all of the effort that went into preserving the location. If a community, either those surrounding the location or the represented community, do not want this location to be preserved, then there’s a moral dilemma to be discussed. If no one wants this location to be saved, why save it?

            Donny’s Place has another unfortunate element in a similar vein. According to Donny’s power of attorney, preserving his old bar is against his wishes. Do we ignore the wishes of the dead or do we honor them?

            There’s a lot to consider here.

            I, Al, director of the Holiday Pride, will now share how I view this situation. I will preface this by saying I have spoken to a number of folks, witnessed a few different conversations about this situation, and have taken my training as a public historian into account.

            I do not think Donny’s Place should get a historical landmark designation and I have a few reasons for this.

            First, I personally believe that historical objects do not have to be ‘authentic’ in order to be engaging and powerful historical elements. By this, I mean that replicas of locations or items are just as good as the original. In that same vein, history aids in the creation of the future and should not impede it. If the land a historic building, especially one that is unwanted or too broken down, is wanted for bettering the future of some people then there are different ways to preserve history without hindering the future (not to say that this applies to this exact situation).

            Creative means of presenting history are always an option. Signs, digital maps, anything anyone can think of can be just as effective as the building itself. I do not know exactly what the plans for the land Donny’s Place sits on are, but I would hope it is for the betterment of the community.

            Which leads me to another issue I brought up before. A historical landmark designation means nothing if the building cannot be saved or falls to the wayside because there is not enough interest or funds to properly restore and preserve the building. While there are grants for that kind of work, in the current political outlooks, acquiring those grants may prove to be more difficult than normal.

            There has been a lack of conversation about the condition of Donny’s Place. Looking at the outside, I have my suspicions of the inside. Having spoken to those who have recently been in the building and those who knew Donny and his buildings, I do not have a lot of faith in the inside of that building being in good condition.

            A blank slate of a building can be a good thing in some cases, especially if it was to be molded and changed to be a museum space. A professional would know all of the spaces they would need and have the ability to mold that blank space to those needs. However, there is a difference between a good usable space and a building that may need a total makeover. The costs go up the more damage to the building there is and how old the pipes, wiring, and insulation are. Gutting an entire building and giving it enough modern amenities to be functional is already a massive cost. Once functional, now it can be remolded to mirror what people remember of the location and have museum spaces like archives which were already expensive.

            That is a lot of time, work, and money that might run out or not exist in the first place. Which could make the historical landmark designation null. I’m not entirely convinced that Donny’s Place is in good enough condition.

            Additionally, there’s the fact that Donny didn’t necessarily want this for this building he owned and operated. Although he has passed, that does not make his desires and wants pointless. Regardless of how people felt about him, his bar, or his death, he was a person who wanted particular things. Going against his wishes is not something I agree with on principle.

            That takes me to my final point. There is little agreement in the community about this effort. Multiple organizations and groups are upset that they were not included in this decision. Others believe a different bar would be better to preserve. The exact history of the bar is in question, which can make obtaining a historical landmark designation difficult. Not to mention that the building’s location in the Polish Hill has raised concerns and complaints about its history as a gay bar and intentions of the designation. Putting a historical institution of a disliked community in a place that does not like or want that community there is asking for trouble and danger.

            There have been calls for the land the building sits on to become beneficial places for the local community which, as I’ve stated, I believe would be a better use for the location. A historical landmark sign could stand in place of Donny’s Place former building.

            This is a nuanced and complicated issue. This is simply my opinion on the matter. I may be wrong about the condition of the building, but I still have concerns about what happens if the designation is achieved. Plans will need to be made, grants acquired.

            I would be happy to be wrong. I would love to see this work out and go well. I am, however, a skeptical person naturally. As much as I hope to be wrong, I fear that I am not. We shall wait and see if I shall be pleasantly surprised (spoiler: I was not).