From our house to yours...

The staff at Western Pennsylvania Conservancy would like to thank all those who have helped make WPC Morning Tidbit a success in its second year. Most notably:

• Our volunteer photographers, who kept us in mind when they came upon interesting plants, animals, bugs or breathtaking vistas. Your photos speak volumes about why our region should be protected.

• Our loyal subscribers who, through your e-mail responses to us, have guided the direction of WPC Morning Tidbit.

We hope you will continue to send us photos, suggestions and Destination Thursday ideas and ask that you consider spreading the word about our beautiful region. If you've enjoyed getting out tidbits, let others know how they too can rediscover western Pennsylvania.

The slideshow above shows WPC's Angela Masters' holiday decorating at WPC's Burke Building office in downtown Pittsburgh.

A bit about the Burke Building...

In 1996, WPC moved into downtown Pittsburgh's oldest standing office building. But when we renovated 209 Fourth Avenue to satisfy our needs, we used state-of-the art technologies to showcase our commitment to resource conservation. To preserve the past, WPC took every opportunity to reuse existing materials, including some from the building's original construction in 1836. Looking to the future, WPC bought as many natural and recycled materials as were financially realistic. And we installed energy-efficient heating, cooling and lighting.

WPC bought the building in February 1996, and spent a year renovating the 167-year-old structure, known most commonly to long-time residents as Arthur's Restaurant.

Nine years after the building was erected, it survived the city's "great fire of 1845," only to suffer one of its own around 1900. The rafters in the attic still show the signs of charring, but the fire didn't jeopardize their structural integrity. Most of what exists today dates to the turn of the century, except for the window casings and shutters, which were part of the original construction.