Gift Bringer of Leechburg

The Gift Bringer of Leechburg (Pennsylvania) was commissioned in 2025. It is in celebration of the 175th anniversary of the founding of this town. originally named Friendship, the town was eventually named Leechburg after its benevolent founder.

The gift bringer is in a wooden boat typically used by traders to transport their goods to villages on the shores of the Kiski river. Later, the river became so polluted it took on an orange hue however, in recent years, it has been restored to a pristine fish filled river. The boat is filled with items that would've been indicative of that early era, barrels full of root beer, coal, bags of flour and a steel, all representing industries throughout the decades. On the hillside are the original buildings, Saint Martha's Catholic Church, the home of the Leechburg founder, the original schools and homes of the steelworkers and coal miners. To the left of the painting is the facilities for mining natural gas, including the burning gas tower in the background. Leechburg was the first town where natural gas was harvested.

The painting is done and tones of blue and white, which are the colors of Leechburg. I have never been to the city but Bishop who has lived in the area all his life peppered me with interesting stories and historical events, as well as sending me a large book of photos taken during that era. This was a challenging project having never seen the city.

Gratefully, the response has been overwhelmingly positive. People of this small community, which was once a thriving town, are intent on preserving their history. Presently they are working on many restoration projects, and their gracious spirit assured us to keep this town alive and thriving for all of us to enjoy.