The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC) is a private nonprofit conservation organization founded in 1932 and headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. WPC has contributed land to 12 state parks and conserved more than a quarter million acres of natural lands. The Conservancy plants and maintains more than 132 gardens in 20 Western Pennsylvania counties, as well as planting thousands of trees through its community forestry program. WPC has protected or restored more than of rivers and streams. In 1963, Edgar Kaufmann Jr. entrusted Frank Lloyd Wright's masterwork Fallingwater to the Conservancy. The house was called the most important building of the 20th century by the American Institute of Architects. Charity Navigator awarded the Conservancy its highest rating for the seventh year. Of the thousands of charities the independent evaluator has reviewed, only 2 percent have received as many consecutive four-star ratings. History Three years into the Great Depression, ten citizens came together to found a nonprofit conservation organization. The organization’s goal was to alleviate widespread unemployment through public works programs that would also create a positive impact on the region’s natural resources. Formerly known as the Greater Pittsburgh Parks Association, WPC began its work landscaping a park along Pittsburgh's Bigelow Boulevard. By 1945, the Conservancy was acquiring large tracts of land in Lawrence County that eventually became part of McConnells Mill State Park. In 1961, a 300-acre wildflower reserve was acquired in Beaver County and is still considered to be one of the finest stands of native wildflowers in southwestern Pennsylvania. The wildflower reserve is now part of Raccoon Creek State Park. Offices While the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy's main headquarters is in Pittsburgh, the organization has several regional offices in the state. Offices are also held in Indiana, Mill Run, Ridgway, Franklin, Ligonier, Hollidaysburg and Harrisburg. Land and Water Conservation The Conservancy has protected more than a quarter million acres of land since 1932. The Conservancy’s work enables protection of important natural resources and creates economic benefits through an area’s tourism, recreation and forestry. Most of the land preserved by WPC is now publicly owned, becoming some of Pennsylvania's premier parks, forests, game lands and natural areas, or subject to conservation easements that allow public access. WPC acquired land for the creation of 12 state parks, including: Ohiopyle State Park, including Ferncliff Peninsula National Natural Landmark Laurel Ridge State Park Oil Creek State Park McConnell's Mill State Park Moraine State Park Erie