PittsÙurgh History & Landmarks Foundation450 The Landmarks BuildingOne Station SquarePittsburgh, PA 15219

PHLF News Page 3

Number 101 Spring 1987

Scheibler & Steel:Historical Surveys in ProgressPreservation Scene

Education, Events & BookReviews

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Published for the members of the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation -

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A New year ofÏours and special Events"Stan Hywet" (1915), Tbis 65 -room Tador møn-sion uøs built by F.A. Seiberling, fo*nder oftlteGoodlear and Seiberling røbber oomþønies. It uillbe one oftbe mansiotz¡ to*red on tbà "Erø ofEle-gaxce " toar of Aäron, Ohio.

Sunday aftemoog May 17

Horticultural Tour ofSchenley ParkChristina Schmidlapp, project director ofthe Schenley Park Centennial RestorationProject, is inviting Dan Dzivbek of FrickPark Nature Center to lead a tour focusingon the plantings in Schenley Park. Wewill discover which plants are native to thepark, which were planted almost a centuryagq which species are exotig and whichhave been most recently introduced. We willhope for a beautiful May day!

Sunday, May 31

Neville House Antiques ShowPlan to visit the 1785 wood-frame house inCollier Township during the second annualantiques show sponsored by Landmarksand the Neville House Auxiliary. Thehistoric house and yard are a festive settingfor the outdoor display of antiques and col-lectibles by 30 notable TVestern pennsylva-nia dealers.

Sundøy afternoon, June 7A First-Hand Yiew ofNorth Side RestorationStanley Lowe, director of Landmarks,Preservation Fund, will lead this tour incooperation with various North Side neigh-borhood organizations and individuals whohave been directly involved in recent resto-ration projects. We plan to tour the Hol-lander Building, the Eberhardt & OberBrewery, St. Mary's Priory (where tea willbe served), and our beloved Old post Of-fice, which is now thriving as the pittsburghChildren's Museum.

Over 5,6(N people attended the 12membership tours and specialetents hosted last year by our staff,docents, and volunteers. Thís year'sprogram oltours and specíal eventspromßes to be just as entertainíng,and, we hopq even more populnrwíth our members andfríends. Soget y_gtt_l calendar in hand, jot down

.. thefollowíni'arcnt dates, and joinus as we discover more about thelocal history and ørchitecture ofPÍttsburgh and several not-too-distant citíes.

Tfuesdøy eveníng, February 24East End, \Yest End:All Around PittsburghOur 1987 events program began with a slidelecture by Frank Kurtik, assistant curator atPitt's Archives of Industrial Society, featur-ing a rare collection of images of pre-'Renaissance Pittsburgh. The wening was anostalgic one for many, with views of long-lost architectural landmarks and memor-able scenes of days gone-by.

Saturday, March 7

"Era of Elegancd' -Akron,OhioTour the past of a historic canal and indus-trial town on this one-day bus excursion.Fbatured events include a tour of an indus-trialist's mansion, lunch at the Tangier, avisit to a nineteenth-century home that isnow the headquarters of the historical soci-ety, and a dinner, tour, and lecture at "StanHywet" þictured above).

Sunday øfternoon Aprìl 5

Kennywood:An Architectural AmusementCharles Jacques, noted author of Kenny-wood, has agreed to lead a private architec-tural walking tour featuring the CasinoRestaurant of 1898, the floral clock andelaborate Victorian gardens, and a ride onthe carousel (weather permitting). To topoff the tour, we will sip homemade pinklemonade and savor warm-buttered pop-corn, making this an event for the whole fa-mily to enjoy.

Søturday øfternoon, May 9The South Side on TourThanks io the cooperation and involvementof the Main Street on fust Cørson staff andboard, we plan to tour three commercialstructures on Carson Street that have beenrecently restored, a church that has beenadapted for use as a photographer's studigand several private residences. Followingthis, we will sample some ethnic foods pre-pared by the parishioners of one of thechurches. The tour will highlieht the best ofthe South Side: the current restoration pro-gress and economic revitalization, as well asthe historic architecture and rich ethnictraditions.

Sunday atternoons, September 6, 13, 2Q 27The lægacy of Four PittsburghArchitectural OfficesTime and again, viewing a Pittsburghbuilding, you discover that the architect wasone of a local foursome that practiced earlyin this century. We are going to devote oneSunday this September to each of these:¡ Frederick John Osterling (Arrott Build-

ing, Iroquois Apartments, ArmstrongCork Plant);

o l¡ngfellow, Alden & Harlow and Alden& Harlow (Duquesne CIub, Byers-Lyonhouse, Homestead Carnegie Library);¡ Henry Hornbostel (City-County Build-ing, Rodef Shalom, CMU's Fine ArtsBuilding); and

¡ Benno Janssen (Mellon Institute,Washington Crossing Bridgg houses inSchenley Farms).

The buildings listed are examples of whatwe will see in a series of bus tours.

Sunday, October 4Ohio Riverboat CruiseBoard the Gateway Clipper and travel downthe Ohio to Sewickley, where we are plan-ning a bus tour of the Village and of histor-ic river captains' homes. We will discuss thehistory of the Ohio River Valley and its sig-nificance to the development of Pittsburgh.

Sundøy afternoory October 1I (date tentative)The Sculpture of Schenley ParkVernon Gay, photographer for DiscoveringPittsburgh's Sculpture, willlead this walk-ing tour. Little-known and well-knownmasterpieces will be discovered, includingthe Christopher Lyman Magee Memorial,the Schenley Memorial Fountain, and theGeorge Westinghouse Memorial.

Sunday, October 18

Columbus, Ohio andGerman VillageA three-hour bus ride will take us toColumbus, Ohio where we will tour ,.for-bidden places" and historic neighborhoodsin the downtown area followed by a tourand ethnic dinner in German Villagg set-tled in the early 1800s.

FlÍ.day- Sunday, November I 3 -I 5Tenth Annual Antiques ShowThis year marks the tenth anniversary ofour most successful fund-raising event .and of the best antiques show in town. Joinu_s at the membership party on Thursday,November 12 at the Station Square Sheia-ton to preview the period furniturg art,china, silver, etc. offered for sale by 32antique dealers from the eastern, southern,and mid-western states.

Tfuesday evenìng, November 17

Distinguished læcture onHistoric PreservationDetails are forthcoming, but reserve thedate on your calendar now.

Sundøy, December 6Holiday TourPlease let us know your preference. Present-ly we are considering two holiday tours: thefirst is to host an ethnic holiday tour andcelebration in one of Pittsburgh's neighbor-hoods; and the secónd is to tour the Ogle-bay mansion and museum in Wheeling,West Virginia. Call Kimberly Mooney at471-5808 to let us know your choice.

AII members will be møíled príntedinvitations ín ødvance of theseev ents, stating detaìled informøtionand tour/event fees. If you høve anyfurther questíons, or would líke tosuggest other tour destinations forus to cons¡der, please call KímberlyMooney at 471-5808.

The Kennlwood P¿rþ, cømx¡el, bailt in 1926.

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Page 8 PrrLF Newt spring l9g7

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Mrs. James E. JenkinsMs. Olive McClellandMs. Martha E. McGrewTerry S. MillerMd. Patricia S. NaugleNeighborhood Housing Services, Inc.William A. Nickels, Jr.Ms. Marilyn A. ParkR.H. PennockBen PovilaitisPuro, Inc.Joseph RishelMs. Helen Tomory

Volunteer Profile:Marianne MartinShe s an impressive lady: one of Land-marks' top-notch tour guides, a volun-teer in the Bryn Mawr-Vassar book storeand Shadyside Church Library, a mem-ber of the College Club and RockledgeGarden Club, and an avid reader oftheFortnightly Book Club.

Marianne Martin is the kind of volunteer non-profit organizationsdream to have. Fortunately for us, Marianne joined our first docent-training class in 1983, and has been leading tours of Pittsburgh's land-marks and neighborhoods ever since. Intimately familiar with life inPittsburgh and well versed in literature, the arts and history, Marianne isable to enrich her tour commentary with a wealth of anecdotes, facts,and trivia. For instance, she is fond oftelling tourists that a stagnantpond, called Hogg's Pond, occupied the area of downtown Pittsburghwhere the elegant Kaufmann's Department store now stands. Her en-thusiasm and love of Pittsburgh is contagious. We are grateful to havehad Marianne involved in our tour program for the past four years andlook forward to many more years of service.

If you are interested in volunteering for Landmarks in any cøpacÍty,please call Mary Lu Denny at 471-5808.

Historic ProþerTy NewsThe Burtner HouseThe Burtner House Society thanks all volunteers who made the 1986Community Days and events held at the stone house of l82l in NatronaHeights such a success! The Society offers a number of publications forsalg including Íhe Burtner House Recipe Book at$6 postpaid. Proceerdshelp further the restoration of the National Registerlisted property.Contact Burtner House Restoration, Box 292, Natrona Heights, PA15065 -0292 for further information.

The Neville HouseThe Neville House Auxiliary is pleased to announce that restorationwork is progressing rapidly in preparation for spring meetings of theWestern Pennsylvania Committee of the Colonial Dames and the Gar-den Clubs of Allegheny County. (See "Preservation Scene' on page 5

for restoration news.) The Auxiliary invites interested prospective mem-bers to attend the spring membership tea on Wednesday, April 22 atl:00 p.m. at the Neville House in Collier Township. Upcoming events atthe Neville House include a lecture and demonstration of herbs andtheir uses by auxiliary member Jeanne Poremski, Saturday, May 16 at10:00 a.m. and the second annual antiques show on Sunday, May 3l incooperation with Landmarks.

Old St. Luke'sThe interior restoration of Old St. Luke's in Scott Township will becompleted in time for the eleventh annual Easter Sunday Service onApril 19 at 6:00 a.m. Th'e sunrise service will be followed by breakfast atthe Chartiers United Presbyterian Church across the street.

Restoration activity at Old St. Luke's last year included the restora-tion of 30 pews in the original design and color by J. Westner Decorat-ing Company; the installation of 14 leaded stained glass windows byHunt Stained Glass Studios; and the design of wrought-iron chandeliersand a pulpit sconce by Victorian Interior Restoration. These projectswere funded by private gifts in excess of $30,000. Still to be funded andcompleted is the tuck pointing of the interior stone walls and staining ofthe roof trusses by Tri-State Waterproofing, Inc.

The Rachel Carson HomesteadThe Rachel Carson Homestead Association will hold a planning meet-ing on Thursday, March 19 at7:30 p.m. to organize the Homestead'scelebration in honor of Rachel Carson's eightieth birthday and thetwenty-fifth anniversary of the publication of Silent Spring. Thecelebration is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, May 16 at the Home-stead in Springdale; call274-57'16 for details.

PHLF News is a quarterly publication of the Pittsburgh History &Landmarks Foundation.Arthur P. Ziegler, Jr. . .PresidentLouise King Ferguson. . . .Editor/Executive DirectorMary Lu DennySusan K. DonleyEarl JamesWalter C. KidneyStanley A. lnweKimberly A. MooneyChristina Schmidlapp

Above: An emþî1 ore yard, /arger tltan ø football field, seraes as both an ìntroduction îo t/te irn-nzense scøle of oþerøtions enzployd øt ø mi// and a ltaanting ernblem of ø shrinâìng industry. Atrigltt høngs ã clàmshell bucâèt for haaling tbe mixtare of ore þellets and lirnestone to the mechønis'ms tbøt]øøber mixed it ønd"fuliaered il to the bløst furnacàs in the di¡îance.

The ruìns of namber tuo b/øst farnøce, origi-nally buihîn tlte 1890s ønd subsequenill ãl-tered and apdøted oaer rbe yeørs.

A ltage clømshell bacâ,et lies idle on tbe bot-torn ofø slag pit near tlte end ofa blast fur-nøce. S/øg wøs eitber ltauled awøy frorn thesite and dumped, or þrocessed ønd so/d forotlter uses. Tbe slag nzound adjaceü ro tlteCentury III Mal/ Soath Hills, is the rnostaisible example of a danþ ite.

IEV[/SlYe/come New Mernbers

Mrs. Margaret AntolovichMs. Penny AntolovichRobert BrunoMichael Ca¡onMs. Evaline ChalfantChernco RestorationMs. Elizabeth A. DadeyMr. & Mrs. Zack DAlesandroThe Fragasso FamilyMs. Bonnie GrangerMs. Loeta HixsonHoover Elementary SchoolSteve Hornikrililiam Hunt

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Vesetation begins to tøÃe oær, slowþ. An aþturned sÃiþ cør for ltøuling ore mixtures to tbe topsoftlte blast famøces, lies in the foreground'

Awaiting DemolitionClyde Hare has been documenting the growth andchønge of Pittsburgh for more thøn 30 years, frequentlyphotographing area steel mills in full operation. These

four photographs, selected from a series tøken by ClydeHare at the Duquesne síte of USX in the fall of 1986,mqrk his first assignment in photographing a mill await-ing demolition.

JeanHodak .....Art¡st

Spring 1987 PHLF News Page 3

Two Hisroricø/ Surueys in Progress

Re s e arc h, C o n fi r matio n, f) o c u m e ntntio n, D i s c ove ry

In recent issues o/ PHLF News we ønnounced the twohistorical survey projects we øre conducting this year: thesteel-site reconnaissance survey, and the comprehensive sur-vey of the works of Frederick G. Scheibler, fn In this issugwe are pleased to be øble to present both factuøl updatesønd impressionistic interpretations of these surveys ìnprogress.

The Steel Industry ofS out hw e s t ern Penn s ylv ønia

Staff members Earl James and WalterKidney, with the assistance of intern LisaAgentis (Architectural Studies, Pitt) andvolunteer David Jardini, are currently wad-ing through a vast amount of infôrmationrelated to the history of the iron and steelindustry of Southwestern Pennsylvania.Numerous histories approach the subjectfrom different angles and together providea multitude of facts (dates of significanttechnological innovations of the industrysuch as the patenting of the Bessemer con-verter), along with a variety of interpreta-tions of the causes of the historical growthand recent decline of the industry.

To cite just two examples of the diversityof published sources, we have consulted a1964 "Guide to the Old Stone Blast Fur-naces in Western Pennsylvania" publishedby the Historical Society of Western Penn-sylvania, which details the dates of con-struction, names of owners, production ca-pacities and exact geographical locations ofover 100 stone blast furnaces built in West-ern Pennsylvania since 1790, when the firstfurnace (the Alliance) was constructed onJacobs Creek in Fayette County.

A more recent and different type of pub-lication is the l97l Economic Hßtory of theIron and Steel Industry in the UnitedStates, by William T. Hogan of FordhamUniversity. This five-volume history giveshistories of individual corporations of theindustry, an analysis of changing demandfor steel over the years, statistical lists suchas "New Furnaces Constructed, 1945-1970"(there were 36), and descriptions ofchangesin sources and qualities of raw materialsamong many other types of information.Publications ofthe industry itself, such asthe American Iron and Steel Institute'sDirectory of Iron and Steel ll'orks of theUnited States and Canoda, 1896-D8A canbe invaluable sources of data to documentthe rate of growth and the geographicalspread of the industry.

Following the research phase of the sur-vey, we plan to submit a report to the Penn-sylvania Historical and Museum Commis-sion, which is funding a major portion ofthe costs of this survey, which will consti-tute a guidebook for the evaluation of the

historical significance of currently existingiron and steel sites in Southwestern Penn-sylvania. When finished, the report willprovide a basis for sound decision-makingby individuals or institutions interested inthe possible preservation andlor adaptivereuse of some of the steel sites in South-western Pennsylvania.

Acquíring ArtífactsLandmarks also is identifying a wide varie-ty of steel-mill artifacts which we will at-tempt to acquire and preserve from millsnow slated for demolition. Obviously, shortof preserving a mill site intact, it is impossi-ble to collect some of the major artifacts ofthe industry such as a blast furnace. Therearg however, smaller and equally importanttypes of mill artifacts which are moveableand should be preserved to assist in thedocumentation and interpretation of the in-dustry.

For examplg we will be looking for anore car used to transport ore within the millsite, a skip bucket used to transport oremixtures to the tops of blast furnaces, vari-ous ladles for receiving and pouring molteniron and steel, and an ingot buggy withmold and ingots aboard.

We also hope to acquire and store for fu-ture display a number of the more "humanscale" mill artifacts that will help conveythe presence of the working man in themill, such as hand tools used in the opera-tion of blast furnaces, time-card racks withthe names of individual workers, warningand safety signs found on a mill sitg pro-tective clothing required for some opera-tions, and many others.

Finally, as we continue our survey work,we frequently contact mill workers andmanagers who have collected photographsof "their" mill over the years. Althoughreluctant to let go ofthese collections, sincethey represent passionate memories of analmost legendary way of lifq the ownersmay allow their collections to be copied ordonate them at a later date.

These approaches to the preservation ofthe regional history ofthis industry, as wellas others such as oral history, need to becarried out now while the people and theartifacts remain accessible. Landmarks ispleased to be in the forefront of this re-search and documentary effort.

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The Works of FrederickG. Scheibler, fnl¿ndmarks' survey of the works of Pitts-burgh architect Frederick G. Scheibler, Jr.continues to uncover information that todate has confirmed 54 buildings and build-ing groups as Scheibler-designed. A pains-taking research process is the first step inestablishing the basis for a comprehensiveevaluation of Scheibler's work. In additionto the confirmed sites, Landmarks' histori-an Walter Kidney and intern Edward Ber-gen (Architectural Studies, Pitt) are cur-rently investigating the attributions of 30more sites and have identified seven otherScheibler-designed works now demolished.The photographs reprinted here show threelittle-known Scheibler works to be recordedin the Landmarks survey.

In conducting the survey research, Kid-ney and Bergen have a wide variety of in-formation sources to analyze and cross-check, involving publications such as 7åeBu ilder, Pittsburgh Architectural Clubyearbooks, and the Builders' Bulletinamong others, in an effort to identifyScheibler commissions. Another valuableresource in local collections is the Carnegie-Mellon University's Hunt Library collec-tion of Scheibler drawings for 9l commis-sions. A number of these drawings cannotbe visually examined, however, until theHunt Libra¡y conservators finish the tedi-ous task of slowly humidifying the paperuntil it may be unrolled without crumbling.

Scheibler was very largely an East Endarchitect, but he designed buildings forModesto, California and \üynnewood, nearPhiladelphia. Kidney recently visitedWynnewood, following up Scheibler's typi-cally imprecise street address, and believesthat he has identified the building there.Despite Philadelphia-area features - wallsof schist and a pent eave over the frontdoor - this house has Scheibler's crispnessand individuality. Kidney and Bergen planto wrap up the major portion of the detec-tive phases of this survey by late February.

Nolan doøble duþlex, 1402-08 North NegleyArenae (1919)

Colemøn øþørtnzent bouse, 936 Mel/on Street(1907)

King Ateøae Row, 1147-55 King Aaenue(1914)

National Park Service Team Re cen t Artføc t D onøtionsPhotographs Duquesne WorksThe National Park Servicds Historic American Engineering Record (i{AER)office, at the request of Landmarks, assigned photographer Jet l¡we andhistorian Bill L¡bovich to an emergency photodocumentation project atUSX's Duquesne Works during the fatl of 1986. The blast-furnace end of thissite will be demolished in 1987 and the HAER team on their visit there identi-fied and photogaphed 59 pieces of equipment, buildings, and site viewsrepresenting mill operations.

The HAER office is responsible for recording the nation's significant en-gineering and industrial artifacts and structures through photodocumentationand measured drawings of sites, buildings, and equipment, and through proc-ess drawings documenting various technological processes used in industry.

At the sa¡ne time, Landmarks was fortunate enough to receive the volunteerservices of a professional fïlmmaker and former steelworker, Steffi Domikewho shot several hundred feet of l6mm film of the abandoned site

The most remarkable gift we have receivedsince our last report in the Falt 1986 news-letter is a collection of 1,098 drawings,mainly ink on linen, from the office of thePittsburgh engineer Samuel Diescher.These include drawings for a Ferris wheel

- perhaps the original Ferris wheel, builtfor the Chicago Exposition of 1893 - aswell as for seven inclines in Pittsburgh andfive in other cities. The others are for indus-trial facilities, buildings, and airports, withdates between 1889 and 1930. These camewith a wooden case. The donor is Mrs.Clara Archibald of Gibsonia, Diescher'sgrand-daughter, who has also given ushistoric material from Jones & Laughlinand is offering us other valuable gifts.

Otto Gilcher of Penn Hills has given ustextile machinery, sheet musig and pianomusic racks.

Charles B. Sullivan, of Carring-ton,/Sloane Associates, has given us a copyof the Flood Supplement of the pittsburghSun-Tëlegraph of March 29, 7936.

Bernard J. DiNardo of Braddock hasgiven us the public clock in front of hisstore at 837 Braddock Avenue.

Marjorie H. Roberts of Mars has givenus a sleigh ofthe 1900 period, said to bethat in which the Biddle Brothers and Mrs.Soffel attempted their escape.

!f any members would like to donate anyartifacts to our collection, please callWalter Kidney at 471-5808.

Page4 PHLFNews Spring 1987

Preservation Scene

Landmarks InitiatesHome Ownership ProgramThe Home Ownership for Working PeopleProgram (VMR I), announced in the Fall1986 newsletter, is now under way. Ninevacant, vandalized houses on Alpine Streetand Saturn Way in the Central North Sidehave been purchased for rehabilitation as

two- and three-bedroom units, and Land-marks has begun the marketing program.

Figures reported last fall in the newsletterhave changed slightly. The families benefit-ing from the program, with incomes be-tween $12,000 and $27,500 a year, will pay

$1,5ü) for closing costs and down paymentrather than the $2,500 first anticipated, andwill go on with monthly payments, prin-cipal and interest, ofbetween $200 and$300 per month, until they have paid ap-proximately $29,355 to $40,466, dependingon the unit they select and assume owner-ship of. The homes are valued between$47,500 and $58,800.

Participants in the program include:l,andmarks, which has made a constructionloan of $162,185 at eight percent interest;the URA of Pittsburgh, with an $87,500grant to write down the purchase price; a

$40,000 loan at eight percent for construc-tion and $20,000 grant for building pur-chase from the t¡cal Initiative SupportCorporation; and a $17,500 loan at eightpercent from the Preservation Fund ofPennsylvania for marketing. Other par-ticipants are the North Side Civic Develop-ment Council, the Urban RedevelopmentAuthority, and Mayor Richard S. Caliguiri.Landmarks' loan has, by itself, leveragedabout a quarter-million dollars in financ-ing.

The purpose of the program is to affordpermanent homes to families that mightotherwise have to live insecurely in badrental properties. A proviso of the agree-ment with a family benefiting from the pro-gram is that it accept whatever counseling isnecessary to enable it to carry through theprocess that leads to full ownership.

St. Mary's Priory OpensA party, held on the evening of December18, 1986 by Landmarks Design Associates,architects, gave many Pittsburghers theirfïrst glimpse of the Priory, 614 PressleyStreet on the North Side, which openedNovember l7th. The bed-and-breakfast ho-tel of 25 rooms, intended primarily forbusiness travelers, has a domestic characterthat should recommend it to persons wholike peacg privacy, and a change from theusual hotel-motel impersonality. The court-yard between the Priory and St. Mary'sChurch will be a delightful out-of-doorsarea in the warm months. Conversion ofthe Priory to a hotel was aided by a $50,000loan from Landmarks' Preservation Fund.The conversion of St. Mary's Church itselfto a hall for rental is the next step.

o Osterling Studio RestoredConversion of the Osterling Building at 228Isabella Street, on the North Shorg is nowcomplete, and according to DavidO'Loughlin, the dweloper, all 2,300 squarefeet of office rental space has been signedup. This was the home and studio ofFrederick John Osterling, the busy turn-of-the-century architect whose works includethe Union Arcade (i.e., TWo Mellon BankCenter) and the Magee Building in down-town Pittsburgh, and the Iroquois Apart-ments in Oakland. Remodeled in 1917, justas the Union Arcade was being completed,the Osterling Building has a bold traceriedwindow-wall in much the same FlamboyantGothic style that the larger work uses.

New Life for aNorth Side LandmarkThe Eberhardt and Ober Brewery (c. 1880)at Troy Hill Road and Vinial Street is to berenovated and apated for a new use. TheLocal Initiative Support Corporation(LISC) is contributinC $100,000 to the pro-ject for a small-business "incubator"(custom-designed spaces and managementassistance) and a $500,000 loan, also fromLISC, will fund construction. The Pitts-burgh Foundation has also granted a$50,000 loan for the incubator. PHLF hasassisted Landmarks Design Associates,architects, with its National Register appli-cation. Construction is anticipated to beginin the first quarter of this year; TomMistick & Sons will be the contractor.

Streetface Program Announcedby the CityThe City of Pittsburgh has instituted a newNeighborhood Business District Revitaliza-tion Program, one component of which isthe Streetface Program. The Streetface Pro-gram provides matching grants to mer-chants and building owners in qualifyingbusiness districts for the renovation of thestorefronts and facades of their buildings.The Department of City Planning and theUrban Redevelopment Authority admin-ister the program, and have drawn upguidelines for the renovations performedunder it. Among the renovations that haveoccurred or are under way in the city'shistoric districts are l5l0-12 East CarsonStreet (Blue Lou's Grill), 1805 East CarsonStreet (Thursday's Restaurant), 2l0O-02East Carso'n Street, and 4018 Penn Avenue(David Brenenborg and Associates architec-tural offîces).

Stønlel Loue krt), director of løndmørÃs' Presentation Fund, Ronøld Suber (rziddle), eco&ol?ltcdeveloprnetzt speciølirt of the Noøl¡ Side Ciuic Deaeloþment Coøncil, and Aøbur Ziegler, presi-dent of Iøndmørâs, discøss tl¡e ¡uccess of tbe Home Ounersltip Program. Tbese boa¡es locøted at251 and 2J3 Alþine Street on the Centrøl Nortlt Side utere re¡tored tbroaglt a loan fron l,ønd-mørâs' Preseruation Fand.

Plans for Calbride PlaceThe Calbride Place Citizens Council(CPCC) anticipates spending over $50,000this year to restore l0 buildings in theircommunity. Landmarks contributed manyhours of technical assistance to the Councilin 1986, and was one of many organizationsto help secure over $28,500 in funding forboard and staff support and neighborhooddevelopment activities. We have also assist-ed the CPCC in obtaining $60,000 from theUrban Redevelopment Authority to writedown the purchase price of the rehabil-itated buildings.

Reconstruction of theGranite BuildingA facade easement for the Granite Build-ing, whose two lower floors are underreconstruction, has been granted by GraniteHistoric Associates, of Philadelphia, to thePhiladelphia Historic Preservation Corpo-ration, a private non-profit organizationwith demonstrated experience in acceptingeasements. The Granite Building is locateddowntown at Sixth Avenue and WoodStreet. Landmarks was interested once inaccepting the easement, but the integrity ofthe facades will be compromised by struc-tural and planning considerations thatmake a full restoration of the lower-floorfacades inexpedient. The style will again beRomanesque, but fenestration, ornament,materials, and textures will be notablydifferent from those designed in 1889 byBickel & Brennan for the banking-roomlevels of the German National Bank. Land-marks will be charged with supervising theeasement provisions under contract withthe Philadelphia group.

Pittsburgh Ranks FifthU.S. News and ll'orld Report, in its issue ofNovember 3, 1986, carried an article on theInvestment Tax Credit and historic preser-vation. This included a list of the top 20U.S. cities, ranked by the number of histor-ic rehab projects. The period for which thelist is valid was not stated, but currentprojects are probably what the editors hadin mind. Pittsburgh ranks fifth, behind St.Louis, New Orleans, Savannah, and Phila-delphia. Considering that three of these aremuch larger cities than Pittsburgh, thisdoes us much credit.

Call us with Preservøtíon NewsWe need your help in coveríng thecounty. Please call Wølter Kídney (471-

5808) and report whøt you know.

o East Liberty RenovationsThe full opening of two-way traffic orPenn Avenue through the center of EaLiberty, effected last November, has bonly the most noted of a number of ar

vances recently made in the area. TheMotor Square Garden, the East LiberlMarket House built in 1898 to designsPeabody & Stearns of Boston, has beeder interior reconstruction since OctolPlans designed by Landmarks Designsociates, architects, provide for three Iwith a total of 85,@0 leasable squareaccommodating 36 businesses that inrrestaurants, stores, and professional ofor customers from the neighborhoodbroad cruciform well under the glazedtral dome will open the new mezzaninthe main floor, which itself will be oprthe basement through two narrower w

The handsome old Stevenson Build1896, a building suggesting the early a

chitecture of McKim, Mead & White I

W. Ross Proctor, is now the Dargate (ies. The original corner entrance will ¡

main in use, but a new entrance on H<ton Street will be added. Edward Darcproprietor of the Galleries, has beenencouraging other businesses to occulother properties restored or remodele<the architects John Martine and HenrHanson.

Mannsman's Department Store on .

Avenue is undergoing restoration of itterra-cotta facade, and is to become tlShowcase Outlet Center, a store for fuings and decorative work by artists ancraftsmen of Southwestern Pennsylvaand the Tri-State area generally.

The East Liberty Development Cortion has created three for-profit corpotions for real-estate and managementtivities, Eldevco Property Developmetdevco Retail Dwelopment, and EldevrReal Estate.

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Spring 1987 PHLF News Page 5

o The Neville House: .Etched Windows andBrtgtu WallsThe Presley Neville house in Collier Town-ship is a National Historic Landmark and ahistoric resource whose complexities havenot yet been fully exposed. The expertshave been working on some of these com-plexities. Ronald C. Carlisle, of the Univer-sity of Pittsburgh's Department of Anthro-pology, has documented diamond-etchedinscriptions on 48 panes of glass in l0 win-dows, principally those of the dining andliving rooms, It was once a custom toscratch a name, a date, an epigram, orsomething of the sort on window panes, tomemorialize an important family event, adistinguished visitor, or anything worthrecording. The Neville house may be theonly house in Western Pennsylvania whereevidence ofthis custom survives. The earli-est extant inscription was made by NancyNeville, Presley's wife, on April 20, 1811.

Breakage has robbed us of another etchingsaid to have been made by Lafayettg Pres-ley's commanding officer during the Revo-lution. The Cowan and Wrenshall families,who occupied the house in the nineteenthcentury, continued the custom. Dr,Carlisle is studying the custom of window-pane etching generally to put the Nevillehouse windows in their true context.

Robert Feller of the Mellon Institute andJohn Dickey, meanwhile, have been aralyz-ing paint samples from the eighteenth-century interiors of the house, and restora-tion of the dining room, living room, andfront hall is progressing in light of theirfindings. Some of this restoration - fullydocumented though it is - will startlemodern eyes. The dining room of the early1790s, for instancg will have bright greenwalls, glazed above the chair rail, with ablack baseboard and cream trim with acream-colored ceiling. All surfaces, the ceil-ing included, a¡e finished in boards. Otherrooms will reveal other rather bright sur-faces. Paint restoration is expected to befìnished by early March.

Fifth Avenue Mansionto be RestoredAn architectural tragedy occurred on Oc-tober 28, 1986, when the Gwinner-Harterhouse, at Fifth and Amberson Avenues, washalf-destroyed by fire. Almost all of themansarded third floor was burned awayand the second floor was badly damaged.At the time, the house was within threeweeks of the completion of extensive interi-or restoration. The architectureJoving pub-lic - and the neighbors - have been anx-ious over the fate of the house; but, Dr. IæoHarter, the owner, has decided to restorethe house again, and indeed has asked hisarchitect, Martin Chetlin, to research itsearly history: a fact that suggests an evenmore complete restoration than the first.

Not much is known about the housq de-spite its character as a familiar sight alongFifth Avenue. Dr. Harter believes that itwas built in 1863, though its mansard roof

- possibly an addition - suggests 1870.The original owner was William B. Negley.The house was purchased by the Gwinnerfamily in l9ll, and remodeled and perhapsenlarged by Frederick J. Osterling aroundthe same time. It was further remodeled in1923. The front porch, with its doubled Ro-man Doric columns, dates from one of theremodelings, probably that of l9ll. Theground-floor rooms, despite 50 years ofchanging tastes, are reported to have sur-vived largely as first designed.

Møín Street on East CarsonProgressesMøin Street on fust Carson has moved itsoffices to the second floor of l8l2 EastCarson Street, retaining its telephone num-ber of48l-0660. Progress in 1986 has beenvery satisfactory, with 30 new businessesopening in the Carson Street Historic Dis-trict of the South Side since August 1985. Astatistical analysis of economic dwelop-ment between August 1985 and the end ofJuly 1986 showed twice as many businessescoming in as leaving. A policy of MainStreet is to encourage retailing, and62per-cent of these new businesses are in fact re-tail, a gain over a one-year period of ll per-cent. One fifth ofthe new businesses arerestaurants, many intended to serve a clien-tele of newcomers and their visitors. Theeconomic development in this same l1-month period created 2l new jobs. Finally,23 facades were restored or suitably altered,and 20 properties were rehabilitated. FromSeptember 1985 through May 1986,$523,000 was spent on building improve-ments.

Carolyn Boycg director of the MainStreet project, hopes that the new business-es will both serve the ordinary demands ofthe neighborhood and attract customersfrom the entire region through a balancedarray of goods and services.

Funding for Møin Street on fust Carson,which is sponsored by the National Trustfor Historic Preservation, has been receivedfrom the Mary Hillman Jennings Founda-tion of Pittsburgh, and the Trust's NationalMain Street Center, for a business-assistance progr¿Ìm. In this connection,Møin Street and the City of Pittsburgh heldfour workshops in January for board mem-bers of the South Side Chamber of Com-mercq the South Side Local DevelopmentCorporation, and. Main Street on kst Car-son itself, to train them in working with thebusinessmen of the district. The AlleghenyFoundation has made a generous contribir-tion to cover operating expenses and partlyto match challenge grants, and the HowardHeinz Endowment has contributed fundingfor operating expenses.

Allegheny CemeteryContinues RestorationAllegheny Cemetery announces that 1986

has seen restoration of the AdministrationBuilding next to the Butler Street entrancein Lawrenceville, especially the woodworkof the major interiors. New signs for the in-dividual buildings and the Cemetery'shistoric tour have been erected. This year,

the exterior of the Administration Buildingis to be restored, including the clock in thetower: the walks around the Fountain andPool area are to be improved; and walls andfences are to be restored.

First planned in 1844, this was the fourth"rural" cemetery to be undertaken in theUnited States: not "rural" in the sense ofresembling an artless country churchyard,but rather in bringing principles of Roman-tic landscaping to cemetery design. There isa sort of magic about the number three,and therefore the earlier cemeteries, MountAuburn near Boston, Laurel Hill in Phila-delphia, and Green \Wood in Brooklyn,have claimed all the applause. Yet Alle-gheny is full of charm and interest, and isone ofthe finest sights in this area. Restora-tion of its most notable features is decided-ly good news. Further donations to therestoration fund would be welcomed by:

Allegheny Cemetery HistoricalAssociation

4734 Butler StreetPittsburgh, PA 15201

Bridge Artifacts ReappearTwo details from the Liberty Bridge railing,removed a few years ago, have turned up inan unexpected place, at 1204 GrandviewAvenue. The lower floor is an extension ofthe Tin Angel, with apartments above. Therecent Post-Modern refacing by Thomas R.Hasley includes two torchlike ornamentswhose flames, strong red, are lavish compo-sitions of palmettes, anthemions, and vo.lutes that once served as finials to the postsof the Liberty Bridge railing. Anne vonSothen, the client, found them in an an-tique shop.

Schenley Park prepared by EnvironmentalPlanning and Design and funded by thePittsburgh Parks and Playground Fund ofthe Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.That study indicated that further analysisof the Park's landscape was necessary in or-der to determine restoration costs.

Landmarks is currently seeking matchingfunds for the NEA grant: $11,000 of thesefunds have been secured as of this writing;an additional $12,500 are still needed. As-sistance from the NEA provides both essen-tial financial support and valuable visibilityfor the Schenley Park project. The SchenleyPark Centennial Restoration Project is be-ing sponsored jointly by Landmarks andthe Pittsburgh Parks and Playground Fundof the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy,in cooperation with the City of Pittsburgh.

Contributors to the Preservation FundWe are pleased to acknowledge the following members whose contributions to the PreservationFund will open new opportunities for aiding historic preservation projects in Allegheny County:

Mrs. Shirley Siegwart Ayer Chester læMaistreAnthony J.A. Bryan Mr. & Mrs. Philip F. MuckMr. & Mrs. Newton Chapin, Jr. Ms. Margie NicholsonMr. & Mrs. Frederic L. Cook Wiiliam R. OliverMrs. George L. Craig, Jr. Mrs. Evelyn B. PearsonMr. & Mrs. John P. Davis, Jr. Edward C. QuickGeorge C. Dorman G. Whitney SnyderRichard D. Edwards Mr. & Mrs. Jack C. TookeG. Christian Lantzsch Dr. & Mrs. Albert C. Van DusenMrs. Alan G. Iæhman Mrs. James M. Walton

Schenley Pqrk CentennialRestoration Project

The Schenley Park Centennial RestorationProject gained momentum with the awardof a $20,000 matching grant from the Na-tional Endowment for the Arts (NEA) toLandmarks in September, 1986. The grantproject, titled "Reclaiming Design in an Ur-ban Parkj' will study the Panther Hollowsection of the Park with its network oftrails and stone bridges, many of whichwere built by the Vy'orks Progress Adminis-tration in the 1930s. In addition to fundingresearch of the development of PantherHolloq the NEA monies will supportseveral studies of Panther Hollow's currentcondition, including its paths and struc-tures, vegetation, and hydrology, The pro-ject will continue through 1987.

The investigation of Panther Hollow willsupplement the 1986 overview study of

Page 6 PHLF News Spring 1987

Education l\lews

Educøtion Colurnn

The Case for Hands-On HistorySince almost everyone is naturally curiousabout local people, places, and events, thestudy of neighborhoods has tremendouspotential to generate enthusiasm amongstudents.

Neighborhoods are a microcosm of thestate and the world. By studying them, stu-dents gain insight into how physical andcultural forces interact on a small scale andhow individuals contribute to society. Theseinsights encourage a greater tolerancg un-derstanding, and appreciation of differentpeople and places.

Community study is essential to under-standing the dynamics of the past and pres-ent in Western Pennsylvania, where resi-dents still identify closely with neighbor-hoods that were founded out of ethnic, oc-cupational, or topographic necessity.

Neighborhoods possess a wealth of op-portunities to study close-at-hand: archilec-turq artifacts, maps, photographs, city andcounty records, and residents who havefirst-hand knowledge of events importantto the development of the community. Suchprimary sources enable students to partici-pate directly in the research process. Byworking in their own neighborhoods, stu-dents uncover information not ordinarilyavailable in published form, thus makingan original and significant contribution totheir communities.

Neighborhoods also provide an excellentunifying theme for interdisciplinary studies.Organizing a neighborhood research pro-ject requires students to think logically andconcisely. They may use the social studies,such as history, to gain a perspective on thecommunity's past; anthropology, to discernits cultural heritage; sociology, to study thevalues and attitudes of the people; econom-ics, to understand the basis of a communi-ty's prosperity or lack thereof; politicalsciencg to investigate power and change;and geography, to understand the relation-ship of the shape of the land to the peoplewho use it. Students can apply math con-

Spring InservicesCall Susan Donley at 471-5808 forregistration information regarding twoinservice workshops offered by Land-marks this spring through the Alleghe-ny Intermediate Unit:

l. Exploríng Archítecture (a new pro-gram made possible by a grant fromthe Pennsylvania Historical andMuseum Commission): March 21, 28,April 25, May 2,9 a.m.-4 p.m.

2. Exploríng Your City:May 12, 19,26,June 2, 4:45-8:30 p.m.

Trøveling ExhibitsAfter a successf¡¡l first-year tour in 1986,Architecture: The Buílding Art and. Lønd-mark Survivo,ru are on the road again. Dueto requests received this year primarilyfrom PIA,/PTO members, the followingschools have scheduled the exhibits in thenext several months: McClellan Elemen-tary; Marchum Elementary; and HamptonMiddle School. Landmark Survívors wasrecently displayed at Children's Hospital,and Archítecture: The Buíldíng Art willbefeatured at the "Children's Festival" inMay, sponsored by Citiparks.

Please call Kimberly Mooney at 471-5808if you would like to receive rental informa-tion regarding either exhibit. Lots ofbook-ings have already been made, but somemonths are still available.

cepts by analyzing statistics contained insuch sources as city directories and censusreports, and by developing tables, charts,and graphs to illustrate aspects of theirstudy. Chemistry and biology teachersmight sponsor a joint study of how indus-trial pollutants affect the air and water, andthus the quality oflife in a neighborhood.Art teachers may use the neighborhood as arich source of creative visual subjects or tocollect oral histories ofpracticing artists. i.

Arts and humanities disciplines play a criti-cal role as students experiment with ways tocommunicate the results of their study.

Community study also promotes en-thusiasm among students because they arenot dealing with an abstract or distant re-gion with little relevance, but with an areafamiliar to them.

Most importantly, however, studentslearn how to conduct original research -collecting raw data about their communi-ties, analyzing the data, and communicat-ing their conclusions. In short, they learnhow to learn-

Despite the undisputed value of studyinglocal communities, school curricula gener-ally avoid the subject due to the lack ofguidelines and identifiable local resources,and most teachers are not trained in themethods of original research which are crit-ical to community study. Resources teach-ing the methods of conducting historical in-quiry, particularly in the area of the localcommunity, are very rare indeed. It is be-cause of this fact that Landmarks devel-oped a department of education in 1982and has been hosting inservices for teachersand special workshops for students andauthoring local history education materials.

The presentations and displays at Land-marks' first annual Hands-On HistoryEducation Fair were unrefutable evidencethat school curricula can be enriched if thelocal community is used as a resource forlearning. History is a hands-on subject withcountless relevant applications.

The Great PittsburghBridge-Building Contest

An ønxioas croud aøøits tbe decision of tlte PennDOT engineers øt tbe 1ødging of the Great Pittsbarglt Bidge-Bøilding Contest.

(Icft): Døt Ngayen display bis de-sigx, one ofþar bridges that úeldorer 500 þotnds, tbas tying for" aronge s t bridge " øw ørd.

(Below, left): Mørâ DørÁq and DaaidJørusørsâ,i displøy well-fusigned bridges fron the nintlt throagh tøelfihgra& dittisiox. Daaid's bidge uas l¡onored as most attractil)e øfld tied for stronges, uitb tltree otlter bridgestl¡øt ølso beld oaer 500 þoands. (Below, right): Heather Hennesseg øndJøc6lyn Liang uon first þrize for øþ-

þeørance in the ffth tbroagh eiglttlt grade ditision for tlteir cleter søsþension bidge.

They Got Their Hands-On History!The followíng schooß pørticþated ín theftrst annuøI Hønds-On History klucationFøìn The student projects, bríefly descríbedbelow, represent a tremendous outpourÍngol energy ønd enthusìasm. We salute thepartícþøtíng schools, students, øndteachers:Av alon Elementar y Scho o IAn exhibit of sketches and essays on the AvalonBorough Hall, a local landmark.Brookline Teøcher's CenterA videotape presentation of fifth graders' oralhistory interviews of their parents and schoolstaff.Broughton and Library Elcmentøry SchoolsAn exhibit of second graders' studies of geomet-ric shapes in architecture.

Chartiers Elementary SchoolAn exhibit on such neighborhood landmarks asthe Wind Gap Bridge and Mann's Hotel.East Allegheny Hígh SchoolA cookbook of traditional family recipes andtheir stories assembled by seventh and eighthgrade home economics students.

Edgeworth Elementary SchoolA display of drawings done on a communityhouse tour and a timeline of Sewickley history.Jay Neff Middle SchoolAn exhibit and slide show on sports in 1975, theyear its sixth grade researchers were born.foe Walker Elementary SchoolA videotape depicting a social history of the1960s.

McAnnulty Elementøry SchoolA display that included a stenciled quilt depict-ing Baldwin-Whitehall history, a cookbook withfavorite recipes of Pittsburgh celebrities collectedby students, and demonstrations of appleheadand cornhusk dollmaking.Montour High SchoolA giant "battleboard" and a display of originaldocuments showing the Pittsburgh connection tothe Battle of Gettysburg.North Allegheny Intermediate Hígh SchoolA photo display from an ethnic neighborhoodtour and "interviews" of Andrew Carnegie andHenry C. Frick after the Homestead Strike.Northgate funior High SchoolA display of photos and essays on "ExploringOur Past" and a student-designed history gamecalled 'A-Maze-ingJ'Osb o rne Elementary S ch o olA videotape of a third grade class' interview ofan architectural historian researching in theSewickley area.

Peny sv ille Elementar y S cho olA display of books about family traditions writ-ten and illustrated by third graders after readingfolk tales in the library.Roo sev elt E lementar y S cho o IA display of student work in English, Scottish,and German folk art.St. Agatha SchoolA display of family folklore booklets describingfamily rituals and traditions through stories anddrawings.

St. Colman SchoolAn exhibit of the results of a community "cen-sus" and an illustrated timeline of Turtle Creekhistory, all generated on the computer by elemen-tary students.

St. Francis Xavier SchoolA concert of 1890s songs and a "museum" of ar-tifacts collected by student curators.St. Patrtck SchoolA patchwork quilt depicting Pennsylvania histo-ry by seventh and eighth graders.

Schiller Classícal AcademyA skit and display based on a role-playing exer-cise in which students took the identities of per-sons listed on an early North Side census.

Sloan Elementary SchoolMurals of Murraysville in 1908 and 1986.

South Side Catholíc Elementary SchoolA display of 18 scale models of a third gradeclass' favorite South Side landmarks.Verner Elementar y S cho o IA play dramatizing the railroad's role in Verona'shistory.llzestern Pennsylvania Schoolfor the DeafA display of scale models of Downtown land-marks.

ll/ilson Elementary SchoolDisplays, demonstrations, and a skit based on pi-oneer history, crafts, and folklore students learn-ed while raising money for the restoration of theMcAdow-MoAdams log house on their schoolproperty.

Spring 1987 PHLF News pageT

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Our first ønnual Hands-On HistoryEducatíon Fair, held on Saturday,December 6 at the Station SquareSherøton, was an inspiring success,thønks to the hígh spirits and hardwork of a multitude of teachers,students, and volunteers. The fairwøs funded through grants fromthe Henry C. Frick EducationalCommission, the Pittsburgh Na-tional Bank Foundøtion, and Land-marks' Revolving Fund for Educa-tion.

Over 1,000 people visited the fairto view exhibits ønd presentationson locøl history and ørchitecture,representing the work of about1,200 students and 36 teachers in 26area schools. Teachers ønd studentswho particþated in the fair werevery pleased to have the opportuni-ty to showcase the results of theírhard work, which demonstrated be-yond ø doubt what an excitinglearning resource the locøl comrnu-nity is for ø tremendous vøriety ofschool topícs and subject øreas.

In one area of the fair, the largecrowd awøiting the outcome of theGreat Pitt sburgh Bridge-BuildingContest neørly overwhelmed Penn-DOT engineers Dave Spagnolli andJerry Johnson as they judged the47 entries for the "rnost attractive,""rnost ingeniousr" and "strongest"awards. Everyone was astoundedthat four of the brtdges held the en-tire 500-pound set of testingweights!

In addition to viewing studentprojects ønd watching bridges be-ing tested, visitors to the Hønds-OnHistory Educøtion Fair could addtheir building designs to a "main-street murøL," chat with citizens ofPittsburgh's ethnic neighborhoodsat the 'bral history ølcove," browsethrough Løndmark s' AlleghenyCounty Survey files for "hometowntreøsures," or prevìew our publícø-tions, slide shows, and educøtionalresources.

Because of the success of the fair,our staff is now planning the sec-ond annual Hønds-On Hístory FainIf you øre a teacher who would liketo participate with your class in thesecond annual føir, or if you wouldjust like tavolunteer to help ín oureducation department, please cøllSusan Donley at 471-5808.

Award of Merit NominatíonsCall Earl James (471-5808) if youwould like to recommend an individualor organization to be considered asone of our 1987 Award of Meritrecipients. Awards are presented at ourDistinguished læcture in the fall todeserving individuals or organizationswho have furthered the cause of histor-ic preservation and/or increased publicknowledge about our heritage.

Stødents of Wilson Elemefitøry School, whiclt is blessed uitl: øn aøtltentic log /toøse on school properl,demottstrøted

þioxeer crøfts and þlÃ,lore tltey leønted wltile røising money for the restoraNion of tl:e McAdow-McAdøøs log úoue.

Føir ùsitors exþeriment uith bailding struotøre and fanction øt ty'te acîioifi øreøsofIzndnaarâs' trøt eling exhibit, Ârchitecture: The Building r{.n.

.,iii,$ü, .. .. i "., i' $i"Curators" Steaen Yi, Don Monteleone, Heøîlter NoøøoÃ,, Cltød Geiger øndBriøn Schøcltt pre¡ide oter an extensùte collection ofartifacts øssembled by

rtr¿¿efits of St. Fr¿ncis Xøtier Scy'tool'

St. Colman Scbool stø&nts used tl¡eir compt ter to collect ønd anøllze ø saraey ofthefømilies in tlteir scl¡ool and to creøte tbi¡timeliøe ofTartle Creeà bistory illustrateduit lt bis toric p úoiogrøþ bs.

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Handreds ofcbildren (ønd grouøøþs) contribated ørcbitectøral designs øndlandscøpe feøtares to our giønt "møinstreeî mørø|,"

Seaen scbools preseüed ùdeotøpes or masicø/ perforrnønces "on slage,"

Page 8 PHLF News Spring 1987

Book ReviewsIWølter Kidney

Píttsburgh: PíttsburghFulfìllíng lts ArchueologicalDestiny Resources øndVince Gagetta et al., Pittsburgh: Fulfilling ltsDestiny. Northridge, Cal.: Windsor Publica-tions, Inc., 1986. 624 pp., about 700 color photo-graphs. $35.00.

Produced in cooperation with the GreaterPittsburgh Chamber of Commerce, this isobviously an affirmative book on the cityand its region. Current economic problemsare faced, but the message is that the regionwill win through, and that even steel andcoal are not necessarily dead. It is notablethat Chapter 9, "Partners in Progressj'is2ll pages long and consists of individualwriteups on the organizations that support-ed the book. One of these is Landmarks (p.594); its history and accomplishments aredescribed in 1,000 words and illustrated byfour color pictures.

Pennsylvønia:Keystone toProgressE. Willard Millen Pennsylvania: Keystone toProgress. Nort hridge, Cal.: V[tindso r Publ ica-tions, Inc., 1986. 638 pp., about 400 photo-graphs. $35.00.

This book is similar in many ways to Pil/s-burgn^ Fuwilling lts Destiny, though ittreats all periods of the state's history in-stead of concentrating on the present andnear future. "Keystone Enterprises" (Part[V,204 pp.) includes 17 corporations fromSouthwest Pennsylvania, and local industryis fairly well represented in the historicalchapters.

The Pìttsburgh thøtStarts Withìn YouSamuel Hazo, The Pittsburgh that Starrs WithinYou,(no locationgive4 Byblos, 1986).61 pp.,pictures by Robert Qualters. 89.95, paper.

Herg a native and a poet has written abook of memories and current observa-tions, quite rambling, mixing the past withthe present. Personal experience rather thanobjective description is the content, andlong-time Pittsburghers will enjoy compar-ing their own experiences with Hazo's. Thebook can be read in one long sitting, orread in snatches without concern for finish-ing a chapter, since the rhapsody goes onuninterrupted. The Qualters pictures - allblack-and-white aside from that on thecov€r -- are just right for the book, looselyrelated to Hazo's sequence of subjects butalso a second, independent set of personalimpressions.

PITTSBURGH HISTORY & LANDMABKS FOUNDATIONPRESEAVATION OF THE PÆTWTH A FINE PRAffICAL¡TY

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Píttsburgh:An Urbøn PortrøítFranklin loter Pittsburgh: An Urban Portrait.University Pork, Pa.: The Pennsylvania StateUniversity Press, 1986. 351 pp., 246 photographs,27 maps. $29.95 cloth, $16.95 paper.

Members of Landmarks may well take aninterest in this new book, for it is a rival toour own Landmork Architecture: Pitts-burgh and Allegheny County, published in1985 and now nearly out ofprint. Eachbook has its own slant, but both have for asubject the outstanding buildings andengineering works of the Pittsburgh areaagainst the backgrÒund oflocal history. Itis pleasant for all concerned to be able tosay that both books have a place on theshelf of anyone seriously interested inPittsburgh.

Inndmark Architecture might be calledthe more luxurious book of the two, in alarger format and with color illustrations aswell as black-and-white. History- and pres-ervation-oriented, it contains an essay onthe history and character of the region andits architecturg including old prints andphotographs, then treats about 450 extantbuildings that are 50 or more years old,illustrating each with at least one photo-graph and mentioning National Registerlistings and Landmark plaques where theseexist.

Pittsburgh is more of a standard architec-tural guidg 9 inches hieh by 5% incheswidg fairly easy to hold in the hand, full ofcondensed information. It discusses about750 buildings and building groups, some ina phrase, some in several paragraphs, withillustrations for about a third of them.There is no cutoffdate, and even buildingsstill coming into being are mentioned. Thephotography is utilitarian: no color excepton the cover, and black-and-whites thatare factually descriptive rather thanatmospheric.

The text of Pittsburgh is very informa-tivg and its shortcomings are small ones.Here, for instancg are two incidentaldetails, admittedly discussed at a length outof proportion to their importance merely tosuggest that a mild skepticism would be

useful at times. Scholars like to tie therecently discovered in with the already-familiar, and this leads to a certain amountof "reachingj' harmless but not to beaccepted without proof. The IndustrialBank (p. 40) is seen as a witty piece ofcontextual architecturg and as beinginfluenced in its design by Claude-NicolasIædoux, Peter Speeth, and Nicholasflawksmoor. This double reading, however,may be a case of old architecture seenthrough modern eyes. It is doubtful that aPittsburgh architect ofthe 1900s wouldhave thought of using wit in the design of abank, and that he would even have heard ofIædoux and Speeth. It seems more likelythat, in designing a little bank in a street ofshowy bank facades, he chose to dramatizethe banking room with a big arch and pro-vide a startling contrast with the use ofstumpy columns to front the lower-ceil-inged board room. In the case of 820Liberty Avenue (p. 57), an (implied)influence from Frank Furness seems lesslikely than one from Eugene-EmmanuelViollet-le-Duc, who stressed in his writings

- some in English translation by l88l -just such a use of the working parts of amasonry building as a basis for its architec-tural expression. In 1881, Furness haddesigned nothing for Pittsburgh; Pittsburghhad surprisingly little architecture thatrevealed Philadelphia influence; and suchstructurally demonstrative commercialbuildings were to be seen, in Boston forinstance, at least since the early 1870s whenFurness had only recently begun practice.

Small things, not impairing the useful-ness of the book for general purposes. Ifthere is a larger fault, it may be a certaindetachment of tone, a viewing of the cityfrom above rather than within. The authoris not a native Pittsburgheç and objectivity,not atmosphere or nostalgia, is his goal inany case. His strength is in telling you aboutthe city oftoday, piece by piecg leaving toInndmark Architecture, James D. Van"lrtmp's Lift and Architecture in Pitts-burgh, and Samuel Hazds The Pittsburghrhat Starts Within You the task of convey-ing the experience of having lived here. Thisis primarily a guide book, and as such itfunctions very well.

Nøtìonal RegßterSurveyVerna L. Cowin, Pitlsbvr9h ArchaeologicalResources and National Register Survey. Pllls-burgk Carnegie Museum of Natural History,Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commis-sion, and Pittsburgh Department oÍ City Plan-ning, 1985, 507 pp., 92 maps, groups of maps,and other illustrations,4 tables. No price given.

This is a basic guide to historic Pittsburgh,with a look at local archaeology and his-toric preservation to datg and some com-ments on Pittsburgh's "resourcesj' i.e., sitesthat serve as information sources.

Taking the contents in order, we find ahistory of "urban archaeology"; anaccount of the methodology used indigging up, so to speak, the informationused in this book; a summing-up of localphysical geography; an account of archaeo-logical work in Allegheny County in thepast; a discussion of recorded sites in thecounty, which date as far back as 15,000B.C.; a history of the Golden Triangle andits environmental circumstances from 1750to 1892; maps of the several areas of theTriangle, locating all known occupants for1812, 1815, 1819, 1826, 1837, and 1850;demographic and commercial schematicmaps of the Triangle for these years; a his-tory ofthe present North Side; ditto thepresent South Side; suggestions for futureurban archaeological investigations; aselected bibliography; appendix informa-tion on the legal status of historic districts,among other things; maps of present andpotential historic districts in Pittsburgh;and maps of various areas nov/ within thecity from atlases of 1872 and 1902.

It takes a special kind of person to bethrilled by every part of such a book. Someofthe graphics, specifically the reproduc-tions of older maps, are to be regretted.And statements of fact - certainly asregards architectural history - ought to becross-checked. Yet this is going to be one ofthe first places to look for information onthe early history of Pittsburgh as a physi-cal, military, or commercial entity.

There is no price for this book, and thegeneral public will not be able to acquire it;it is going gratis to all secondary schools,colleges, public libraries, and learned insti-tutions in the city, so that everyone willnevertheless have reasonable access to it. Acopy is available for members to browsethrough at our library on the fourth floorof the Landmarks Building at StationSquare.

STATION ."i.SGtUARETRANSPORTATION MUSEUM

Events at the Historical Society of Western PennsylvaniaThe Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania will present the lecture "Finding OurFathers" on Wednesday, March ll by noted author Dan Rottenberg, and a screening ofMurray Avenue depicting the history of Jewish neighborhoods in Squirrel Hill onWednesday, March 18. Both the lecture and film begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Society build-ing,4338 Bigelow Boulevard in Oakland. Admission is free to members and $2 to non-members. A reception immediately follows each event.

On May 6, the Society will host a benefit lecture in the evening by Michael L. Ains-lig president of Sotheby's, titled "The Role of the Auction House in the Art Market."Call 68t-5533 for further information on any ofthese events.

Gulf Oil Company MemorabiliaFeatured at Museum through March 15

Exhibit highlights:c the fírst Gulf Farm Cover of the 1950 compøny calendør

o a díspløy of "The World's fìnest r.notor oil" and a salesman's caseo orígínal photos íllustrøting the hístory of Gulf Oil ín Pìttsburgh

, . , . ,, Frî and SaL 12 Noon-î p,m.':: ',. '

Private group tours availoble. Call471-5808for detøils.

. , The Musegm is localed in Bessemer Court at Station Squalr