Judith Harvey not only lovesPittsburgh: she hassaved an importantpart of it.

In 1992 Judithcame across a smallnotice in PHLFNews announcingthat Heathside

Cottage in Fineview was for sale. Builtaround 1855, the house had fallen intodisrepair. Nevertheless, when Judith saw Heathside Cottage, she fell in love with the Gothic Revival cottage andbought it.

A retired librarian and 20-plus-yearmember of Landmarks, Judithresearched the history of HeathsideCottage and turned it into a showplace.Between 1992 and 2000, she spentthousands of dollars restoring the houseto its original architectural integrity. In1996, stories on Judith’s efforts werefeatured in Mt. Lebanon Magazine andon WQED’s North Side Story.Heathside Cottage is on the NationalRegister of Historic Places and wasrecently awarded a Historic Landmarkplaque by the Pittsburgh History &Landmarks Foundation.

Earlier this year, Tom Keffer, super-intendent of property maintenance atLandmarks, was delivering the HistoricLandmark plaque to Judith when shementioned that she wanted to bequeathHeathside Cottage to Landmarks to preserve it for future generations.

Upon his return to the office, Tompassed this news on to Jack Miller,director of planned giving at Landmarks.“When Tom told me about his visit, I knew we had an opportunity to dosomething special for Judith,” said Jack.“When I called, I was overwhelmed by Judith’s passion for HeathsideCottage; when I visited, I couldn’tbelieve the time and effort she had spentpreserving it.”

Since Judith already intended tobequeath her house to Landmarks, the

question was: What could Landmarksdo to help her maximize the benefits of her gift?

After several meetings and discussionswith her advisors, Judith decided tomake her gift during her lifetime. In thisway, she could receive significant taxbenefits by creating what is known as aRetained Life Estate (RLE).

As the creator of an RLE, you irrevo-cably deed your primary residence,vacation home, or farm to Landmarks,but you retain the right to live there forthe rest of your life (life estate) or for aterm of years. The property does nothave to be architecturally significant tomake the gift, but Judith’s is.

While you continue to live on theproperty, you also continue to beresponsible for all expenses. If you laterdecide to leave the property, you mayrent all or part of the property to some-one else, or sell it in cooperation withLandmarks.

The benefits an RLE includes are: animmediate federal income tax deduc-tion; possible reduced probate andestate taxes; and total control of yourproperty until you decide to leave.

Since Judith’s primary objective wasto preserve the property, Landmarksalso suggested that she place a facadeeasement on Heathside Cottage prior to setting up the RLE. This assured thather preservation wishes would be met

Fifth/ForbesVictoryOn November 22, Mayor TomMurphy called Arthur Ziegler,president of Landmarks, and othersto announce that Nordstrom’swould not be participating in the proposed redevelopment ofFifth and Forbes at this time, andthat the City would begin lookingat alternative redevelopmentplans for the area. The Mayor also announced that Urban RetailProperties would no longer beconsidered for the project.

On November 27, the Mayormet at Landmarks with preserva-tionists, merchants, and propertyowners to discuss the Main Streetplan for Fifth and Forbes. MayorMurphy agreed that eminentdomain would not be used toacquire properties for new development. “This is a majorstep forward,” said Arthur, “and culminates two intensiveyears of work by our organiza-tion, Preservation Pittsburgh, the merchants, and many others.We are grateful for widespreadpublic participation and supportand appreciate the state andnational help from PreservationPennsylvania and the NationalTrust for Historic Preservation.”

“We appreciate MayorMurphy’s positive call to worktogether to strengthen the Fifthand Forbes historic retail area,”said Richard Moe, president ofthe National Trust for HistoricPreservation. “We see this as anopportunity for a comprehensive initiative that builds upon thearea’s great strengths, especiallyits historic buildings and existingbusinesses. The National Truststands ready to help.”

Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation1 Station Square, Suite 450Pittsburgh, PA 15219-1134www.phlf.org

Address Service Requested

PHLF NewsPublished for the members of the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation No. 158 December 2000

In this issue:7

Landmarks Lends $580,000:Projects Under Way in Manchester,

Deutschtown, Lawrenceville, and Homestead

10Caring for Pittsburgh’s

Finest Buildings:Improvements to the Courthouse;

The Old Jail Remade

13Of Dry Goods and Dinosaurs

14Landmarks’ Educational

Programs:In the Schools and on the Streets

Judith Harvey’s Legacy to Landmarks

Following Landmarks’ Board ofTrustees meeting on November 9,Judith led trustees on a tour ofHeathside Cottage.

Heathside Cottage, a Gothic Revival house of c. 1855 in Fineview, looks southward over the North Side and Pittsburgh from a vantage point 400 feet up. Quite remarkably, the vergeboards and other sawn-out trim have survived along with the diamond-paned sash in the windows. The Mid-Victorian design is delicate and inviting. Judith Harvey is bequeathing Heathside Cottage to Landmarks.

(continued on page 3)

P r o t e c t i n g t h e P l a c e s t h a t M a k e P i t t s b u r g h H o m e

Nonprofit Org.U. S. PostagePA I DPittsburgh, PAPermit No. 598

P a g e 2 P H L F N e w s • D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 0

Allegheny Traditional AcademyMr. & Mrs. William B. Amis, Jr.Ark Ministry United Holy Church

of AmericaRichard ArmstrongTom BaldufLisa M. BanyasRonald A. BaraffWilliam J. BaumgartenMary B. BaxterDebbie and David BeachlerVernon J. BeboutDavid Begg and familyElizabeth A. BerkelyFrancis A. BerryBeulah United Presbyterian ChurchJoseph R. BlaskoGuy E. Blelloch and familyBoard of Public EducationMark BoehmGerard J. Boscia

Brashear AssociationFrancie J. BrentzelEleanor BritzaBrown Chapel African Methodist

Episcopal ChurchBrushton United Methodist ChurchMichelle L. BuczynskiJohn P. BurgessDavid A. BurkhardJames S. BuzzanellCable Design TechnologiesWilliam R. CadwellBrian W. CainCalvert Memorial Presbyterian

ChurchAmy M. CampbellCheryle CampbellCarnegie Library of Pittsburgh,

South Side BranchCarolyn CarpenterPatty and Joe ChalovichChartiers-Houston High SchoolFabiana Cheistwer and family

The Cigar FactoryCity Theatre CompanyLaura Colhouer and familyCongregation Beth ShalomKevin ConnerFrank D. Conroy and familyMaria ConstantRonald T. Conway and familyMary J. Copeland and familyRobert E. CottonBeekman W. CottrellJan and Frank CraigJanice L. CrumArlene DanowskiMr. & Mrs. James Dauber Ann DeckerErin DenhamDave DeNinnoEvelyn and Joel DiamondLinda DickersonRobert DieterleBob DimsaJanice W. DonatelliDormont Presbyterian ChurchMarianne DoughertyMiles D. EhrlichThe Ellis SchoolEmmanuel Episcopal ChurchDr. Eileen Aiken EnglishChurch of the EpiphanyKathy A. FalenskiFallingwaterFamily Enterprise CenterJanet FelmethFirst Lutheran ChurchFirst Presbyterian Church of

Castle ShannonFirst United Methodist Church of

PittsburghAndrea FittingJoanna and Paul FittingKaren H. FoleyForest Hills School DistrictForwood GroupLee B. FosterEric J. FrostChristine FultonRomaine FultonFulton Hotel Developer, L.P.Richard GarlandMr. & Mrs. Ed. GastonMichael A. GeskKlaus K. GieseL. A. GlascoAudrey Glowacki and Rich UngerJohn D. Godfrey and familyLaura M. GolembiewskiChris GoveGraves Architects, Inc.Greenstone United Methodist

Church and M. Victoria Geddis,Trustee

Mary GueringFrances E. HarkinsMegan R. HeilmannMr. & Mrs. Richard K. Heilmann

and familyJohn M. HepburnWendy J. HeroldSusan Hockenberry and familyBetty HollenbeckRobyn HollingsheadHomewood Brushton Community

CollaborativeDr. & Mrs. Lawrence C. HowardThomas Ernst HuenefeldJames Huntington, Jr.Cheryl HurleyKimberly HurstJulia B. HustwitIndovina AssociatesWilliam JacobowitzGrady E. JensenJesus Is the Way Church of God in

ChristDoris D. JonesKevin JostAdrienne A. KapisakWilliam J. KasslingJeanne G. KaufmannKaufmann’s Department StoreJayna K. KellnerBarbara Kennedy

Keith KinardJohn L. KisicBonnie and Aaron Klein and familyLorraine KleinPaula S. KnerrDoctors Barbara and Sam Kolmen

and familyJosephine KowalskiArlene KravaLDA CompaniesAgnes LabbettJoseph LaganaDiana LagattutaVerna LamanPhyllis LambergerCarol K. LampeDorcas E. LeiboldMichael LeighCarolyn S. LevyFrederick LiEmil R. Liddell and familyStephanos M. LignosJason A. LinPaul Lockwood and Mark Moffett Timothy LoganLorraine K. LoiselleBernice and Rich LoPrestiHelen LorincStanley A. LoweKeith M. MaidenLara I. MalakoffRachel MarkowitzCarol MarsiglioWilliam J. MarvenkoStefanie R. MathewCorrine McCarthy and familyDee and John McClayN. Louise McClenathanMr. & Mrs. Richard L. McCombsDavid R. McMunn and familyBarbara Meharey and familyCraig MelicharPeter R. MerrickLauren M. MerskiMexican War Streets SocietyLinda MihalicChristine Milcarek and familySally MilesDelvin MillerMinority Enterprise Corporation of

Southwestern PennsylvaniaJessica L. MooneyMr. & Mrs. Michael MorrisAnne MorrisonMt. Zion Evangelical Lutheran

ChurchGregory J. MuchaRobert Muchow and familyMarcella MulvaneyVanessa L. MunasAnita Murray and familyJudy NeelanFred Niepp and familyAlbert J. Novak, Jr. and familyNow and Then AntiquesOld EuropeDavid O’LoughlinPatricia PalmateerJanice and Michael PayneRobert B. Pease and familyMarlene A. PenningtonFaith and Barry PennypackerPerfido Weiskopf ArchitectsJames W. PerrinMark Perrott and familyLee PhillipsPhipps Conservatory & Botanical

GardensPittsburgh’s Cathedral HallIda PopkoWilliam H. Portman and familyGary PrasserJill and David PrattCorinne PricePrimary Health CareKristopher D. PritchardProspect SchoolLou ProsperiJudith H. QuaglieriGail D. QuigleyDolores and Thomas Quinn and

familyBonnie C. Reed and family

Diana L. ReedAdam C. ReeseCarol Remmick and familyMelvin D. RexJulia Hilgard Ritter and familyDeborah and Ed RoachLaura and Charles RosasAnn RoseSol H. RubenSeppo SaarinenFrank A. Sacco and familyElaine C. SadowskiSt. Bernard SchoolPam St. John and familySt. Mary’s Ukrainian Orthodox

Church

Sts. Peter & Paul UkrainianOrthodox Greek CatholicChurch

St. Thomas Memorial ChurchTodd J. ScalesMelanie Schafmeister and familyU. Carlo Schiaretta and familyFrank J. Schiller and familyFrancis J. SchmittMr. & Mrs. Alan Schorr and familyJennifer E. SchulzCarolyn SchumacherPaul ScottKathi SekaraLeon SeminsCharles H. ShadeBelynda D. SlaugenhauptCandace SleemanJon SmithPhil Smith and familySmithfield United Church

Welcome New Members(As of October 5, 2000)

THANK YOU FOR JOINING! Your membership strengthens our organization — and brings you benefits, too: discounts at several Bed & Breakfasts (see page 19); free walking tours and postcards;and invitations to special events. For the most up-to-date news, check our Web site at www.phlf.org.

Jane L. SouserFrank SpagnoliNancy G. SpearNancy and Robert Spears

and familySpring Garden Elementary SchoolRoberta StackowitzChad J. StacyNadine B. StanislawAl Stavish and famlySteel Valley School DistrictPeter H. Stephaich and familyCharles E. StewartLeslie StoneKelly StroupSustainable Pittsburgh of the

Pittsburgh Technology CouncilMr. & Mrs. Gerald ThompsonTimes Project OrganizationDane TopichDoris C. TrappGeneva M. TwymanJames L. Tyrrell & familyKaren TysarczykEarl Utz and familyDavida van Mook and familyMary Lois Verilla and familyLynda WaggonerRonald WahlScott WahlstromMary Kay WalshMrs. Frederick WaltersConrad WangemanWaverly Presbyterian ChurchWeil Elementary SchoolSarah C. WelchTim WesleyTerri West and familyWestinghouse High SchoolWestwood Elementary SchoolJames J. WhiteMiriam A. White and familyPatricia M. WilcoxNathan C. WildfireBeverly G. WilhelmMary and Ron WilsonLynda WinnerAshley R. WisniewskiDennis P. WodzinskiTawnya ZemkaKathy ZieglerMatthew S. ZielinskiZion Christian ChurchMr. & Mrs. William L. Zoller, Jr.Grace Zortea

Corrections to PHLF NewsThe cover photo of the April 2000 No. 157 issue does show the A. T. Lewis Building, as was stated; however, that building islocated in Denver’s central business district and not in LowerDowntown Denver, as was stated.

On page 5 of the February 2000 No. 156 issue an incorrect Web address was given for Old St. Luke’s in Scott Township. The correct address is: www.oldsaintlukes.org.

We apologize for these errors.

I just returned from a six-day visit to

Prague, where myappreciation for historic

preservation grew exponentially. Seeingthe great things they

have done with 700-year-old buildings

really puts it all in perspective.

One of my first orders of business uponreturning was to send

in my membership dues to PHLF, where

I look forward to continuing to help you

with your mission.Thanks again.

Jason Altmire

I don’t know why I didn’t join years ago.

I’ve admired whatyou’ve all done

for our wonderfulhometown!

James D. Wilson

BenefactorsCB Richard Ellis/PittsburghColumbia Gas of Pennsylvania,

Inc.Federal Home Loan Bank of

PittsburghHighmark Blue Cross Blue ShieldOxford Development CompanyVictoria Hall

PatronsDollar BankGreater Pittsburgh Convention &

Visitors BureauMolly’s TrolleysNational City Bank of

Pennsylvania

Partners BankPittsburghBognar and CompanyBurrell Group, Inc.Ferry Electric Company

Forest City Enterprises, Inc.Fulton Hotel Developer, L.P.Graham Realty CompanyFrank P. Hess & Company, Inc.Hilb Rogal and Hamilton

CompanyIKM, Inc.K. P. Builders, Inc.Kirkpatrick & LockhartLaurel Savings BankMBI Tours, Inc.Mellon BankMine Safety AppliancesNeville Chemical CompanyNorthSide BankPort Authority of Allegheny

CountySargent Electric CompanyWorkingmen’s Savings Bank

AssociatesPytlik Design Associates

Welcome Corporate Members(As of October 5, 2000)

P H L F N e w s • D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 0 P a g e 3

Your Help isNeededYOUR YEAR-END GIFT TOLANDMARKS helps preserveimportant historic religiousproperties in Allegheny County.Through its Historic ReligiousProperties Initiative, Landmarksgives grants and technical assistanceto churches and synagogues forbricks- and mortarprojects, stainedglass restoration,roof repairs, andmany other mainte-nance projects.

Since theprogram’s inceptionin 1997, Landmarkshas given just over$235,000 to help 60 churches andsynagogues makeimprovements totheir historic build-ings. This is a remarkable accom-plishment and has only beenpossible because of the generosityand continuing annual support ofour members. Once again, youryear-end gift will ensure the contin-uation of Landmarks’ HistoricReligious Properties Conferenceand Grant Program in 2001.

■■ Yes, I would like to make a year-end contribution in the amountof $_____________.

■■ My check is enclosed.Please make your check payableto “PHLF” and reference it to“HRPF.” All gifts will be used tosupport Landmarks’ HistoricReligious Properties Fund unlessotherwise specified by the donor.

Name

Address

City/State/Zip

Phone E-mail

■■ Please charge this to my credit card:■■ AmEx ■■ Visa■■ Mastercard ■■ Discover

Credit Card Account #

Expiration

Credit Card Signature

Phone E-mail

Please complete this form, enclosepayment or the appropriate creditcard information, and mail to:

Mary Lu DennyDirector, Membership ServicesPittsburgh History &Landmarks FoundationOne Station Square, Suite 450Pittsburgh, PA 15219-1134

A copy of the official registration and finan-cial information of the Pittsburgh History &Landmarks Foundation may be obtainedfrom the Pennsylvania Department of Stateby calling toll free, within Pennsylvania, 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not implyendorsement.

Our long-time trusteeConstanceHillman OliverO’Neil passedaway onSeptember 3,2000. ArthurZiegler,president of

Landmarks, described Mrs. O’Neil as“one of the most elegant—and pioneer-ing––women I have known; she wascommitted to revival of the inner-cityneighborhoods.”

Born in Augusta, Georgia, Mrs.O’Neil was one of four daughters of thefamily of James F. and MargueriteWright Hillman. The family moved toPittsburgh in 1914, andMr. Hillman laterbecame the presidentand director of theHarmon Creek CoalCorporation.

As a young womanattending the MastersSchool in Dobbs Ferry,NY, Connie becameinterested in art history.Following graduation,she continued herstudies while living inFlorence. In 1937, shemarried John C. Oliver,Jr. of Sewickley, whoshared her passion forhistoric preservation,conservation, and com-munity—interests they passed along totheir four children: John C. Oliver III,Marguerite O. Standish, James H.Oliver, and Sally O. McVeigh. AfterConnie’s first husband died in 1989, she later married George P. O’Neil.

Mrs. O’Neil’s expertise in art historyproved to be an asset when she becameinvolved with Landmarks in the late1960s, in the Mexican War Streetsneighborhood revitalization effort. At that time Landmarks was restoringhistoric houses on Taylor Avenue,Monterey Street, and Resaca Place with its Revolving Fund for Preservationthat had been created through a majorgrant from the Sarah Scaife Foundation.

No progress, though, was being madeon Buena Vista Street—where the houseswere in very poor condition—untilConnie stepped forward and made amajor personal commitment of time,energy, and money.

Connie saw the beauty in a dilapidatedRichardsonian Romanesque house at1201 Buena Vista Street. It had a sandstone facade, handsome interiorwoodwork, and a coach house at theback of the lot. Connie bought thebuilding and hired the Landmarksrestoration crew. Many unexpectedproblems arose, but she continued andcarried the project through to comple-tion. Five new tenants moved into theapartments, which are occupied to thisday. By restoring the Buena Vista Streethouse, Connie set an example for others

and helped arrest furtherdeterioration in theneighborhood.

Connie’s commitmentexpanded beyond theMexican War Streets tothe Boyle-Loraine Streetarea of the North Sideand to Manchester. As amember of the GardenClub of AlleghenyCounty, she supportedthe construction of twotot lots in Manchesterand the creation of acommunity garden pro-gram on Liverpool Streetand in the Boyle-LoraineStreet area. The GardenClub also promoted a

window-box and small-garden programthat has continued for 33 years. Thateffort also led to the creation of an out-door meeting area at Brown ChapelA.M.E. Church and to the restoration ofthe church itself.

When Landmarks launched its HistoricReligious Properties Initiative in 1994,Connie became a very generous donor.Her lead contributions from 1997 to2000, combined with year-end member-ship gifts, enabled Landmarks to award atotal of $235,000 to 60 churches and syn-agogues in Allegheny County. Withouther support, Landmarks would not havehad the resources to meet the needs of somany historic religious property owners.

“The amazing thing about Conniewas that she came to us with herideas and concerns,” said Arthur,“and helped us create programs toaddress the problems she saw in theneighborhoods. She contributed,became personally involved in ourwork, and never requested anyspecial recognition. Connie raised our sights, heightened our goals, and championed our cause. She willbe greatly missed.”

Landmarks Loses a Champion

Constance Hillman OliverO’Neil Memorial FundContributors(As of November 21, 2000)

We thank the following people andorganizations for their contributionsin memory of Connie O’Neil. Thesegifts will help us strengthen our neigh-borhood restoration and historic religious properties programs whichConnie so generously supported during her lifetime.

Constance and Stephen Bray

Bureau of Topographic and GeologicSurvey of the Department ofConservation and Natural ResourcesThe Cass FamilyMr. & Mrs. Clinton L. Childs, Jr.The Darby FamilyAnna Belle and Donald G. DarnellAlthea R. GormanGertrude and Arthur HetheringtonHarry S. Hull, Jr.The Hulverson FamilyKathleen Heaney KrzywickiMr. & Mrs. G. Christian LantzschMr. & Mrs. James W. McAndrewsMr. & Mrs. Jack R. Miller, Jr.Persifor S. OliverPennsylvania State Park OfficersAssociationFurman South IIIRobert N. Standish, Jr.Judge & Mrs. William Standish Arliss W. SturgesMrs. LeRoy ThompsonMr. & Mrs. Marvin M. WedeenMrs. Ward A. Wickwire, Jr.A. M. Wiggins, Jr.Mr. & Mrs. Ledlie W. Young, Jr.

and resulted in anadditional chari-table deductionfor the value ofthe easement.

When the life estate ends,Landmarks hasthe right to sell HeathsideCottage and usethe proceeds fromits sale to under-

write monitoring the easement and topreserve other historic properties inAllegheny County.

“What Judith Harvey has doneshows that there are many creativeways to support the cause of historic

preservation,” said Landmarks’ presi-dent Arthur Ziegler. “Planned giftsmake it possible for many people tofollow Judith’s example.”

Says Judith: “The cottage has noghosts. It does not creak, squeak, orgroan. On the windiest of days, it nevermakes a sound. However, there is muchcommunication between HeathsideCottage and me.

“It has come alive in its rejuvenation.It is not a house that speaks loudly andwith enthusiasm. It just quietly thanksme and wraps itself around me in loveand security.

“I hope it is able to do that forfuture generations and that they in turnwill love it back.”

NOTE: The information contained in this articleshould not be construed as legal or tax advice.Persons considering any planned gifts should firstdiscuss them with their personal financial and/orlegal advisors. Gifts of real estate are reviewed byLandmarks on an individual basis and must meetcriteria set forth in our gift acceptance policy. To learn more about creative ways you can leavea legacy to Landmarks and western Pennsylvania,please contact Landmarks’ Web site atwww.phlf.org or contact Jack Miller, director ofplanned giving, at 412-471-5808, ext. 538.

Judith Harvey’s Legacy to Landmarks(continued from page 1)

1201 Buena Vista Street:saved by Connie O’Neil.

P a g e 4 P H L F N e w s • D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 0

On October 3, Landmarks held its fifth annual Historic ReligiousProperties Conference and GrantProgram. Members from 50 churchesattended the seminar in the beautifullyrestored First Lutheran Church,downtown on Grant Street.

Alice Greller, a trustee of Landmarksand chair of the Historic ReligiousProperties Committee, announcedgrants of up to $3,000 to each of thefollowing churches:

• Ark Ministry United Holy Church,Wilkinsburg

• Beulah United Presbyterian Church,Churchill

• Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church, North Side

• Brushton United Methodist Church,Brushton

• Calvary United Methodist Church,Allegheny West

• Calvert Memorial PresbyterianChurch, Etna

• Dormont Presbyterian Church,Dormont

• First Presbyterian Church of CastleShannon, Castle Shannon

• First Trinity Evangelical LutheranChurch, Oakland

• First United Methodist Church,Shadyside/Bloomfield

• Mt. Zion Evangelical LutheranChurch, Perrysville Avenue

• Old St. Luke’s, Scott Township

• St. Mary of the Mount, Mt.Washington

• St. Mary’s Ukrainian OrthodoxChurch, McKees Rocks

• St. Peter & St. Paul UkrainianOrthodox G. C. Church, Carnegie

• St. Stanislaus Roman Catholic Church,Strip District

• St. Thomas’ Memorial EpiscopalChurch, Oakmont

• Waverly Presbyterian Church, City of Pittsburgh

• West End A.M.E. Zion, Elliott

• Zion Christian Church, Carrick

In addition, four churches will bereceiving technical assistance fromLandmarks’ staff, an in-kind contribu-tion valued at $6,000:

• Ark Ministry United Holy Church,Wilkinsburg

• Grace Christian Ministries, Homestead

• Greenstone United Methodist Church,Avalon

• Jesus Is the Way Church of God inChrist, North Braddock

Contributions & GiftsThere are many ways to give to Landmarks. Our membersand friends make contributions in support of specificprograms or in memory of a loved one. They also givememberships as gifts or donate goods or services. We thank the following people and corporations for their recent contributions:

Program Support• Mr. & Mrs. David M. Brashear, for their gift to the Brashear Family

Fund to support Landmarks’ scholarship program for high schoolstudents who are going on to college (please see the story on page 20);

• Carl Wood Brown, for his contribution to support Landmarks’publications and educational programs;

• CB Richard Ellis/Pittsburgh, for its gift to support Landmarks’downtown walking tours on Wednesdays in the summer months;

• Michael Douglas, for his gift to support our preservation efforts;

• Mrs. Martin Faberman and Mrs. S. Raymond Rackoff, for their giftsto support our preservation programs in honor of Mrs. FarrellRubenstein;

• the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh, for its gifts to supportour preservation programs;

• Richard Garland, for his gift to support our education programs;

• Mr. & Mrs. David L. Genter, for making Edward Chappel’s Februaryvisit to the Neville House possible;

• Alice Patton Greller, for her gift in honor of Mary McDonnell tosupport Landmarks’ Historic Religious Properties Initiative;

• Mr. & Mrs. Thomas O. Hornstein, for their gift to support ourpreservation and educational programs;

• The Roy A. Hunt Foundation, for its gift in support of our specialprojects;

• Carol F. Manes, for her gift to support our preservation programs;

• and The Silver Cord Interdenominational Association of Ministers’Wives and Ministers’ Widows, for their gift to support our preserva-tion programs in honor of Verna Slaughter Shields.

Gift Memberships• Greg T. H. Davies, a trustee of Landmarks, for giving the gift of

membership to Kevin Conner, Dave DeNinno, Bob Dimsa, Lee B.Foster, James Huntington, Jr., William J. Kassling, Timothy Logan,Barry and Faith Pennypacker, Gary Prasser, Lou Prosperi, SeppoSaarinen, Scott Wahlstrom, and Tim Wesley;

• Mary G. Evans, for giving the gift of membership to Paul Ryan;

• Stanley Lowe, for giving the gift of membership to Keith Kinard andPaul Scott;

• Anne-Marie Lubenau, for giving the gift of membership to herparents Anne and Joel Lubenau;

• Carol Marsiglio, for giving the gift of membership to Charles H.Shade;

• Jack and Donna Miller, for giving the gift of membership to Joe and Patty Chalovich, Clarence Gerst, Judith Harvey, John and Dee McClay, and Mary Lois Verrilla;

• Deirdre and John Ralph, for giving the gift of membership to Suzanne and William Milon;

• Lucille Rawson, for giving the gift of membership to RobynHollingshead; and

• William B. Salsbury, Jr., for giving the gift of membership to John M. Hepburn.

Corporate Matching Gifts• Chevron Products Corporation, for its gifts in honor of

William C. Bickel and Jack D. Burgess;

• R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company, for its gift in honor of Rolland Beatty;

• IBM Matching Grants Program, for its gift in honor of Mr. & Mrs. James E. Brashear; and

• Norfolk Southern Foundation, for its gift in honor of Allen T. Bankson.

Memorial Gifts• Ruth and Dick Brunermer, for their contribution in memory of the

mother of James Murphy;

• Bernadine Hespenheide, for her gift in memory of Sylvan Green;

• Margaret S. Stouffer, for her generous gift of E’Town Corporationstock, in honor of Reverend & Mrs. W. A. Jones and Mr. & Mrs.John P. Moore; and

• Dr. & Mrs. Albert C. Van Dusen, for their generous gift of GeneralElectric stock in memory of Mrs. Oliver W. Brown, to be matched bythe Buhl Foundation.

In-Kind Contributions• Mine Safety Appliances, for its gift of 25 hard hats (customized

with the PHLF logo!) and 25 safety goggles for use in Landmarks’educational programs; and

• Giant Eagle, for donating 200 disposable cameras for use in oureducational programs.

Landmarks Awards $56,850 to 20 Historic Religious Properties

Alice Greller, a trustee of Landmarksand Chair of the Historic ReligiousProperties Committee, and ReverendLawrence Thompson of Brown ChapelA.M.E. Church.

Tom Keffer, Landmarks’ superintendent ofproperty maintenance, offers advice tomany religious property owners.

A W AA W A

Historic Religious Property grant recipients gather at Landmarks’ annual conference,held this year on October 3 at First Lutheran Church, downtown.

P H L F N e w s • D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 0 P a g e 5

Station Square ExpansionForest City Enterprises, the owner of Station Square, has announced

a major new investment in Station Square.

The plans call for intensive development of the center parking lot

across from Commerce Court, where three new buildings are to con-

tain restaurants and entertainment facilities looking out upon a new

fountain and public lookout tower to be built near the rail platform.

A new tunnel will be constructed under the rail tracks, leading

visitors to a major floating platform on the river which will include

public docking facilities and serve as a venue for concerts and

special events.

Renovation of the Station Square Sheraton is underway and

100 more rooms will be added where the Sheraton parking lot is

now, and all meeting facilities will be renovated.

The entire project will cost $71 million which includes

$6.5 million in Tax-Increment Finance (TIF) bonds allocated

to create the new Bessemer Court fountain, lookout tower, and

boardwalk, as well as pedestrian bridges to both inclines. In the

case of the Monongahela Incline, the bridge will extend into the

Freight House, where there will be a new visitor information kiosk.

The Riverwalk of Industrial Artifacts, conceived by Landmarks,

also will be completed with public financing.

As the original developers and owners of Station Square,

Landmarks is pleased that Forest City Enterprises is orchestrating

investment of over $71 million in public/private funds. We have

only two regrets. The first concerns the Lawrence Paint Building.

When we sold Station Square in 1994, our master plan for the

site—which had been approved by the City—required that the

Lawrence Paint Building be retained. In 1999, Station Square was

declared legally blighted by the City of Pittsburgh, allowing

Forest City to get public funding. However, the City required that

Lawrence Paint either be restored or demolished before Forest City

could receive the proceeds from the Tax Increment Financing.

In the spring of 2000, Forest City presented an amended master

plan in conjunction with their Tax Increment Financing plan.

This plan was substantially different from Landmarks’ master plan

and called for the demolition of the Lawrence Paint Building.

The City approved the plan, so Lawrence Paint will be demolished,

in spite of our offer to participate financially in its restoration.

Forest City intends to build two new buildings, possibly residen-

tial, on the site.

Our second regret concerns portions of the gardens at Station

Square which were destroyed by Forest City last summer. Much of

the remaining landscaping has been poorly treated. Fortunately,

Forest City has elected to appoint the landscape design firm of

GWSM to restore the gardens using Richard Liberto as consultant.

Richard helped plan the original gardens, particularly those by the

internationally famous firm Oehme van Sweden and Associates.

Forest City also has re-appointed our horticulturist Gregory

Yochum to better supervise and maintain the grounds.

The Niles Car #150 of 1906 housed one of the Railcar Shops inBessemer Court at Station Square. Since Forest City plans toconstruct three new buildings in Bessemer Court, the inter-urban was given to the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum inWashington, Pa., in October.

This annual program of grants andtechnical assistance is supported byyear-end gifts from our members andtrustees and from contributions fromLandmarks’ endowment fund. To thebest of our knowledge, Landmarks isthe only organization in AlleghenyCounty providing financial assistance tohistoric religious properties for buildingmaintenance. Our support is greatlyappreciated, as witnessed by the lettersour staff receive. Daniel S. Cramer,pastor of Zion Christian Church at2019 Brownsville Road, summed upthe thoughts of many in his letters toLandmarks: “Thank you so very, verymuch for the Seminar and the Grant we received for help with our pointingneeds….It brings hope and help to whatat times seems the impossible task ofkeeping on top of the building needs….Icontinue to be amazed that there is anorganization such as yours.”

20 Award ofMerit RecipientsOne hundred sixty members andfriends attended Landmarks’ annualmembership reception on October 28,in the handsomely restored MasonicTemple in Oakland. Don Riggs, masterof ceremonies, commended 20 organi-zations and individuals (many of whom

are pictured below) for contributionsmade to the preservation of Pittsburgh’shistoric architecture and for increasingpublic knowledge about our historicalheritage. Esther Bush, a trustee ofLandmarks, chaired the Award of MeritCommittee this year.

For a complete listing of Landmarks’Award of Merit recipients this year—and since 1982—visit our Web site at:www.phlf.org.

40 HistoricLandmark Plaques AwardedThere are over 400 significant sites inAllegheny County identified by abronze or aluminum HistoricLandmark plaque from the PittsburghHistory & Landmarks Foundation. A committee—chaired by trusteeRichard Scaife—of trustees, architects,and architectural historians annuallyreviews plaque applications.

This year, 40 plaques were awarded.Recipients included Carnegie MellonUniversity (Oakland), the ArrottBuilding (downtown), the Bost Building(Homestead), City Theatre (South Side),“Clayton” (Point Breeze), “HeathsideCottage” (Fineview), Panther HollowBridge (Schenley Park), St. Mary’sUkrainian Orthodox Church (McKeesRocks), the old Sewickley Post Office, and the Westinghouse Atom Smasher(Forest Hills). Please see our Web site(www.phlf.org) for a complete listing of plaque awards.

Call with Your SuggestionsIf you would like to nominate a building,structure, or district for a HistoricLandmark plaque, please call CathyBroucek (412-471-5808 ext. 516). Anysite in Allegheny County is eligible if:

• it is a remarkable piece of architec-ture, construction, or planning, or if itimparts a rich sense of history;

• alterations, additions, and deteriora-tion have not substantially lessened its value in the above respects; and

• it is at least 50 years old.

If you would like to nominate an individ-ual or organization within AlleghenyCounty for an Award of Merit, please callWalter Kidney (412-471-5808 ext. 511).

Don and Joan Riggs are flanked byLouise Sturgess (left) and Mary LuDenny of Landmarks.

R D SR D S

The Award of Merit recipients were recognized at Landmarks’ membershipreception on October 28 at the Masonic Temple in Oakland.

Hamerschlag Hall, Carnegie MellonUniversity, Oakland.

P a g e 6 P H L F N e w s • D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 0

Exciting things are happening in theboroughs of Homestead, WestHomestead, and Munhall. Much of thepublicity surrounds the new 250-acreWaterfront development with its newmulti-screen theater and stores.However, the boroughs have cometogether in an extraordinary way andhave helped to craft a tri-boroughrevitalization plan based, in large part,on historic preservation.

The Revitalization Committee—anad hoc group of elected officials fromall three boroughs, the Chamber ofCommerce, the area’s non-profit orga-nizations and interested merchants andcitizens—forged the plan together andimplementation is now under way. The initiatives include:

• The boroughs each passed newhistoric preservation ordinances.Collectively, the boundaries of thelocal historic districts correspond tothe National Register HistoricDistrict. This will ensure that theNational Register Historic Districtthat spans all three municipalitiesretains its integrity. Technical assis-tance was provided by the SteelValley Enterprise Zone Corporationand consultants Mullin & LonerganAssociates, Inc.

• A new marketing piece for the area isbeing developed by the RevitalizationCommittee. Design assistance hasbeen provided by the firm La QuatraBonci. The marketing piece will bedistributed to attract new businessesand homeowners to the area.

• The Bost Building—the headquartersof the Amalgamated Association ofIron and Steel Workers during thelockout and strike of 1892—is under-going a $4 million restoration as avisitors’ center and a labor historymuseum honoring Pittsburgh’s steelheritage, thanks to the work ofRivers of Steel. The Bost Buildingwas recently named a NationalHistoric Landmark—one of onlyeight sites in Allegheny County so designated.

• A National Park is under considera-tion for the area as the result of anact of Congress in 1999 and legisla-tion sponsored by RepresentativeMike Doyle. The federal designation

would highlight the bloodyHomestead strike of 1892 and spot-light Pittsburgh’s role in shaping steeland labor history. If the federal desig-nation is awarded, several historicstructures, including the CarrieFurnace, the pump house, the HotMetal Bridge, and possibly Pinkerton’sLanding, would anchor the NationalPark. Rivers of Steel is spearheadingthis effort and Landmarks’ staff isproviding historical information tothe National Park Service.

• Landmarks has created the MonValley Preservation Loan Fund withfunding assistance from the LocalInitiatives Support Corporation. Thisfund is dedicated to revitalizing thehistoric Eighth Avenue commercialdistrict in Homestead, WestHomestead, and Munhall.

• Allegheny County’s Department ofEconomic Development hasembarked upon a housing revitaliza-tion project. Hanson Design Group,Ltd. has been chosen as the projectarchitect and will use pattern bookhouses, originally built by theCarnegie Land Company, as the basisfor new and restored homes.

• The parks in the boroughs also arereceiving facelifts. Munhall hand-somely rehabilitated Kennedy Park,in front of the Carnegie Library. Newlighting fixtures and ADA-approvedrailings were installed and improve-ments to the original steel gazebowere completed. Frick Park inHomestead received a new play-ground, complements of the newTarget store on the Waterfront.Additional funding is being pursuedto re-install the once-magnificentperennial beds and shrubbery thatwere the hallmark of Frick Park inthe early 1900s.

• Efforts to restore Homestead’s his-toric municipal building and fire hallc. 1904 are under way. Landmarksreceived a grant from the RSMISFoundation for initial architecturalservices. A matching grant of $6,250from the Pennsylvania Historical andMuseum Commission for planningand development assistance wasrecently secured, and partial fundingfrom the Commonwealth’s HeritagePark Program is pending. Theborough, the volunteer fire depart-

ment, Representative Ken Ruffing,and Senator Jay Costa are alsocontributing to the restoration effort.The estimated project cost is $1.6million; therefore, fundraising effortscontinue.

• Several private citizens and corpora-tions are restoring buildings alongEighth Avenue. David Lewis andJudith Tener, who restored the formerMoose Building, received an Awardof Merit from Landmarks for theirefforts (see page 5). LifeSpan, a localnonprofit organization, is combiningrestoration and new construction tocreate three contiguous buildings foroffice, community, and residentialspace. Landmarks approved a$230,000 loan to this project (seepage 7). Finally, several other historicstructures, including the former PNCBank building and the Schwab School,have been purchased by groups look-ing to restore the buildings.

• Recently, the Pennsylvania Historicaland Museum Commission erected ablue and gold state historical markerin Homestead in honor of theHomestead Grays baseball team. The Homestead Grays was one of thegreatest teams in the Negro NationalBaseball League. With players likeJosh Gibson (known as the black BabeRuth), Johnny Wright, and Cool PapaBell, the Homestead Grays was theteam every other black team measuredthemselves against. At the urging ofMayor Betty Esper, the Rivers of Steelorganization submitted the successfulnomination and hosted a dedicationceremony on September 27, 2000.

The Steel Valley is five miles fromdowntown Pittsburgh, less than 15 minutes from Carnegie MellonUniversity, and home to Sandcastle and Kennywood Park. These amenities,combined with the area’s rich historyand can-do determination, make it anarea to watch in the future.

Support for StatePreservation PlanOn May 9, Landmarks’ presidentArthur Ziegler testified inHarrisburg before members of theState House of Representativesabout support needed for the pro-posed new Pennsylvania HistoricPreservation Plan. Mr. Zieglerserved on the Advisory Committeefor the formulation of the plan.

On October 17, the HouseUrban Affairs Committee of thePennsylvania Legislature invitedArthur Ziegler to testify on the roleof historic preservation in revital-izing Pennsylvania towns andcities. Arthur reviewed preserva-tion in Pittsburgh versus variousdemolition and rebuilding plansthrough the past 50 years. He emphasized the enormous energyput forth by residents andLandmarks in neighborhoodrevitalization; the development ofthe Main Street program, particu-larly on East Carson Street; the

success of theCommunityReinvestmentAct in leveraging$2.5 billion fromlenders for theinner city; the

development of Station Square;and the efforts to fashion a planfor Fifth/Forbes that encouragesrestoration and local businessownership.

Arthur applauded the proposalnow before the Legislature to pro-vide a 20% tax credit for historichouse restoration. He suggestedthat money now being spent oninfrastructure to make suburbandevelopment cheaper should bemoved to the inner city, and thatexisting infrastructure and deteri-orated houses and commercialbuildings be improved andmarketed as the top priority withgovernment dollars.

He strongly encouraged moreopen processes regarding develop-ment; fewer handouts for out-of-town developers who do not leavetheir money in Pennsylvania;lower business taxes; better transitsystems to link residents in olderneighborhoods to jobs; andincreased funding for theCommonwealth’s purchase offarmland development rights toprotect farms, thereby stemmingsprawl and encouraging people tolive in the city.

Attracting Attention:The Homestead Area’sRevitalization Efforts

The municipal building and fire hallof 1904 on Ninth Avenue, in a post-card view (above), and now (below).

P H L F N e w s • D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 0 P a g e 7

Liverpool StreetFacade Restoration,ManchesterPreserving Liverpool Street in Manchesterfrom demolition was the genesis of thePittsburgh History & LandmarksFoundation in 1964. Although muchhas been accomplished in Manchester inthe last 36 years, a row of stone housesin the 1300 block of Liverpool Streethas been the bane of numerous preser-vation efforts. Finally, restoration isslated to begin!

The $870,000 project—spearheadedby Manchester Citizens Corporation(MCC)—will restore the porches andfacades of the six single-family build-ings, which will be sold to homeownerswilling to undertake the interior renova-tion of the units. This model, known as “shell rehab,” has been used success-fully in other areas of the North Side.Landmarks and the Urban Redevelop-ment Authority have agreed to providethe necessary funding, including a$100,000 loan from Landmarks’Preservation Loan Fund. Because of the unique relationship betweenLandmarks, MCC and Liverpool Street,Landmarks has also agreed to provideup to $300,000 in grant financing.These funds will be comprised, in part,of income from four of Landmarks’Named Funds: the Shadybrook Fund,the Patricia Thauer Fund, the CarlWood Brown Fund, and the ThomasHornstein Fund.

When most people think of LiverpoolStreet, red brick houses with elaboratelycarved porches come to mind. Thehouses in the present project, however,are somewhat of an anomaly. Heavybrownstone facades with voussoirsabove the windows and carved detailingdominate five of the six buildings.Landmarks Design Associates will bethe project architect and Tom Keffer ofLandmarks will provide constructionoversight services. Because the project isin the Manchester Historic District, thePittsburgh Historic Review Commissionalso will approve all exterior alterations.

This project has been in the planningstages for three years. By next year, thesoot-covered facades will be cleaned, theporches restored, and Liverpool Street’soverall ambiance improved.

Pressley Street,DeutschtownSince 1985, East Allegheny CommunityCouncil (EACC) has been concernedabout three beautiful, but slowly deteri-orating, Victorian houses on PressleyStreet in the Deutschtown HistoricDistrict. By July of 2000, thesituation had turned critical.Now, with a $175,000 loanfrom Landmarks, the build-ings will be saved.

The Pressley Street town-houses were privately ownedand the owners were notmaintaining the buildings.Two years ago EACC wasable to acquire the propertiesand start the planning anddevelopment process with the help of the NorthsideLeadership Conference. Using the “shell rehab” model,the neighborhood believes it will be able to preserve these architecturallysignificant homes, reduce developmentcosts, and enhance the character of the Deutschtown Historic District. With the loan from Landmarks, theroofs will be repaired, the porchesrebuilt, the exterior trim restored, andnew windows installed. Then the threesingle-family homes will be marketed to buyers who will undertake theinterior rehabilitation.

Landmarks Lends $580,000Projects Under Way in Manchester, Deutschtown, Lawrenceville, and Homestead

Ice House ArtistStudios, LawrencevilleWith the successful renovation of theConstantin Pontiac building under itsbelt, the nonprofit group Artists andCities, Inc. is embarking on anotherhistoric adaptive reuse project. Thelatest project, known as the “IceHouse,” involves converting a 35,000square-foot warehouse on 43rd Street inLawrenceville into affordable rentalspace for artists, arts-related businesses,and arts organizations.

The building was originally con-structed in 1907 by the Consolidated IceCompany and operated as an ice facilityfor the next 30 years. Although theproperty has been vacant for the past 15 years, it is listed on the NationalRegister of Historic Places. This designa-tion allows Artists and Cities to utilizehistoric tax credits to help finance the$2.7 million project. The PittsburghHistory & Landmarks Foundation hasagreed to provide $75,000 in gap financ-ing to the project which is being fundedprimarily by PNC Bank, National City Bank, the Urban RedevelopmentAuthority, the Pennsylvania Departmentof Community and EconomicDevelopment, and various other lenders.

Perkins Eastman Architects is respon-sible for the overall design which willinclude re-opening boarded up win-dows, cleaning the brick facade, andinstalling an energy efficient HVACsystem. Notwithstanding its formerpurpose, the warehouse has handsomearchitectural detailing including a brickcorbel table, round arches above thefirst-story windows, and modest stonedetailing. When complete, the interior of

the building will have 16 small studios,12 medium studios, and 4 large studios.

Interjecting the arts into a neighbor-hood often provides vitality, diversity,and stability. This is the hope for 43rdStreet in Lawrenceville. The Ice HouseStudios are currently under construc-tion. When complete, the project willprovide numerous chances for commu-nity participation—from classes to workopportunities—and a once-vacant build-ing will have been recycled.

LandmarksUnderwritesNational RegisterApplication forNew GranadaThe Hill District CommunityDevelopment Corporation (CDC)has great plans for restoring the New Granada Theater! To facili-tate financing for the restorationproject, the Hill CDC hopes touse historic tax credits. But first,the building must be placed onthe National Register of HistoricPlaces. Landmarks is providingup to $3,000 from its technicalassistance program to the HillCDC toward the completion of theNational Register application.

LifeSpan, Inc.,HomesteadNew restaurants at the Waterfront arenot the only exciting developmentoccurring in Homestead. LifeSpan, Inc.,a nonprofit agency servicing seniorcitizens, is planning to combine restora-tion, new construction, and facadeimprovement along Eighth Avenue inorder to dramatically change threecontiguous parcels of property. BecauseLandmarks is interested in seeingHomestead’s historic main street revital-ized, a loan in the amount of $230,000was approved for the project.

LifeSpan owns an attractive,although severely deteriorated, three-story, four-bay brick building c. 1920.Adjacent to this building is an exteriorcourtyard. The third building in the rowis a modern, commercial buildingknown as the New Heritage Building; ithas a metal paneled facade. LifeSpanwill combine the historic structure withnew construction in the courtyard spaceto create one building. The facade of thehistoric building will be completelyrestored and the exterior of the newstructure will mirror the historic facade.The metal panels on the New Heritagebuilding will be removed and a newmasonry facade will be erected that ismore compatible with the historicstreetscape. When complete, the projectwill house eight units of senior housingon the upper floors, a senior citizenscenter on the first floor, and offices inthe New Heritage building.

The $1.6 million project is a sizableundertaking for this nonprofit, but theyhave put together a good developmentteam, including Mullin & LonerganAssociates, Inc. and Renaissance 3Architects, P.C. When finished, thisproject will provide necessary servicesto our senior citizens and enhance theEighth Avenue National Register District.

314 –08 East Eighth Avenue, Homestead

416–20 Pressley Street, Deutschtown

The “Ice House,” at 100 43rd Street, Lawrenceville

Will PowerPreserve our region’s history and landmarks for future generations. Add the PittsburghHistory & Landmarks Foundation as a beneficiary in your will. For more information,please call Jack Miller at (412) 471-5808 ext. 538.

The 1300 block of Liverpool Street, Manchester

P a g e 8 P H L F N e w s • D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 0

Travelers near the intersection of Fifthand Shady Avenues in the East End willhave noticed the transformation of thePittsburgh Center for the Arts that hasloomed above that intersection since itsconstruction as the Marshall House in1911–1912. As far back as anyone canremember, the house has been starkwhite stucco, a finish that disguises theearly Georgian or William and Marystyle of the building, veiling that under-lying inspiration with mixed messages oflate Georgian and of the Mediterranean.

Landmarks’ SuggestionsAt a gathering in early summer to hearmore about the proposed, desperatelyneeded restoration of Mellon Park, therewas an earnest discussion, among inter-ested parties, about a proposed repaint-ing of the Marshall House. Beingpresent, I was asked to provide somesuggestions that would:

1. enhance the visibility of the building;

2. replace the perceived aloofness of thewhite with a more inviting, excitingimage;

3. respect the historic design characterof the house; and

4. not outrage the neighbors.

Subsequent conversations with LauraWillumsen, the Center’s executive direc-tor, and Vicky Clark, curator of thefacility, expanded the project to includethe neighboring Scaife House on ShadyAvenue while gradually narrowing therange of ideas for painting both build-ings. A number of palettes were devisedand discussed; these were enriched byincluding the preferences of the “client.”

The Choice of YellowThe yellow that is on the MarshallHouse was chosen because, in additionto its undoubted visibility, it is appropri-ate to Georgian colonial architectureand its revival more than a century ago.The Vassall-Longfellow House inCambridge is a case in point for yellowas a color suitable for an English classi-cally inspired building, while the combi-nation of color and stucco finish seemedto underscore the vaguely Italian flavorof the Marshall House’s massing andproportions. The gray, actually gray-mauve, of the recently installed sashwindows had, of course, to be retained,and that tint promised to work wellwith the new wall color. White was alsoretained for trim and architecturaldetails, an arrangement perfectly inkeeping with Georgian precedent. There was some further deliberation asto just what part of the trim would beleft in white, and gradually a schemeemerged that seemed to have the

potential for enlivening the building and giving a rather festive qualityappropriate to the spirit of theoccupying organization.

The Scaife HouseAs for the Scaife House, the faintlyTudor/Cotswold style posed ratherdifferent problems. The extensive areasof half timbering would, in the originalmodels of the fifteenth and sixteenthcenturies, likely have been in black andwhite, a rather stark combination forpresent day tastes. A widely used varia-tion of the early twentieth century, darkbrown for the timbers and buff orcream for the intervening surfaces, was thought a little too bland for theachievement of increased visibility. A liking for terra cotta, expressed by arepresentative of the Center, washeeded, and that became the color of thetimbering, with a delicate warm shellpink employed for the accompanyingstucco surfaces. To play off this ratherstrong coloration, a warm gray-green, arather stony color, was decided upon forthe remainder of the walls; this workedwell with the warmer natural stone ofthe foundation and the surround of thefront door. The final palette, taken inconjunction with the rosy gray of theshingle roofing (not original) and thewarm orangish brick of the chimneys,actually harks back to a slightly earlierphase of the Tudor Revival, perhaps ofaround 1890 as manifested in theShingle and Queen Anne styles. Thedesign character of the house was notcompromised, and the Center got itsdesired image of liveliness.

Vibrant Image AchievedSo, for the next few years at least, wewill be seeing these landmarks in newgarb. We like to think that Landmarks,in making these recommendations, willhave met at least three of the four goalsset forth. The opinion of the neighbor-hood is beyond anticipation, but we dohope that people will see in these newguises suitable images for very goodbuildings that no longer serve as privateresidences but rather as the vibrant focusof a significant portion of our cultural life.

Grid-Pattern to Reappear inEast LibertyWe are pleased that Mayor TomMurphy has announced a six-year$10.6-million dollar reconstruction ofstreets in East Liberty that will eliminatePenn Circle and recreate the originalgrid pattern. We believe that this, inturn, will generate new retail.

For decades, East Liberty was secondonly to downtown in retail activity. Fineneighborhoods extended in all directionsfrom the retail core. The traditionalurban-grid street pattern invited bothpedestrian and vehicular access.

In the 1950s and 1960s the UrbanRedevelopment Authority decided torelocate the automobile to a new mini-beltway around East Liberty and pedes-trianize the center. Similar misguided“improvements” were made in the heartof the North Side, and large portions ofthe Lower Hill were demolished in favorof an expressway and large-scale civicand cultural planning—much of whichnever came to pass.

On the North Side and in EastLiberty the City demolished acres ofhistoric houses and replaced them withnew townhouses and high-rises. Themost egregious is the one built over

Penn Avenue that added to the walling off of the retail core of East Liberty.Today many of these residential unitsstand empty or are boarded up. Others are being adapted by communityorganizations for new uses, thanks toLandmarks’ financial support.

Now Eight National HistoricLandmarksOn December 10, H. H. Richardson’sEmmanuel Episcopal Church of 1886was officially designated a NationalHistoric Landmark, the eighth inAllegheny County. Jamie Van Trumpvividly described the small and simplechurch in his article in 1958, “TheChurch Beyond Fashion”:

The entrance facade is a high plaingable, completely unadorned save forthe patterning of the brickwork….These flat walls, so intricately and delicately incised, seem, in full sun-light, like the rippling surfaces of astream touched by the wind and they form a dramatic contrast to theintense, mysterious shadows of theentrance arches which are hallowedout like caves at the base of a cliff.

Rachel Carson HomesteadAssociation CelebratesThe Rachel Carson HomesteadAssociation celebrated its 25th anniver-sary on September 6 with a tribute to itsfour founding members: Agnes DoddsKinard, Ruth Scott, Evelyn HirtleGeorge, and the late Edmund Boyle.

In 1975, when the Homestead wasgoing to be acquired and demolished bya developer who wanted to subdividethe land on which it stands inSpringdale, these four people tried toraise the funds to save the building.Their effort was chronicled onSeptember 6 in a slide show and tributetelling how they went from one conser-vation group to another for help. Theyreceived no help until they came toLandmarks. We agreed to lend oursupport and serve as a repository for theproperty and for initial grants and con-tributions until the Rachel CarsonHomestead was fully organized.

Through the years the Homestead hasattracted an intrepid group of memberswho have maintained the house andgrounds, planned for its developing rolein environmental education andresearch, and stayed on the steady pathof the master plan that Bill Swain ofGWSM helped create.

A major announcement of theevening was that the Painters Union hasagreed to paint the house as a contribu-tion, and the Roofers Union will re-roofthe house. Landmarks will underwritethe cost of architectural restorationassistance.

Preservation Scene

What’s in a Color?Barry Hannegan

L A N D M A R K SWelcomes

CB Richard Ellis/Pittsburgh

Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania, Inc.

Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh

Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield

Oxford Development Company

and

Victoria Hall

as CorporateMember Benefactors

Thank you forhelping us protect the places that make Pittsburgh home.

The Pittsburgh Center for the Arts on Fifth Avenue in Oakland.

Church for Sale The former East End Baptist Church at 801 N.Negley, at the corner of Stanton Avenue in EastLiberty, is for sale. Most recently known asUnion Church, it features a massive towerpierced by lancet windows and louvered Gothicarches and is topped by battlements and cornerfinials. Facing Stanton Avenue is a large gable,trisected by buttresses with a large centralwindow flanked by two smaller ones, all in theGothic manner. For information call Sandy D.Temple at Prudential Preferred Realty:412/521-5500 or 681-8191.

East Liberty, 1966.

Emmanuel Episcopal Church, WestNorth and Allegheny Avenues,Allegheny West

Educational classes are held in theScaife House.

P H L F N e w s • D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 0 P a g e 9

Request for Fulton BuildingMemorabiliaThe Fulton Building, downtown at SixthStreet and Fort Duquesne Boulevard,will reopen in Spring 2001 as the 300-room Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel.The copper and granite exterior andmarble and mosaic tile in the first threefloors of the century-old building will berestored to the original grandeur envi-sioned by architect Grosvenor Atterbury.

Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel is inviting local residents to contributememorabilia and information about theFulton Building for a display at thegrand opening celebration. If you havehistorical photographs or postcards ofthe building, playbills for the adjacenttheater (known over the years as theGayety, Fulton, and Byham), or anystories you wish to share about thebuilding, call the Renaissance office at(412) 562-1200 for more information.

Landmarks offers Assistance at Kentuck KnobKentuck Knob in Fayette County, notfar from Fallingwater, is a marveloushouse designed by Frank Lloyd Wrightfor Mr. & Mrs. I. N. Hagen. The lateJamie Van Trump, a co-founder ofLandmarks, was one of the first todiscover the house and write about it.

Landmarks has been pleased to assistthe owner of the house, Lord PeterPalumbo, with his efforts to develop a

new visitors’ center. He selected archi-tect Arthur Lubetz who has designed apartially earth-sheltered structure thatramps up out of the hillside and has fineviews both toward the woods and thevalley below. The 2,000-square-footbuilding will be green and sustainablewith glass walls and a garden on theroof. Landmarks also assisted in arrang-ing financing with PNC Bank whichwas joined by the Progress Fund of theFay-Penn Economic DevelopmentCouncil. Landmarks staff member RonYochum designed a Web site for thehouse (www.kentuckknob.com).

Mrs. Hagen attended the ground-breaking, as did Landmarks’ horticul-turist Greg Yochum, who providesadvice and assistance on the mainte-nance of the orchard and grounds.

Oakmont Library ExpansionThe late Margaret Henderson Floyd, inArchitecture After Richardson, calls theOakmont Carnegie Library exquisite,and points out that the library waslavish and well-built for a small-townCarnegie donation.

To double its size, as present-dayconditions require, the Alden & Harlowbuilding of 1901 is to be extended in therear to allow for handicapped access.The main doorway will now be on theside of the new extension, and will beapproachable by ramp. Tapes, video-cassettes, and computers unconceived in 1901 will be amply accommodated,and so will the public.

What Integrated ArchitecturalServices (IAS) has done is to leave theAllegheny River Boulevard front and the original end walls unchanged; addan openwork side entrance porch, witha new pitched roof above it; and repeatthe end gables to some extent. Landmarksand the Pennsylvania Historical andMuseum Commission have approvedthe design and are supporting the citizeneffort to raise over $2.3 million to funda capital campaign that includes thebuilding expansion and creation of an endowment.

If members wish to contribute, please contact Jan Beiber, director, at(412) 828-9532, or simply mail yourcontribution to Jan at OakmontCarnegie Library, 700 Allegheny RiverBoulevard, Oakmont, Pa., 15139.

Fanfare for the Common BuildingIn November, the Pittsburgh HistoricReview Commission voted to recom-mend to City Council that 105Jacksonia Street, close to the MexicanWar Streets City Historic District, bedeclared a City Historic Structure. The City Planning Commission hasvoted the same. The HRC is likely tomake another favorable recommenda-tion for 1318 Arch Street, home ofGeorge Washington Gale Ferris,inventor of the Ferris wheel.

There are 10 criteria for possibledesignation as a City Historic Structure,and the structure must have sufficientintegrity of location, design, materials,and workmanship. The staff of theHRC found that 105 Jacksonia did notmeet any of the criteria, and so reportedto both bodies. The building has longbeen abandoned and condemned.

Pictures of the two buildings show noarchitectural distinction at all as individ-ual structures. Certainly 105 JacksoniaStreet might be considered a contribut-ing structure to an enlarged MexicanWar Streets District, but this was notunder consideration. Although 1318Arch was the home of a famous inven-tor, the home is now modernized, andhas no vivid sense of history about it.

To make either of these a CityHistoric Structure is like halting a chancepasser-by on the street and pinning agold medal on his chest. What is neededis to broaden the boundaries of theMexican War Streets District so that allbuildings would be included.

Newest Named FundHonors Helen SimpsonIn the February 2000 issue of PHLF News, wereported that one of our longtime tour docents, Helen E. Simpson, had passed away on September11, 1999. We also reported that some of our membersand friends had made contributions in memory of Helen.

Since that time, contributions have added up to a total of $5,085.00, andfamily members have decided to establish the Helen E. Simpson Named Fund.This is the fourteenth Named Fund at Landmarks. Named Funds are unre-stricted contributions to Landmarks’ endowment fund. A gift of $5,000 ormore can endow a Named Fund that continues to support Landmarks’ missionand honor you or a loved one.

We look forward to working with members of the Simpson Family to keepthe memory of Helen Simpson alive. Her love of architecture, history, music,and travel inspired us all and her willingness to volunteer set a good examplefor others.

We thank the following people for making possible the Helen E. SimpsonNamed Fund:

Awards for LandmarksNational Trust for Historic PreservationThe Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation and PreservationPennsylvania received an award from the National Trust for HistoricPreservation at its annual conference in Los Angeles in early November. The award recognized Landmarks’ role in causing the State Department of Education to clarify its construction reimbursement criteria to favor the preservation and reuse of historic school buildings. As a result, whencommunities want to keep their older schools in use, they will no longer behindered by inflexible state regulations.

It was Ron Yochum, Landmarks’ assistant for public policy and CIO, whoinitially discovered that the State Department of Education guidelines made itvirtually impossible for Brentwood (where Ron lives) to get any reimburse-ment for renovating the 1914 Moore School and 1923 Elroy School. Afterwinning a position on the School Board to ensure that the schools would berenovated, Ron encouraged Landmarks to partner with PreservationPennsylvania to work with the State to review the construction guidelines.Brentwood’s local crisis led to a major State policy reform.

South Side Business AllianceOn December 1, the South Side Business Alliance presented Landmarks withits Outstanding Organization Award “for serving as a pillar of preservationand sustainable development.”

Through its Preservation Loan Fund and the Neighborhood AssistanceProgram/Comprehensive Services Program (see page 18), Landmarks hasbeen working for 32 years with residents on the South Side to save historicbuildings and create educational programs fostering neighborhood pride.

Ziegler to Serve on Fannie MaeNortheast BoardFrank D. Raines, chairman of Fannie Mae, has created an Advisory Board onHousing and Community Development for the northeastern region of theUnited States, from Maine to Washington, D. C., to Ohio. Landmarks’ presi-dent Arthur Ziegler has been appointed to this board because of Landmarks’long commitment and impressive record of restoring housing in the inner city.

Arthur also has been appointed to the newly established Fannie MaeAdvisory Board for the Pittsburgh office.

105 Jacksonia Street; 1318 Arch Street

Hazel CataniaMarie Arend Dunkle and Darlene

Dunkle JostFrom a group of friends (a contribu-

tion matched by H. J. HeinzCompany Foundation)Mr. & Mrs. Clyde F. HuweNancy IrvineMr. & Mrs. Jack JonesVirginia ManceRobert Roth

Kathryn KarrerRobert and Ruth KelleyMr. & Mrs. Kenneth L. Menke

Ruth and Janet O’ConnorCraig A. PlattDouglas SimpsonLarry J. SimpsonRobert SimpsonT. R. SimpsonThelma SimpsonWilliam J. Simpson IIMarguerite M. SteckGladys P. TruverMr. & Mrs. Jack R. Zierden

The original library is to the left.(Courtesy of IAS)

The new visitors’ center.(Courtesy of Arthur Lubetz Associates PC Architects)

Some recent and planned improve-ments include:

• Historically appropriate lightingfixtures installed in hallways;

• Unsightly vending machines movedfrom hallways and the lobby andrelocated;

• Attractive folding chairs for the court-yard provided by Landmarks;

• A minimally obtrusive security system:Landmarks worked with County offi-cials to minimize the negative impactof the security installation on buildingaccess and appearance;

P a g e 1 0 P H L F N e w s • D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 0

Shortly before the Allegheny CountyCourthouse opened in 1888, Pittsburghreporter John McKee walked throughthe building: “As you enter the frontdoor, what a sight! Arches abovearches,” he exclaimed. He continued upthe great staircase to “look out into theyard. What a sight! Thousands ofwindows, windows above windows. I never saw so many windows . . . .”

Today, 112 years later, despite manyexterior and interior changes, visitorsstill feel the impact of the building in thesame way. Richardson’s Courthouseremains Pittsburgh’s finest building, and the architect’s “most impressivesurviving monument,” according toRichardson scholar James F. O’Gorman.

For many years Landmarks hascontributed to the appreciation and care of the Allegheny County Buildings,through the writings of Jamie VanTrump and Walter Kidney, by conduct-ing tours for County residents andvisitors, and (primarily) through theactivities of the Allegheny CountyHistoric Properties Committee, chairedby Arthur Ziegler.

• A guidebook giving specifications fornew signage (now being prepared byLandmarks);

• A restoration guidebook, commis-sioned by Landmarks, and beingcompleted by Landmarks DesignAssociates Architects.

The conversion of the old Jail to theFamily Division, Allegheny CountyCourt of Common Pleas, is now com-plete, and sections of the renovatedbuilding are open to the public.

Visitors can now learn about theCourthouse and old Jail from two largeinformation panels, on Forbes Avenuenear Grant Street and in the Courthousecourtyard, and by following a self-guided Courthouse walking tour. Thepanel and tour brochure text werewritten by Landmarks’ Al Tannler (thetour brochure is available at the CountyInformation Office at the courtyardentrance).

The preservation of the Courthousewould not be possible without thecooperation and involvement of Countyofficials. Landmarks’ good working rela-tionship in the past with the AlleghenyCounty Commissioners continues,thanks to County Executive JamesRoddey; County Manager Robert Webb;Norman Mekkelson, Director of theDepartment of General Services; SamuelTaylor, Principal Architect/BuildingDivision Manager, Department of PublicWorks; and many County employees.

Caring for Pittsburgh’

The Courthouse is the centralcity landmark in an architec-tural tour package thatincludes an audio version of theCourthouse tour, as well asaudio architecture tours ofdowntown and the North Side,

tickets toFallingwater,and accommo-dations at theWestin WilliamPenn Hotel. Forinformation call1-800-927-8376and ask about

the “LivingArchitecture”program. The

audio cassettetours are also available fromLandmarks; for informationcall (412) 471-5808, ext. 527.

Improvements to the Courthouse

The Courthouse grand stair.

The street level entrance of theCourthouse, with new lightingand improved security.

The information panel on Forbes Avenue, near Grant Street.

The information panel in the Courthouse courtyard.

P H L F N e w s • D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 0 P a g e 1 1

The Old JailRemadeWalter C. Kidney

Richardson’s Jail of 1886 has been anabominated, threatened, and adoredbuilding: called substandard as amodern holding facility, a depressingobject at the edge of the businessdistrict, a superb example of the simplebut subtle use of materials, and ulti-mately a world-class piece of architec-ture and a National Historic Landmark.To demolish it would be almostunthinkable.

And yet, to preserve it in any mean-ingful way has been a genuine challenge.Now, though, even as we write, files arebeing wheeled in through the old RossStreet doorway, office workers andjudges are personalizing their spaces,and work continues on the old Warden’sHouse. The old Jail is approaching fulltransformation into the Family Division,Allegheny County Court of CommonPleas.

A walk around the new facilityimpresses one with the complexity ofthe planning problem. At first, one sup-poses that the old masonry shell mightbe simple to work with: four cell blocksmeeting at a rotunda, with a few otherfeatures within the irregular outerperimeter. But of course things are morecomplicated in actuality. Furthermore,there have to be different access andcirculation systems these days, placeswith unrestricted public access, publicareas beyond checkpoints, spaces andholding areas for accused persons, areasfor judges and County employees, facili-ties for the Family Division, ditto for theJuvenile Division; all within the fivelevels into which the cell blocks havebeen divided.

Some features of the building asremodeled:

• The exterior. New metal window sashin the tall cell-block windows, suitablein scale and dissembling the new five-story division. The old cells stood well

within the cellblock walls, leaving afull-height space, and externally theheight seems to remain. Archways onFifth Avenue—a new one here—andDiamond Street lead to public, park-like courtyards that are now beinglandscaped. A new double openingthrough one cellblock connects thetwo. The courtyards promise to bewelcomely cool in the summer. Theyalso offer an inside look at the Jail’stheatrical walls; the massive-lookinggranite ashlars are only a few inchesthick, and one sees backup masonry ofpinkish-orange brickwork for the

most part. The archways to the court-yards have graciously patterned metal-work, not wrought iron but formed inthe same way, Old Worldish.

• The rotunda. What was once thecentral guard post of the Jail hasalways been the grand architecturalstatement inside, the counterpart tothe leaps and bounds of theCourthouse’s grand stair. The tiers ofcells presented screens of bars to thiscentral space, and the false sense ofopenness was retained, and also the pavilion-like feeling the rotundastructure always had, its eight granitecolumns standing almost totally freeof the surrounding construction. Thefloors around had to be sealed offfrom the rotunda, for fire-safetyreasons among others, and the archi-tects took the obvious course of usingmetal mullions and glass. Access to therotunda is now an easy matter, a levelwalk in from Ross Street rather thanthe original steep climb to a guardpost and its loud wrought-iron gates.

• The Jail Museum. Much of this isfinished, but there is more to do. Cells from Richardson’s originaldesign—brick-enclosed, unplumbed,those that Mrs. Soffel knew from out-side and in—and from Frederick JohnOsterling’s 1904 enlargement that arevisually more open will be on display,along with artifacts of various sorts.

• The Warden’s House. This simplehome, limited in yard area, will be awaiting area for juvenile witnesses andvictims, furnished in a domestic way.

• The new spaces. These are finished in asimple manner, though the courtrooms

have ceilings that are uplighted to givethe impression of greater height. Thereare facings of both black and pinkish-gray granite used selectively; the latteris the Milford Pink granite Richardsonchose for the exterior.

The basic layout is: first floor, entries,juvenile entry and holding, child care,duty room; second floor, juvenilecourts, waiting room, and staff; thirdfloor, family courts, judges, andoffices; fourth floor, family judges andofficers; and fifth floor, family andjuvenile judges and staff, CommonPleas Court president judge, library,and conference room.

• The structure. All new construction isstructurally independent of the exist-ing walls and foundations. Pouredconcrete columns, hidden in partitionsor made inconspicuous by stainless-steel cladding, support post-tensionedflat concrete slabs no more than teninches thick.

• The developers. Allegheny County’sfinancial position prohibited publicfinancing. The project was enabled by

legislation authorizing the sale of thebuilding to a developer. The developer,Mascaro Construction Company L.P.,then leased it back to the County. The County again will own thebuilding after the 29-year-leaseexpires. The construction process was then design/build.

• The design team. The architects forthis work were IKM Incorporated; itsdesign team, headed by Mike Marcu,included Robert Moro, Alan Dunn,and Robert Burnett. Alan L. Fishmanwas principal-in-charge; Frederick C.Watts was project manager and RogerP. Hartung was project architect forIKM. Samuel A. Taylor was CountyArchitect. Others involved included:Atlantic Engineering Services(structural engineer); Polytech Inc.(mechanical engineer); Raymond Why P.E. (electrical engineer); Lighting Design Collaborative(lighting designer); Herbert W. Levy(historic preservation consultant); and Patricia K. Kendall (landscapearchitect).

s Finest Buildings

Teachers participating in one ofLandmarks’ educational classes touredthe former infirmary this summer.

The Pittsburgh History &Landmarks Foundation commends IKM Incorporatedfor its sensitive solution to thedelicate and complicated problem of adapting H. H.Richardson’s Allegheny County Jail to house the Family Division of the Court of Common Pleas.

Adapting the old Jail, a master work of a world-famous architect, requiredunusual respect; yet, it had toaccommodate several kinds of occupants conveniently and securely.

Landmarks believes that IKMhas integrated old architectureand new functions admirably,and so testifies here.

The former infirmary, to be made into a lunch room.

The rotunda, its walls rebuilt but no security equipment or other furnishings yet in place.

©20

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ry

Looking into the old Jail, during summer renovations.

P a g e 1 2 P H L F N e w s • D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 0

Reaching OutLandmarks’ staff is involved inmany conferences and local andnational efforts relating to urbanplanning, historic preservation,education, landscape design, andtourism. Here are some recenthighlights.

Arthur Ziegler:• spoke to the Warren Leadership

group on July 7 in Warren,Ohio, about re-developing theirdowntown;

• spoke at the plenary session onAugust 6 for the NationalHistoric Review CommissionersForum 2000 Conference, held inPittsburgh and co-sponsored byLandmarks;

• testified before the PennsylvaniaState Legislature, on October18, on eminent domain;

• presented a talk in Los Angeleson November 1, “Real Estate isthe Name of the Game,” at theNational Trust for HistoricPreservation’s annual confer-ence; and

• testified before Pittsburgh CityCouncil on November 9 aboutthe Main Street approach for theFifth/Forbes revitalization.

Cathy Broucek:• spoke on July 24 at a national

conference in Pittsburgh,“Transportation and theEnvironment for the 21stCentury,” sponsored byPennDOT with theTransportation Research Boardand National Academy ofSciences. The topic was“Railroad Infrastructure:Station Square”;

• presented a program on August3 on the Fifth/Forbes project atthe Forum 2000 Conference ofHistoric Review Commissioners;

• spoke to the League of WomenVoters on September 13 as partof a debate on the Fifth/Forbesproject. Other speakers includedEloise Hirsh, former director ofcity planning, City CouncilmanSala Udin, and Harry Finnigan,executive director of thePittsburgh DowntownPartnership;

• toured on October 5 and 6(along with Al Tannler ofLandmarks’ staff) with a writerfrom the New York publicationDiversions, a travel magazinefor members of the medicalprofession;

• moderated a panel discussion onNovember 1 entitled “Big CityRevitalization” at the NationalTrust for Historic Preservation’sannual conference in LosAngeles. Urban revitalizationplans in Pittsburgh, Baltimore,and Pasadena were discussed;

• conducted (with Landmarks’general counsel Elisa Cavalier),a Brownfield Development Tourin Pittsburgh on November 14,for government officials andprivate developers from West Virginia.

In 1998, the Pittsburgh History &Landmarks Foundation organized aday’s tour of outdoor religious sites inand around Pittsburgh. There are anumber of these landscapes of devotionin our city, almost all of which havesome vernacular flavor reflecting theinstinctive piety that constructed them.

One of these is the splendid terracedshrine at St. Nicholas Croatian Churchon Route 28. Readers of our Newsletter

of July 1999, orof any number ofnewspaper articles, willknow that St. Nicholas isthreatened withalmost certaindestruction byPennDOT.

Anothershrine, which weare about fortyyears too late tobe able to visit, is shown in the

postcard above. St. Peter’s Church, theflank of which appears to the left in ourview, stood on Fernando Street in theLower Hill. It fell to the onslaught ofdemolition of the 1950s that erased theentire Lower Hill district. FernandoStreet, too, disappeared; it ran uphillfrom Fifth Avenue where ChathamCenter now rises, and St. Peter’s musthave been very nearly on the site of thedefunct Chatham Cinema. The simplebrick church of late Victorian Gothicsobriety was joined at some time by theshrine shown in the postcard above. Just when, we don’t know, but the1930s would be a reasonable guess.

Our lost shrine carries the distinguish-ing image of the Virgin raised high tothe right, set into a wonderful fauxmountain of rockwork, with tiny cavesand ledges that support a flock of minia-ture sheep and potted plants. At thelower left kneels a presumed image ofBernadette Soubirou, now sainted,whose visions of the Virgin at Lourdeswere the impetus to one of the nine-teenth century’s greatest religiousfervors. I must say that, were the two

pieces of religious sculpture removed,the rest of this installation would servenicely as the staging for a particularlyintricate model railroad layout.

The unknown designer of the shrine,almost surely the presiding parish priest,resourcefully took advantage of thecourtyard-like enclosure to includecarved panels of Stations of the Crosson the flanking walls. These reliefs, too,are set off by further rock-work andplants, and faced as they are by ironstrapwork kneelers, their entire arrange-ment suggests a small chapel, roofless tobe sure, but well-equipped for devo-tions. A small altar, likely of whitemarble, appears at the rear of the spaceagainst the concluding rockery, here asort of homespun reredos, and confirmsthat the courtyard shrine could havebeen and was doubtless used for thecelebration of the Mass. On such occa-sions, the celebrant would have emergedrather dramatically from the grotto/caveat the left side which must have allowedaccess between the church and the shrine.

Just when our picture postcard illus-tration was taken is unknown, but all ofthe shrine and its equipment appear in itlooking still new and in fine condition.A date of around 1940 seems plausible.Those circular benches that fill the mid-dle of the floor in this view have wavyedged back pieces (hardly back rests!)that recall the jigsaw qualities of theModerne style of the World’s Fair of1939 and that distantly evoke ice creamparlors and movie houses of the 1940s.Perhaps these circular benches wereslightly later additions to the shrine.Their seeming concession to comfort orat least to sitting down reinforces theirdisarming similarity to the tufted andfringed causeuse of a drawing roomfrom the reign of Napoleon III.

I wonder if somewhere there is stillnot a parishioner of the former St.Peter’s who might recall what it was liketo attend Mass al fresco in the dense,grimy, and vital neighborhood that wasonce the Lower Hill. It would be goodindeed to hear from such a person.

As a footnote to what is no more than a note itself, I would liketo add that since writing these lines, I have had occasion tovisit again the atrium garden at St. Patrick’s in the Strip.Here the outdoor grotto-altar contains figures of the BlessedVirgin Mary and St. Bernadette which appear for all theworld to be those from St. Peter’s. Our research continues.

Where the Incense WaftsNo MoreBarry Hannegan

The shrine at St. Nicholas.

St. Peter’s LourdesMemorial Shrine(Franciscan Fathers),Fernando Street,Pittsburgh

Lord & TaylorBarry Hannegan

Now that Lord & Taylor has opened itsnew store in the shell of the formerMellon Bank building, we can betterassess what we have lost (a truly greatinterior space) and what we have gained(a fine retail facility). The quality of thestore’s design will be debated for sometime to come, I think, by those whohave taken a keen interest in this exam-ple of adaptive reuse. Even allowing forthe store’s need to fill in most of theformer space with additional stories,there are design infelicities. Amongthese, it seems to me, is the demotion ofthe grand portal on Smithfield Street tothe status of a side door giving no viewinto the store or no view in fact to muchof anything.

The extension of the four survivinginterior columns down to the lower levelby the introduction of attenuated plinthsmay not have been an ideal solution, butsince it is very nearly impossible to seethe entire shaft from any vantage point,the awkwardness is not glaring.Certainly, the form of the plinths itself isunobjectionable and works well as seenfrom the basement level selling area.The polygonal plinth has ample historic

precedent, for what that might beworth, while the continuation of thecolumn in the form of square piers inthe topmost floor of the interior can beread as a typically post-modern sketchyreference to an architectural attic suchas, for example, that on the facade of St. Peter’s in Rome.

There are other issues, such as thesomewhat cramped ceiling heights andthe total absence of the great spacetraditional to such a store’s first floor.Here, again, the designers were perhapshampered by the limitations of thebuilding itself, and one wonders ifanother venue might not have provideda still more impressive facility. The oldFrank & Seder building, or an entirelynew structure, were alternate locationsLandmarks recommended in the earlydays of the Lord & Taylor initiative, butthey and other such notions appearnever to have been given consideration.

What is above discussion is the perva-sive evidence of Lord & Taylor’s inten-tion to give us an upscale retail opera-tion of a kind that we have not enjoyed.The materials and fittings are discreetlysumptuous, an effect beautifully

enhanced by extremely well designedlighting. For myself, there is no place inPittsburgh so evocative of the headyatmosphere of Manhattan shopping asthe new store, which is truly metropoli-tan in its physical character. The oneelement lacking in the experience ofbeing there is, however, significant. Themerchandise, sadly limited to clothing,is disappointingly predictable and differsin no significant way from what we arealready being offered by the downtowncompetition, not to mention at the malls.

It is just possible that there is nolonger much variety in stock merchan-dise to be found anywhere, but surelyLord & Taylor could have done betterby us. I daresay that a comparison withtheir New York store would indicatethat once again we have been slighted inthe range and quality of what we arebeing asked to buy. The example of thedisparity between Saks New York andSaks Pittsburgh is a well-known fact oflife for the serious shopper, and I wouldnot be at all surprised, although might-ily disappointed, if Lord & Taylor hadthe same estimation of their Pittsburghmarket. When we recall the enormous

amount of public funds that wereinvolved in the creation of this newstore, it is only fair to regret that wehave received so little for our money,money that included $20 million pro-vided by the Parking Authority viasome sort of deal that remains veiledin obscurity.

However, Lord & Taylor may, intime, see that we are worth a better levelof merchandise, both as to quality andto variety. We cannot fault them fortaking advantage of a good deal; theyare, after all, a business. The realculprits in the story here are the chiefexecutives of the City and Mellon Bank.It was they who appear to have deliv-ered that great building into the handsof the May Company. Had they actedwith an appreciation of Pittsburgh andan acumen comparable to that of Lord& Taylor, the new store would behappily prospering at another, nearbylocation (one possibly with greaterspaciousness), and we would still have asplendid building to be used for loftier,more appropriate functions that wouldtruly celebrate our city.

P H L F N e w s • D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 0 P a g e 1 3

Department stores are in the air, and ifall plans eventually materialize,Pittsburgh will have more of them thancities many times its size. Reflecting yetagain on the connections between retail,architecture, and preservation, I think itworth pointing out the irony of thefuror to create new department storebuildings when we still have seven suchoriginal buildings in the downtown.

Kaufmann’s ❶ is the only departmentstore still operating in its own building,or buildings, rather, since it still makesuse of the two structures on Smithfieldand the later annex up Fifth Avenue.The former Gimbel’s building ❷ , furtheralong Smithfield, has just undergone afine exterior restoration as part of fittingit out for new uses; it still harbors retailin its lower floors. Saks ❸ , of course,which once occupied a remote corner ofthe Gimbel’s building, has been at homefor several decades in a former Grant’s,itself a lower end department storechain of great utility.

Horne’s ❹ , of lamented memory, had two buildings, now filled with theintricacies of the Blue Cross/Blue Shieldbureaucracy. Frank & Seder ❺ , oppositeKaufmann’s on Smithfield, ceased oper-ations almost a half century ago but leftbehind a distinguished structure thatcontinues as an office building. OnWood Street between Sixth Avenue andOliver, just next to Lazarus, stands theimpressive white terra-cotta mass of theformer McCreery’s Department Store ❻ .

The only major lost retail monumentof the earlier twentieth century isRosenbaum’s colossal structure ❼ onLiberty Avenue, a site now occupied bythe parking garage opposite Heinz Hall.An earlier Rosenbaum’s ❽ still lurksbehind enameled metal panels at thelower end of Fifth Avenue, at MarketStreet; a fragmentary row of dentilsabove the first story is all that remainsvisible of the real building.

It would seem that there might havebeen a better fit between existingbuildings and new department stores.Frank & Seder had a good location thathas become even better with the greaterproximity of Lazarus and the opening ofLord and Taylor. I could never under-stand the apparent enthusiasm on thepart of Nordstrom’s to locate belowWood Street simply to serve as a mall-type anchor to the Procrustean plan ofdowntown redevelopment beingimposed by Urban Retail Properties.We asked Nordstrom’s at least toconsider the former Frank & Sederbuilding, or a site just below theWarner Center for a new building oftheir own. Evidently, these ideas werenot seductive. Indeed Pittsburgh itselfappears to have been unpalatable tothe much-courted Nordstrom’s.The ways of the retail industry arestrange indeed.

Perhaps the bottom line for thissometime shopper is the contradiction inthe use of the term department store atall for these retail venues. The dayswhen one could buy wallpaper, tropicalfish, a sewing machine, tulip bulbs, a furcoat, and Melba sauce all under oneroof are gone forever. True, Kaufmann’sand Lazarus and Saks have somedepartments, but once one has finishedwith clothing and household goods,chiefly linens and small appliances, whatelse is there to tempt further expendi-tures? For all of those, we are expectedto get in our car and travel over half thecounty from one strip mall and clusterof shops to another and another andanother. If we were to speak truly andaccurately of present-day departmentstores, emporia that cram the greatestrange of merchandise under one roof,we would be talking of Wal-Mart andK-Mart, and their like. With a very fewexceptions, the true mid- and up-scaledepartment store is a thing of the past.

Of Dry Goods and DinosaursBarry Hannegan

Seven department store buildings still remain in downtown Pittsburgh. An eighth was demolished to make way for a parking garage.

The impressive white terra-cotta mass of the former McCreery’s Department Storestill stands on Wood Street between Sixth Avenue and Oliver.

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P a g e 1 4 P H L F N e w s • D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 0

Our specialty is creating educational programs

that use architecture as an interdisciplinary theme

to awaken learning and make classroom curricula

more relevant to the everyday life of students.

Call Mary Ann Eubanks (412) 471-5808

ext. 537 if you want to learn more about our

educational programs and field-trip opportunities

for K through 12th grade students and teachers

in public, private, and parochial schools.

Highlights of our work this year are featured on

the next four pages.

In the Schools andLandmarks’ Educational Programs:

196 teachers participated in educational classes offered byLandmarks this year featuringlocal history and architecture.

Exploring Washington Road in Mt. LebanonOn July 27, at least 80 children and parents searched for 101 photographicdetails along several blocks of Washington Road in Mt. Lebanon. Childrennoted the locations of the details on worksheets and then pasted eachdetail in place on a huge map of the main street area.

Landmarks organized this walking tour at the request of the Mt.Lebanon Public Library. Members of the Historical Society of MountLebanon and high school students helped lead the tour. In May 2001, thewalking tour will be offered to all second-grade students in Mt. Lebanon,thanks to the cooperation of Landmarks, the Society, and the Library.

Knoxville Elementary SchoolOn February 29, Landmarks led a neighborhood walkingtour for second-grade students to the “bridge that oncewas” in Knoxville. Along the way, students identifiedphotographic details, participated in perception games,and pretended to be columns, arches, domes, etc. MelissaButler, the second-grade teacher, continued the “bridgetheme” with great success throughout the year, strengthen-ing student skills in communication (research, writing,reading, organizing, speaking, listening, and analyzing),social studies, visual art, and movement.

After-School Enrichment at Miller

Third- through fifth-grade students from Miller Schoolin the Hill participated with their mentors from MercyHospital and Landmarks’ staff in an after-schoolenrichment program, “Pittsburgh Citizens: Caring forOur City and Home.” Students asked questions aboutPittsburgh, created fact cards answering those questions,filled treasure chest shoeboxes with Pittsburgh memora-bilia, and on May 31 performed a play showing off theirknowledge and hometown pride.

How I was feeling on the Fort

Duquesne Bridge

When I was on the Fort

Duquesne Bridge

I felt like hot breath

I heard trees moving

like I was them

I moved

like angels

I felt astonished

like some one was tickling me

the sounds that

were in me were

waves swishing

trains going choo choo

like I was dancing smooth

and a little loose

by Shartae King

P H L F N e w s • D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 0 P a g e 1 5

Thank YouDocents,Volunteers, and InternsThis year more than 20,000 stu-dents, teachers, members, and visi-tors participated in Landmarks’educational programs. Our staffcould not have worked with so manypeople had it not been for our free-lance instructors and the support ofour docents, office volunteers,interns, and community plannersand architects who volunteer theirtime and share their expertise.

Our docents and office volunteersalone contributed over 800 hours oftheir time!

We thank each of you for helpingour education staff reach out to somany people.

We also thank the AssociatedArtists of Pittsburgh, Louise ChildCare Center, and the Art Institute ofPittsburgh for providing meetingspace for some of our programs.

New VolunteersAlways Welcome!If you have some free time during theweek and are interested in learningmore about Pittsburgh’s history andarchitecture, then volunteer for thePittsburgh History & LandmarksFoundation! We will offer a docenttraining session March 19–22 and26–29, 2001. Call Mary Lu Denny at(412) 471-5808 ext. 527 for details.

DowntownDragons1,578 students toured down-town Pittsburgh this year onthis popular two-hour walkingtour across the SmithfieldStreet Bridge and along citystreets. They found matches to30 color photographs showingcreatures carved in stone. Inthe process, students learnedabout the history and architec-ture of Pittsburgh and experi-enced the sights, sounds, and commotion of city life.

on the Streets

Tour DocentsBob BennettKathy BrennanMarian CookEvvy DiamondRobert DigbyPeggy DimperioArlene DorowMary ErorWilha FallonKim FisherAnnie FutrellBill GarrettKarin GlassFrances HardieKate HornsteinBette LandishCarol LewisBob LoosAudrey MenkeEliza NevinLoren RosenbachLinda SchaumMarion SchorrPeggy SnavelyTed SoensStacy StantonRuth StaufferNancy StewartBarbara StullKathy TestoniDorothea ThompsonPeg VolkmanJack Zierden

Office VolunteersKate ArturoBob BennettVirginia KeckWilliam KeckSam LevineDom MagasanoVelma SharpskyEthel Stanton

InternsAlane BensonDarren DeArmentAlexis FischoffJudith HeesselsKate JohnsonJulie KoradeKelley StroupTawyna Zemka

High SchoolStudentsJohn BrownLela DeweyAndrew FergusonCasey GrayMax JonesT. J. Ranalli

CommunityPlanners andArchitectsBob BaumbaughJoanna BeresTom DemkoHilda EttedguiMichael EversmeyerBill HashingerRobert IndovinaLisa KozurAnne-Marie LubenauJennifer McCarthyDutch McDonaldEve Picker

Free-lanceInstructorsHilda EttedguiAnne-Marie LubenauJohn NedleySue NeffDavid Roth

Fort Pitt Elementary SchoolOn May 1 and 2, 100 third-grade students from Fort Pitt Elementary School toured several blocks of the Garfield neighborhood near their school. They talked about the strengths and needs of the neighborhood and suggested new uses for some of the vacant buildings.

NeighborhoodPartners: BishopLeonard andManchester CharterThis marked the final year of a two-year pilot program, offered byLandmarks and the Carnegie Museum ofArt. Students from Bishop Leonard Schoolin Mt. Oliver and Manchester CharterSchool became pen pals and learned aboutthe history of their neighborhoods.

In January students visited the CarnegieMuseum of Art to learn about exhibit-making and to create their “squares” for a neighborhood quilt. Back in school,students built a model of their neighbor-hood, showing the houses, schools, andchurches. These models were exhibited,along with the neighborhood quilts, in thelobby of USX Tower in May.

P a g e 1 6 P H L F N e w s • D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 0

Pittsburgh Middle School GiftedProgramSeventh- and eighth-grade students toured downtown Pittsburgh with Landmarks in May, and then completed a semester-long unit,“Architecture: Math and Art.” Students drew floor plans to scale for adream house they envisioned and then constructed the house out ofcardboard. Student Mike Toth said: “Constructing the model was a goodoutlet for my creativity. It required hand-to-eye coordination and preci-sion. It was a challenge at times to turn my ideas into reality, but on thewhole I was pretty successful.”

GreenwayMiddle SchoolFollowing a walking tour of themain street area in West Endwith Landmarks, seventh-gradestudents sketched favorite WestEnd houses. During nine artclasses, they perfected theirdrawings and took the liberty of adding appropriateVictorian features (such as porches, brackets and vergeboards) if they were missing!

Upper St. Clair High SchoolSeniors at Upper St. Clair wrote research papers in literature class on Pittsburgh landmarks, created poster displays, and designed power-point and video presentations. One of the bestresults of the project was that the students were required to leave thesuburbs and drive all over Pittsburgh to photograph and find out aboutPhipps Conservatory, the Duquesne Incline, and other local landmarks.Many of them gained a new sense of appreciation for our city.

Quaker Valley Middle SchoolThis year five schoolsborrowed Landmarks’traveling exhibit,“Architecture: TheBuilding Art.” Afterusing the exhibit atQuaker ValleyMiddle School, sixth-grade students actedout the forces oftension and compres-sion, strengthenedtheir observation anddrawing skills, and preparedreports on architectural landmarks inthe city.

Summer Campfor Young“Architects”The Frick Art & HistoricalSociety, in cooperation withLandmarks, offered a five-day summer camp in

August for middle schoolstudents interested in architecture. The students

toured the Frick estate and neighborhood, and completed manyart and architecture projects. They each constructed a model showingwhat could be built on a vacant lot opposite one of the entrances to Frick Park.

P H L F N e w s • D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 0 P a g e 1 7

Columbia Gas SponsorsLandmark SurvivorsOn Monday, June 19, Allegheny County ManagerRobert Webb, Columbia Gas President and CEOGary J. Robinson, and Landmarks’ Chairman PhilipHallen unveiled the Landmark Survivors exhibitduring an evening reception in the main gallery ofthe Allegheny County Courthouse.

In Landmark Survivors, present-day color photo-graphs are paired with historic photographs toillustrate the life stories of seven landmarks in thePittsburgh region: the Blockhouse; the commercialbuildings facing Fort Pitt Boulevard; Smithfield Street Bridge; Allegheny County Courthouse;Clayton; Kennywood Park; and Station Square.

The exhibit introduces the concept and value of historic preservation and encourages people toparticipate in the planning and developmentdecisions that shape their communities.

Landmark Survivors includes three components.

1. First, is the exhibit itself, where eight postershang from a lamppost. The exhibit system canbe easily transported, allowing the exhibit to bedisplayed in corporate lobbies, communitycenters, libraries, and historical sites. To date, the exhibit has been at USX Tower and the Koppers Building; the D. L.Lawrence Convention Center; The Shops atStation Square and the Sheraton Hotel;Conservation Consultants on the SouthSide; and the Carnegie Library in Oakland.

2. Second, is a series of posters. The exhibitpanels have been reduced and reprinted asa series of posters. They may be purchasedindividually, or as a set, from Landmarks. Our office volunteersmailed letters to 999 people who have been members of Landmarks forten years or more, offering them one—or all eight—of the posters for free. To date, 112 people/organizations have called requesting freeposters!

3. Finally, there is a blank poster and a teacher’sguide so students can create their own postersfeaturing neighborhood landmarks.Landmarks hopes to create a Web siteshowing off the student posters in 2001.

If you would like to reserve the exhibit inthe new year, purchase a set of posters, orhave your students create their ownLandmark Survivor poster, then call

Mary Ann Eubanks at (412) 471-5808 ext. 537.

In the next issue of PHLF News, look for our feature onprograms with the Pittsburgh Elementary Gifted Centerand Allegheny Traditional Academy. Students are buildingmodels showing new designs for Allegheny Center in a project sponsored by The Pittsburgh Children’s Museumand Landmarks.

Gateway Senior HighSchoolLandmarks created a “trip sheet” and led 43 high school students from Gateway on awalking tour in Pitcairn along Broadwayand neighboring streets. The tour on April 26was part of a unit developed by special edu-cation teacher Holly Simmons, emphasizingthe strengths of the Pitcairn community andfamily history. Students found the names ofrelatives inscribed on a war memorial in Pitcairn, and compiledoral histories based oninterviews with familymembers and long-timeresidents.

Funded by a Gateway2000 mini-grant, thehistory walk is the kind ofexperience, according toHolly, that gets studentsinterested in learning moreabout their communityand in becoming moreinvolved in its life today.

Gary J. Robinson

Thelma Lovett, architect JohnMartine, and Landmarkstrustee Art Edmunds, duringthe opening reception ofLandmark Survivors.

Landmarks trustee Ethel Hagler and executivedirector Louise Sturgess

The exhibit at theSheraton. Now throughDecember, LandmarkSurvivors can be seen inthe Pennsylvania Roomat the Carnegie Library inOakland.

P a g e 1 8 P H L F N e w s • D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 0

In 1998, the South Side LocalDevelopment Company (SSLDC)received the highly competitiveNeighborhood Assistance Program/Comprehensive Services Program(NAP/CSP), from the Commonwealthof Pennsylvania’s Department ofCommunity and EconomicDevelopment. As SSLDC’s corporatepartner, PNC Bank has made a ten-year commitment to SSLDC totaling$2.5 million for an array of program-ming in exchange for tax credits.

The SSLDC has contracted withLandmarks to provide educationalservices to area schools and communitygroups and to create model landscapeprojects appropriate to the historiccharacter of the neighborhood.Landmarks contributes its staff time tocreate and lead the educationalprograms and to oversee landscapeprojects. Participation in the educationalprograms is free to the schools.

As a result, during the 1999–2000school year just over 1,000 studentsfrom five schools, and senior citizensand adults from the South Side, par-ticipated in a variety of educationalprograms including:

• live performances of Building Magic,offered through Gateway to MusicSchool Programs;

• field-trips aboard Pittsburgh Voyager’sDiscovery, up to the BirminghamBridge to view the South Side from the river;

• and walking tours of the main streetarea.

Landmarks designed a new T-shirtand postcard for all student partici-pants. With the help of retired PhillipsElementary teacher Rosemary Grogan,Landmarks developed a kit of artifacts,“South Side: Back Then and Now,” for use in the schools, and launched apilot interview program, “Seniors and Students.”

Landmarks and the South Side SlopesNeighborhood Association created ahillside garden at South 18th Street bythe public steps. What once was an eye-sore along the bend in the road is now a perennial garden designed to be com-patible with the historic neighborhood.On September 23, more than 18 neigh-borhood volunteers spread 45 cubicyards of mulch. Assistance also was provided by Lamar Advertising and

Norfolk SouthernRailway (owners ofthe garden site wholeased the propertyto the neighbor-hood), and JohnRadcliffe of thePublic WorksDivision, and his crew.

South Side: Building PrideNews on the Neighborhood Assistance Program/Comprehensive Services Program

Landmarks Honors Dean WernerGeorge L. W. Werner, recentlyretired as Dean of Trinity EpiscopalCathedral, has been deeply com-mitted to both the spiritual andphysical well-being of Pittsburgh.To honor his work, Landmarkscontributed to the fund to restoreTrinity’s churchyard, a place ofburial since prehistoric times.

Members will be interested toknow Trinity Cathedral publishedan account of the history of theEpiscopal congregation, founded inthe 18th century, that still occupiesits third church edifice on SixthAvenue, downtown. Trinity &Pittsburgh: The History of TrinityCathedral, by Helen L. Harriss, is illustrated with black and whiteand color photos. The 214-pagebook includes a brief preface byLandmarks’ architectural historian,Walter C. Kidney. $49.95 cloth;$19.95 paper.

EventHighlightsJust over 1,000people attendedLandmarks’ special eventsthis year. A

highlight included the Pittsburghpremier of Wonder Boys, starringMichael Douglas, in the NewGranada Theater in the HillDistrict. Proceeds from theFebruary 24 premiere, which raisedover $8,000, will help restore thetheater to its former glory.

Just two days later, under blueskies with record-breaking warmtemperatures, Landmarks held itsFifth Annual Old House Fair atVictoria Hall in Bloomfield; over 40restoration experts shared informa-tion and answered questions abouthome repairs and restoration to arecord-breaking crowd of 830.

Robert McNulty and ReidWilliamson spoke at the “MakingCities Work” lectures on March 29and June 5, respectively. Our mostpopular tours this year included the“Members Only Hard Hat Tour ofthe Old Jail” on March 10, our freeweekly walking tours throughoutthe summer of the Fifth/Forbesarea, and the November bus toursto “Arts and Crafts Sites inPittsburgh.”

We are in the midst of planningour 2001 special events season, so call Mary Lu Denny (412/471-5808 ext. 527) if you have any suggestions.

The newly planted garden at South 18th andJosephine Streets.

Students from Arlington Elementary show off their T-shirts featuring Lee Dittley’s“South Side Hillside,” 1976.

Students from Phillips Elementary interview Josephine Kowalski in the“Seniors and Students” program.

Jermaine Grayson in theBrashear Association’s ArtsApprenticeship Program sketchesa new building for East CarsonStreet during a walking tour with Landmarks.

Historic buildings come to life in“Building Magic,” a play enjoyed this year by 485 South Side studentsand teachers.

Students from Bishop Leonard pilot Pittsburgh Voyager’s Discovery.

P H L F N e w s • D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 0 P a g e 1 9

Bernard Kent Markwell

Most people regard traveling in ournorthern climate as a proper diversionfor late spring, summer, and earlyautumn. Ordinarily, the wisdom is:after-Thanksgiving traveler beware! The weather might be uncertain, or,even more likely, nasty. Yet, if weatherforecasts are favorable and one does not venture too far, the period fromThanksgiving through early April hasunique muted beauties that should notbe missed: the Gothic tracery of barebranches against the sky, the vividorange and red of lingering berriesagainst evergreen branches and leaves;and, above all, the light—moody andsubtly shifting among gray, silver, andmother of pearl—when suddenly cloudspass, the sky is a clear bright blue evenmore luminous than in summer. Thenwe realize why this season enchantedJapanese print makers and Americanimpressionists like Twachtman, and we want to become part of it. It’s theperfect time for an outing,an extended drive that takesus away from it all for anovernight.

But where do we go?Certainly it is important tohave a destination whereaccommodations are snugand the welcome is warmand inviting. My suggestionis a ramble through the hillsof Western Pennsylvaniaand eastern Ohio that willbring you to the Inn atWillow Pond.

The Inn is located on Ohio StateRoute 517 midway between the townsof Lisbon and Columbiana, both withsufficient attractions to merit a browseor more. The main building is a basicvernacular nineteenth century farm-house that grew up over the years. Likemany famous European churches, thepresent outer shell encloses an earlierstructure, the remains of which are stillvisible in the attic. A picturesque assort-ment of barns and outbuildings house

the machines and materials necessaryfor keeping the lawns and gardens intop form.

Afternoon refreshments are served,and one has an opportunity to meetfellow travelers and the owners, Bea andChuck Delpapa. Not only are they out-standing inn keepers––attentive to everyneed––but they are genuinely interestingpeople in their own right. Chuck is anartist and designer, and Bea founded theRiverside cooking school in Cleveland.Originally from Colorado, they havetraveled extensively and their outlook isgently cosmopolitan. But they haveembraced Ohio—its flora and fauna,villages, towns, local industries,products and markets—with genuineconverts’ zeal. Their interests are legion;they seem to know everything about thearea, including the birds! Ask them fordinner recommendations and retire toyour room for a leisurely soak in anherb-scented bath––or a Jacuzzi, if youprefer––before dinner. The rooms arewell appointed, relaxing, and tastefullydecorated. I was particularly pleased to

discover a comfortablechair with a lamp properlyplaced for reading. In thehandsomely illuminatedcommon rooms theDelpapas display theirastonishing collection ofNative American andMexican artifacts.

In the morning you canchoose between an authen-tic Mexican breakfast or amagnificent country break-fast in the dining room, or

weather permitting, on the patio. Thedining room and patio overlook anextensive lawn gently sloping down tothe pond. Birds abound, lured by strate-gically placed feeders. The pond attractsmigrating waterfowl, and a great blueheron has settled there.

You might very well want to settlethere yourself. For reservations and fur-ther information call 1-888-345-2809.

The Inn at Willow Pond41932 State Rt. 517Lisbon, OH 44432(888) 345-2809

When members of Landmarks stay at the Inn, 10% of the cost of their lodging is donated to the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation.

The Western Pennsylvania Traveler:

The Inn at Willow Pond

Membership BenefitsInclude Discounts at B & BsNeed a break? Then plan anovernight at one of the followingbed and breakfasts and receive a10% discount as a member ofLandmarks.

Phone numbers for each bed andbreakfast are given so you can callfor a brochure or current roomrates. Each B & B is in an historicbuilding and is well worth a visit!

Pi t t sburghAppletree Bed & Breakfast703 S. Negley AvenuePittsburgh, PA 15232(412) 661-0631

Morning Glory Inn2119 Sarah StreetPittsburgh, PA 15203(412) 431-1707

The Priory614 Pressley StreetPittsburgh, PA 15212(412) 231-3338

Shadyside Bed & Breakfast5516 Maple Heights RoadPittsburgh, PA 15232(412) 683-6501

Victoria House Bed & Breakfast939 Western AvenuePittsburgh, PA 15233(412) 231-4948

Outs ide the C i tyCountry Road Bed & Breakfast199 Moody RoadImperial, PA 15126(724) 899-2528

The Inn on Grandview Bed & Breakfast310 E. Grandview AvenueZelienople, PA 16063(888) 544-3481

Maggie West Bed & Breakfast605 Pittsburgh StreetSpringdale, PA 15144(724) 274-8906

Weatherbury Farm Bed & Breakfast1061 Sugar Run RoadAvella, PA 15312(724) 587-3763

The Whistlestop Bed & Breakfast195 Broad StreetLeetsdale, PA 15056(724) 251-0852

The following text is from a brochurewritten by the Delpapas.

In the early 1800s there was a gristmill on the stream that runs along theeast side of the property. Originally itwas owned and operated by the Freedfamily. A small family cemetery withabout six graves remains in the woodson the adjoining property. The millwas eventually sold to Mr. Kline, andmany people still refer to the Inn atWillow Pond as “the old Kline’s Mill”property. The original plot of land wasjust over 100 acres and was also aworking farm. By the late 1930s or40s, the three pole barns were erectedand the Caleric family raised chickensin them. Mr. Caleric was also an ama-teur landscape architect and it was hewho designed much of the propertygreenery. A large paper birch is justbehind the house and a lovelyJapanese Maple nestles among thepines near the pond.

The original two-story house wasbuilt around 1865. The Santa Fe andTaos rooms, with 12-inch thick brickwalls, are all that remain of that struc-ture. By the turn of the century, therewas an addition which is now thekitchen, dining room, living room, and a couple of bedrooms upstairs.

In 1978, Beldon and Terry Hambought the 120-acre property andcompletely renovated and reconfig-ured the old place. The front part ofthe house was added, where the officeand library now are downstairs and thetwo bedrooms are upstairs. The houseoriginally facing the road (south) wasredesigned to face the driveway (west).It was at that time that the presentfireplace in the living room was builtwith antique brick. The mantel is abeam from the old barn. The woodenfloors are “heart pine” from an old cot-ton mill that was torn down in Georgia.All of the woodwork, including thestairway and beamed ceilings, wasinstalled in 1978. The front door, aswell as the doors to the office and coatcloset in the entry hall, are antiquesfrom the Boston area. The exterior ofthe house is redwood siding.

The Hams sold the house and 11 ofthe 120 acres in 1991. The Delpapasbought the house and 11-acre site in1994, and updated the house bystripping wallpaper and painting,remodeling the kitchen, replacing allof the wall-to-wall carpet, installingair-conditioning in the downstairsarea, and adding recessed lighting. In March of 1998, the Inn at Willow Pond opened.

A Little History Aboutthis Property

In Memoriam: Mary Jane SchmalstiegWith deep regret we report that South Side activist and neighborhood historian Mary Jane Schmalstieg died onJune 4, 2000. Mary Jane was an active supporter of Landmarks’ neighborhood restoration work and willinglyshared her intimate knowledge of the South Side with our education staff. Just last year, she visited with a group of

students who were participating in Landmarks’ “South Side History & Architecture Days”; her vivid description of the SouthSide in the early 1900s helped students understand how much life has changed since then. She also donated an old lock from herhusband’s locker in the J & L Mill and copies of some historic photographs to our kit of artifacts, “South Side: Back Then andNow.” Always helping others, always working to improve her neighborhood, Mary Jane will be missed by all who knew anddepended on her.

P a g e 2 0 P H L F N e w s • D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 0

College-bound studentsOn May 26, David Brashear, a trusteeof Landmarks and chairman of theLandmarks Scholarship Committee,announced that three senior high-schoolstudents would receive four-yearscholarships, each totaling $4,000, tocolleges of their choice.

Scholarship recipients are:

• Lara I. Malakoff, a graduate ofSchenley High School and student atGeorge Washington University;

• Lauren M. Merski, a graduate ofNorth Allegheny Senior High Schooland student at Kent State University;

• and Jennifer E. Schulz, a graduate of Mt. Lebanon Senior High School andstudent at the University of Virginia.

The Landmarks Scholarship Program is underwritten each year by the Brashear Family Fund, one of Landmarks’ Named Funds.Applications for the 2000–01 schoolyear are now available. Applicants must:

• be a resident of Allegheny County;

• be a high school senior who has beenaccepted at a college or university;

• have a cumulative Quality PointAverage at the end of the first semestersenior year of 3.25 or greater; and

• write an essay and complete and submit an application to Landmarksby April 27, 2001.

For further information, contactMary Ann Eubanks at (412) 471-5808ext. 537.

The Walton FamilyScholarshipAt Landmarks’ Board of Trusteesmeeting on November 9, executivedirector Louise Sturgess announced thecreation of a new scholarship madepossible through a grant from Mr. &Mrs. James M. Walton. For the next

five years, an annual scholarship of$1,000 will be offered to a MillerElementary School student who gradu-ates from high school and is continuinghis/her education in college or at avocational/technical school.

The scholarship is being awarded inhonor of Mrs. Margaret Burley, ateacher at Miller School, who has beenraising money for the past several yearsby selling candles to provide onescholarship for a Miller School student.The Walton Family Scholarship willmatch Mrs. Burley’s scholarship.

In a letter of thanks to LandmarksMargaret wrote, “I never thought thatthis grassroots effort (selling one candleat a time) would ever develop into thisgreat benefit (two $1,000 scholarships)for former Miller youngsters. Thiscollaborative effort demonstrates howwe can make a difference when wework as a team.”

The Walton Family Scholarshipbuilds on Landmarks’ work at MillerSchool with the after-school enrichmentprogram sponsored by Mercy Hospital.(Please see page 14.)

Neighborhood LeadersBecky Mingo, executive director ofFriendship Development Associates, andCarey A. Harris, executive director ofthe South Side Local DevelopmentCompany, attended the annual confer-ence of the National Trust for HistoricPreservation in Los Angeles,October 31–November 5,thanks to scholarship awardsfrom Landmarks.

Now in its second year, thisscholarship program is open toexecutive directors or presi-dents of neighborhood-basedorganizations in AlleghenyCounty who are members ofLandmarks and are engaged inrestoring historic buildings.

The following excerpt fromCarey Harris’ letter toLandmarks describes the valueof the scholarship:

I benefited tremendously from theeducational and field sessions Iattended at the conference. Sessionson endowment campaigns, ADA andpreservation, corporate franchise

design, urban enter-tainment districts,and big city devel-opment were partic-ularly enlighteningand applicable tothe work I amdoing on the SouthSide. The Trust isto be commended

for the quality of sessions and speak-ers for this conference—it was trulyone of the best conferences I haveever been to.

Overall, the conference helped meto put in perspective the relativematurity of Pittsburgh’s preservationefforts, which I believe are largely the result of the fine work ofLandmarks. I also appreciated theopportunity to network withcolleagues from all over the countryand from Pittsburgh. It was a great chance to share success andchallenges and “talk shop” in astimulating environment. ExploringLos Angeles was a great experience,too. It is a wonderfully diverse citywith a lot to offer. However, I foundmyself appreciating more and more,our great city and the quality andquantity of great architecture,neighborhoods, and things to see.

Landmarks Awards Scholarships toStudents and Neighborhood Leaders

J O I NLANDMARKSSupport the PittsburghHistory & LandmarksFoundation in its work to:

• Identify, document, and work tosave architectural landmarks,historic neighborhoods, andhistoric designed landscapes inAllegheny County;

• Provide loans and technical assis-tance to community-based orga-nizations that propose feasibleplans for historic properties;

• Participate in urban planningissues as an advocate for historicpreservation;

• Create educational programs for schools, community groups,members, and friends;

• Continue a well-managed,responsive, and creativemembership organization withthe ability to implement thesegoals on a long-range basis.

Membership Categories■■ Individual $20 or more■■ Family $25 or more■■ Senior Citizen $15 or more■■ Schools and

Non-profits $35 or more■■ School Districts $50 or more■■ Ambassadors $100 or more■■ Corporate $250 or more■■ Life Benefactor $5,000

(a one-time gift)

The portion of your dues exceeding $15is tax-deductible.

Call Mary Lu Denny at (412) 471-5808 ext. 527 for detailson a multiple-year membership plan at a reduced rate, and for a listing of our membership benefits.

Yes! Enroll me as a member of thePittsburgh History & LandmarksFoundation. I have enclosed acontribution in the amount of____________.

Name______________________________

Address____________________________

City _______________________________

State _____________ Zip _____________

Telephone (day)_____________________(area code)

Method of Payment■■ Check enclosed (payable to PHLF)

■■ Credit card:

■■ AmEx ■■ Visa

■■ Mastercard ■■ Discover

Account # __________________________

Expiration__________________________

Signature___________________________

Thank you for completing this form.Please detach and fax or mail to:MembershipPittsburgh History &Landmarks FoundationOne Station Square, Suite 450Pittsburgh, PA 15219-1134

(412) 471-5808Fax (412) 471-1633www.phlf.org

PHLF News usually is published four times each year for the members of the PittsburghHistory & Landmarks Foundation, a non-profit historic preservation organization servingAllegheny County. Landmarks is committed to neighborhood restoration and historicproperty preservation; public advocacy; historic landscape preservation; and education andmembership programs. Special issues, devoted to a particular theme or program area, arepublished on occasion.

© 2000 Pittsburgh History & Landmarks FoundationDesigned by Pytlik Design AssociatesPhotographs by William Rydberg, PHOTON, and Landmarks, unless otherwise noted.

Arthur P. Ziegler, Jr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PresidentLouise Sturgess . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Editor/Executive DirectorCathy Broucek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Director of Operations and MarketingElisa J. Cavalier. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . General CounselTom Croyle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ComptrollerMary Lu Denny. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Director of Membership ServicesMary Ann Eubanks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Education CoordinatorBarry Hannegan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Director of Historic Landscape PreservationThomas Keffer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Superintendent of Property MaintenanceWalter C. Kidney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Architectural HistorianJack Miller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Director of Planned GivingLinda Mitry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Staff AccountantAlbert M. Tannler. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Historical Collections DirectorGregory C. Yochum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HorticulturistRonald C. Yochum, Jr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Assistant for Public Policy and CIO

Library DonationsWe thank William J. Dixon for donating three postcards and a copy of PittsburghToday, published by the Pittsburgh Convention and Visitors Bureau in 1968, andHenry P. Hoffstot for donating a photograph of Pitt Stadium on the last day of its use before demolition.

Carey A. Harris

Hillside houses, South Side

Photo by Jim Judkis