Menu Contact/Location

Category Archive: Architecture & Architects

  1. Tour & Lecture Series: Charles J. Connick: World Class Stained Glass in Pittsburgh

    April 2, 2009
    PHLF News

     Charles J. Connick: World Class Stained Glass in Pittsburgh, based on Albert Tannler’s recent book on Connick  is a special series of six public lectures and tours.

    Eminent English historian Peter Cormack will present the keynote address on Sunday, May 24, at Calvary Episcopal Church. During his illustrated lecture, “Stained Glass of the Arts & Crafts Movement in Britain and America,”  Cormack will discuss the international significance of Connick’s work.

    Organist Alan Lewis will perform from 2:30 to 3:00 p.m. as people gather for the keynote address, to begin at 3:00 p.m. Event sponsors include The Connick Foundation and Calvary Episcopal Church. 

    For more information, click here for Tours & Events.

  2. Alan Frank House Foundation Formed

    March 4th, 2009
    PHLF News

    The Alan I.W. Frank Foundation has been launched as a 501(c)(3) to raise funds to secure the house designed by Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer for Alan and Cecelia Frank on Woodland Road near Chatham College.

    It has been faithfully preserved by their son Alan Frank.  This is the largest private residence designed by the Gropius-Breuer partnership.

    The house has four levels of living space, an indoor swimming pool, and a rooftop dance floor.  The furnishings were either designed by Breuer or chosen by the architects.

    The first effort of the foundation will be to secure the open land behind the house leading to Shady Avenue which will be essential for operating the house in the future as a possible house museum.

     

  3. Landmarks opposes the demolitions of 1403 and 1414 Nixon Street and 1109 Bingham Street

     

    PREPARED TESTIMONY OF
    ANNE E. NELSON, ESQ., GENERAL COUNSEL
    PITTSBURGH HISTORY & LANDMARKS FOUNDATION

    BEFORE HISTORIC REVIEW COMMISSION,
    CITY OF PITTSBURGH PUBLIC HEARING ON CITY DEMOLITIONS

    JANUARY 7, 2008

    Landmarks opposes the demolitions of 1403 and 1414 Nixon Street and 1109 Bingham Street because the City was instructed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to cease all demolition activities for any buildings located in National Register eligible or listed or local designated historic districts until the City complies with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and revises its procedures and relevant documentation. 

    HUD reiterated its instructions and concerns with the City’s Section 106 compliance in a letter dated December 29, 2008.  In this letter, the City was further instructed to respond to HUD by January 16, 2009 with: (1) an update on the City’s progress in revising its procedures and relevant documentation to comply with Section 106,  (2) assurance that the City has ceased demolition activities, and (3) addressing Landmarks’ concerns.

    It is distressing that the City has failed to comply with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act over the past six months.  We have yet to receive any responses from the City to our letters commenting on its compliance with Section 106 that were sent in August and September 2008, nor have we received a response to our letter dated July 29, 2008 requesting to be a consulting party.  

    Landmarks will oppose all City demolitions in historic districts until it complies with Section 106, and we are notified of our consulting party status.


     

  4. Public Hearing on 200-210 Fifth Ave, and 438 & 440 Market Street

    PREPARED TESTIMONY OF

    ANNE E. NELSON, ESQ.

    GENERAL COUNSEL

    PITTSBURGH HISTORY & LANDMARKS FOUNDATION

    BEFORE HISTORIC REVIEW COMMISSION, CITY OF PITTSBURGH

    PUBLIC HEARING ON 200-210 FIFTH AVENUE; 438 & 440 MARKET STREET

    NOVEMER 5, 2008

     

    As the future holder of a preservation easement on the Buhl Building and current holder of design control rights on the adjacent properties, Landmarks supports N&P Properties’ plans to rehabilitate the exterior of the Buhl Building, demolish the adjacent structures, and build a new building adjacent to the Buhl.  The size, scale, and color of the proposed adjacent building compliment the blue terra cotta Buhl Building.  Landmarks’ support of N & P Properties’ plans for the Buhl Building and adjacent structures, however, is contingent on the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission approving Part 2 of their Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credit application.

  5. Public Hearing Before Historic Review Commission on 4420 Bayard Street

    PREPARED TESTIMONY OF

    ANNE E. NELSON, ESQ.

    GENERAL COUNSEL

    PITTSBURGH HISTORY & LANDMARKS FOUNDATION

    BEFORE HISTORIC REVIEW COMMISSION, CITY OF PITTSBURGH

    PUBLIC HEARING ON 4420 BAYARD STREET, THE ELMHURST GROUP

    OCTOBER 1, 2008

     

    Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation has reviewed the Elmhurst Group’s plans for a new office building in the parking lot behind and owned by the First Baptist Church in Oakland.  We appreciate the very good efforts of the Elmhurst Group in regard to the planning and redesign of the structure.  In particular, the building’s height, materials, and setback on Bayard Street are in accordance with the other buildings on the street and harmonize the building with the Church.  The higher portion of the building along Ruskin Avenue complements the Ruskin Apartment and its materials and to some degree its style.

    However, we have the following concerns with the building:

    1.     The top portion of the seven-story building should be redesigned without the projecting central overhang, which is something of a cliché in modern design.  We also suggest that the stringcourse be continued across the Bayard/Bigelow façade just as it does on the Ruskin Avenue façade and with the elongated windows eliminated.  We believe that such detailing is inappropriate next to the architecturally-significant First Baptist Church, the Ruskin Apartment Building and the houses of Schenley Farms.

     

    2.     We recommend that the walkway around the building be planted with sycamore trees instead of columnar trees as shown.  We would be happy to meet with the City Forester to discuss the matter of tree selection.  A few columnar trees were planted years ago further west on Bayard Street and they are still nothing more than elongated toothpicks with a few leaves attached.  Sycamore trees, used throughout Schenley Farms, arch up over the streets and provide a canopy of elegance, beauty, and shade.

     

    We continue also to have a significant concern with the Historic Review Commission’s jurisdiction and ability to review new construction in historic districts.  We hope this matter can be resolved or clarified so as not to cause issues with other new construction projects in historic districts. 

  6. Heathside Cottage For Sale, 416 Catoma St., Fineview (SOLD)

    Cover of Journal of Gift Planning, Vol. 6, No. 3, 3rd Quarter 2002 - Click for Larger ImageOffered by Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation

    SOLD

    Judith Harvey, a member of Landmarks and the librarian of the Frank B. Fairbanks Rail-Related Archive, has donated her remaining life interest in Heathside Cottage to the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation.

    Built in the mid-nineteenth century by bridge engineer James Andrews in what is now the Fineview Neighborhood of Pittsburgh, the early Victorian brick cottage located at 416 Catoma Street is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is protected by a Landmarks preservation easement.  Heathside Cottage is a model of Early Victorian design, with delicate bargeboard, a steeply-pitched roof, and diamond-paned sash windows, and has been renovated for modern living.  It’s adjacent to an urban garden, looks out over the City, and is less than ten-minutes from downtown Pittsburgh.

    “Judith spent 15 years restoring this historic treasure,” said Landarks President Arthur Ziegler.  “Now we will do our best to find an owner who shares her enthusiasm for the uniqueness of this property.”

    Persons interested in learning more about purchasing Heathside Cottage should contact Jack Miller at 412-471-5808, ext. 538 or jack@phlf.org

    Proceeds from the sale of the property will endow Heathside Cottage’s preservation easement and support Landmarks’ mission.

    Amenities / Points of Interest

    Published & Honors

    Heathside Cottage In Print

    • Heathside Cottage’s mystery adds to its appeal (Pittsburgh Tribune Review)
    • Heathside Cottage: One Woman’s Legacy to Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
    • Pittsburgh’s Landmark Architecture
      By Walter C. Kidney

      • “This kind of outright Gothic Revival is rare in Allegheny County today, and its quite rare to find it with its vergeboard and other sawn-out wooden trim still present and diamond-paned sash still in the windows. This is an EarlyVictorian design in spirit rather than a Mid-Victorian one, emphasizing delicacy rather than dignified massiveness, and is very much a borrowing from English Romanticism. The very word “heath” –an open area with wild shrubbery–is English, not American. it suggest the Romantic seclusion this house originally had, looking southward over the growing City of Allegheny from a vantage point 400 feet up”.

    Honors

    Downloadable Fact Sheets

    Photos and more information below.

    Detailed Description

    Property Name :

    Heathside Cottage

    Address:

    416 Catoma Street at Myler Street (Google Street View)

    City, State, Zip Code:

    Pittsburgh, PA 15212

    Sale Price:

    $169,900

    Architectural Style:

    Gothic Revival, Early Victorian

    Year
    Built :

    c. 1855

    Property Type:

    Residential, Single Family

    Lot Size:

    6,863 sq. ft. (double lot)

    Stories:

    2

    HVAC :

    Central Air & Heating

    Water:

    Public

    Sewage:

    Public

    Parkling:

    Off Street, Detached Garage

    School District:

    Pittsburgh

    Contact Information

    Company:

    Jack Miller

    Phone No.:

    412-471-5808, ext.. 538,
    FAX: 1-412-471-1633

    Email:

    Jack Miller:  jack@phlf.org

    Exterior Views

    Click Any Photo For Larger Image

    South Facade
    Western Facade
    Northern Facade
    Southeastern Facade
    Heathside Cottage Urban Garden (One Full Lot Size)
    Back Yard
    Garden Shed
    Garage - Offstreet Parking!!!

    Interior Views

    Click Any Photo For Larger Image

    Kitchen
    Dining Room
    East Bedroom
    Parlor & Window
    Mirror Room
  7. Owner of Lamp Theater in Irwin says restoration depends on funding

    Thursday, August 07, 2008
    Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

    The Lamp Theater closed more than three years ago.

    Two different owners have since given projections of when the landmark showplace on Main Street in Irwin would reopen.

    A small, hand-painted sign on the marquee confidently proclaims: “The Lamp will shine brightly again!”

    But folks and borough officials are wondering: When?

    Their concern is justified. A revival of the 73-year-old former movie theater could be a key to the 144-year town’s future.

    Nearly $400,000 in emergency repairs were made, including replacement of a collapsed roof, extensive interior rehabilitation, disposal of mounds of debris and removal of 387 rain-damaged seats. Then the restoration stopped.

    A glimmer of hope returned last month when contractors began installing a new plumbing system and upgrading electrical wiring to comply with national and borough codes.

    “Restoration will continue as long as funding holds out,” said Bill Chapman, a partner in Irwin-based Koury, Chapman & Sinclair Real Estate Services. George Koury and Dave Sinclair are the other partners, who bought the theater in February 2005.

    “The Lamp is woven into the fabric of the Norwin community,” Mr. Chapman added. “Every time workers appear and doors are open, folks and kids walking by stop to watch. They’re hoping the theater finally will reopen.”

    In a complex deal in May 2006, the nonprofit Westmoreland Cultural Trust acquired the title to the theater from the real estate company in exchange for exclusive management rights. No purchase price was ever disclosed. Koury, Chapman & Sinclair agreed to continue its mortgage obligation with Irwin Bank.

    Under the agreement, the trust, which operates the Palace Theater in Greensburg, will handle stage bookings and associated event promotion for the Palace and the Lamp. Movies also are planned for the Lamp.

    “Actually, KCS donated the Lamp Theater to the trust for $1 because it is vital to the revitalization project,” Mr. Chapman clarified. “It’s easier for the trust to secure community development grants than a private business.

    “Most people, including potential investors, who promised to help with funding have disappeared. Commercial money is tight these days. All we can do is hope things will work out.

    “Considering the country’s fiscal crisis, nobody can realistically set a timetable for the Lamp to reopen. But, if we can get the right funding to finish most of the restoration, I’m optimistic the Lamp could reopen by late fall.”

    Trust Executive Director Michael Langer, who predicted in 2006 that the Lamp would reopen in early 2007, did not return telephone calls seeking comment about the project.

    On June 6, IBT Bancorp Inc., the parent company of Irwin Bank, merged with S&T Bancorp Inc., based in Indiana, Pa.

    “S&T Bank intends to honor Irwin Bank’s commitments to the Irwin Project and community development in the Norwin Area,” said Charles Urtin, former IBT chief executive officer and now vice chairman of the S&T board of directors.

    “S&T Bank will continue to be sensitive to efforts encouraging economic development in the Norwin community and surrounding areas.”

    Three years ago, IBT made a commitment to donate $50,000 — in $10,000 increments over five years — to help develop a public-private partnership with the borough for the Irwin Project. That will be honored, said Mr. Urtin, an active member of the Irwin Project Steering Committee.

    The Lamp became the anchor of the Irwin Project, an ambitious, long-term, economic revitalization of the business district, after the trust abandoned a planned $1.5 million to $2 million acquisition and renovation of the 119-year-old Thompson Building.

    The objective is to turn the town into “Historic Irwin.”

    Bob Michaud, a former IBT executive who initiated the revitalization effort nearly four years ago, once predicted the Lamp would be “a beacon” to draw people and investors to town.

    “The Lamp Theater is essential to the revitalization of downtown Irwin, especially the business district,” said borough Councilwoman Danyce Neal.

    “The theater has touched generations for seven decades.”

    Norm Vargo is a freelance writer.
    First published on August 7, 2008 at 6:00 am
  8. Council grants North Side temple historic status

    By Jeremy Boren
    TRIBUNE-REVIEW
    Wednesday, August 6, 2008

    Pittsburgh City Council Tuesday sought to end a long-simmering controversy by dubbing the former Malta Temple building in the North Side a historic structure.

    The decision will protect the stately brick building on West North Avenue from demolition, but it also could prompt legal action from the Salvation Army, which has owned the former social club since the 1970s.

    Salvation Army officials have fought the historic designation because they want to raze the edifice to make way for a larger $5 million facility on the same street. The nonprofit organization runs a social services center in the 81-year-old building, which officials say would be too costly to renovate.

    Salvation Army officials last week said they might challenge City Council’s decision in court.

    “We are very disappointed in the vote,” said Maj. Robert J. Reel, the organization’s Western Pennsylvania divisional commander. “And we are exploring our options.”

    Members of the Mexican War Streets Society, a neighborhood group, said they nominated the Malta Temple building for historic status to preserve the neighborhood’s historic appeal.

    In a final decision, City Council voted 8-1 in favor of the designation, with Councilman Ricky Burgess casting the lone dissenting vote.

    Burgess argued historic designation should not be forced upon the building because it serves as a place of religious worship.

     

     

    Jeremy Boren can be reached at jboren@tribweb.comor 412-765-2312.

Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation

100 West Station Square Drive, Suite 450

Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Phone: 412-471-5808  |  Fax: 412-471-1633