Category Archive: Easements
-
A Gift With A View
Journal of Gift Planning –
3rd Quarter 2002The cover image depicts Heathside Cottage, listed on the National Register of Historic Places and constructed circa 1855 in what is now Pittsburgh, PA.
The building’s Greek revival style is rare to find with its vergeboard and other sawn-out wooden trim still present and diamond-paned sash still in the windows. The word “heath”- meaning an open area with wild shubbery – is English. It suggests the romantic seclusion this house originally had, looking southward over the then growing City of Allegheny from a vantage point of 400 feet up.
Instead of giving her home via bequest, owner Judith K Harvey granted a facade easemnt to the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation (Landmarks), then made a retained life estate gift. Her resulting charitable deduction permitted her to offset the income tax owed on assets rolled over from a traditonal IRA to a Roth IRA. Her planning preserved a landmark and enabled her to do it during her lifetime.
A Home With a Past Becomes a Present
In 1992, Judith Harvey fell in love with a dilapidated historic landmark that would eventually become her home.
After years of restoration, she turned Heathside Cottage into a showplace with the intention of preserving the 1855 Gothic Revival Cottage for the enjoyment of future generations.
To accomplish that goal, in 2000, she placed a façade easement on her National Register listed home then gave it to the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation while retaining the right to live there for the rest of her life.
-
Landmarks Completes Preservation of Hidden Valley Farm
We recently announced a rural preservation program and acquisition of Hidden Valley farm located in the Mars-Gibsonia area of the county by purchase from a charitable remainder trust established by Lucille Tooke to benefit Landmarks.
Recently, we completed the sale of the property to a private owner after he agreed to place protective easements on both the 1835 brick farmhouse and the 64 acres of beautiful western Pennsylvania hillside farm.
The buyer plans to restore the front porch and rebuild a barn similar to the original that was destroyed by a fire more than a decade ago.
The area is rapidly developing both residentially and commercially. The Treesdale Farms development is nearby as is sprawling Cranberry Township.
The proceeds of the sale will be allocated to further historic farm preservation. We are now trying to raise considerable funds to enlarge this program so that we can acquire other historic farms in Allegheny County.
