SPECIAL TOUR: HISTORIC THORNBURG
July 19 @ 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
$25.00
Saturday, July 19
10:00 a.m. – Noon
$25 per person
This tour is limited to 20 participants.
Purchase a ticket below. Tickets will not be available after 11:30 p.m. on July 18.
Rising on a bluff above the valley carved by the Chartiers Creek, the Borough of Thornburg is a little piece of Southern California southwest of Pittsburgh. The planned suburb was created in 1899 by Frank Thornburg and his cousin David on land that had been in the family since 1806. Early houses built here were in the Queen Anne Style. By 1904, however, the Pittsburgh Gazette celebrated the “model and aristocratic suburb” for its “most unique collection of houses near Pittsburgh.”
The variety of historical residential styles would soon be augmented by homes inspired by Frank Thornburg’s personal passion: the contemporary Mission- and Craftsman-style houses he saw and studied during travels in Los Angeles and vicinity. With a willing accomplice in his cousin, architect Samuel McClarren, Thornburg would create an enclave that still retains its architectural and natural integrity and that continues to delight with its touch of SoCal style. Our tour will be led by the borough’s historian.
Tour meeting point: Thornburg Community Center, 545 Hamilton Road, Thornburg, PA 15205
Tour ending point: Thornburg Community Center
Please arrive 15 minutes before start time in order to ensure that the tour gets underway on time.
Accessibility: Thornburg is located on very hilly terrain. This tour might be a challenge for people who use wheelchairs or other mobility aids.
