Schenley Farms: A "Residential Utopia" in Oakland
$20.00
In 1903, Cleveland-born businessman Franklin Felix Nicola, who had moved to Pittsburgh in the mid-1890s, bought the last parcels of Oakland land left by heiress Mary Schenley on her death that year. Part of what he planned for this land was an enclave of high-quality residences; by 1906, he hired several well-regarded local architects to design model houses in various architectural styles. Over the following 15 years, Nicola constructed 96 houses on the flat portion of the site, subject to design guidelines and incorporating innovative features like underground electrical and telephone lines. (Another 39 houses were built on the terrace of land rising from the flat section.) This tour will visit the lower, gridded part of Schenley Farms, which, to this day, rewards pedestrians with multiple charms. Refreshments follow at the home of a Schenley Farms resident.
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