Since 1973, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has used the month of May to celebrate historic preservation opportunities across the country. In honor of Preservation Month, I wanted to share some of the historic buildings that we have covered here on IheartPGH.
Let’s start with the second oldest house in Pittsburgh – the John Woods House in Hazelwood. I first learned about the John Woods House in 2015. This house, located just down the street from the historic Carnegie Library building, was one of the stops on the Has Urban Hike through Hazelwood.
I believe the Fort Pitt Blockhouse is the oldest residential structure in the City of Pittsburgh, it was built in 1764, and became a residence in 1785. The John Woods house was built in 1792, which would make it the 2nd oldest house in the city. The John Woods house was added given historic designation in the City of Pittsburgh in 1977.
The property is still listed on the URA website and it does not looks like anything has changed with the status of the property in the past 2 years.
If you are interested in learning more about the John Woods House, these websites provide lots of information about the history of the building and John Woods:
- IheartPGH – The Oldest House in Pittsburgh is for Sale, June, 2015
- Living Places – John Woods House
- Wikipedia – John Woods House
- Father Pitt – You Can Buy the Most Significant House in Pittsburgh, August 2015 – this post has better photos of the John Woods House.
How would you redevelop the John Woods House?
What should the future of the John Woods house look like? The property is in Hazelwood, close to the new ALMONO development site and just a block off the main road. My first thought is that this would make a unique stopping point for cyclists who are riding the GAP trail into Pittsburgh. Maybe it could be a coffee shop with rooms that cyclists could rent if they wanted to spend the night? Maybe it could be a restaurant? There is some precedent for historic lodging in Western Pennsylvania. The Century Inn, located in Washington County, has been a stop for travelers since it first opened in 1788 and it still a bed and breakfast today. What would you like to see in the John Woods House in the future?
Are there other historic buildings that you would like to see featured for Preservation Month? Leave a comment below or post a tweet. #ThisPlaceMatters is the official hashtag from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
