Category Archives: Historic Preservation

Help Kick-start the Redevelopment of the Westinghouse Castle

Westinghouse Castle

Built in 1890, the Westinghouse Castle was designed by Frederick J. Osterling. Osterling is well known for his work around Pittsburgh. The most prominent Osterling building is probably the Union Trust Building. The Westinghouse Castle, was never actually a castle or a residence. This building served as an office building for the Westinghouse Air Brake Company.  From 2006 until 2013, the Westinghouse Castle was used as a museum and could be rented for events. John Graf, who runs the Priory Hospitality group, purchased the Westinghouse Castle last summer.  The Priory Hospitality group plans to redevelop the castle as a boutique hotel.

Kickstarter for the Westinghouse Castle

To kickoff the redevelopment of the Westinghouse Castle John Graf has launched a Kickstarter to raise the first $150,000 of the project. Watch the video and check out the Kickstarter page for the Westinghouse Castle to learn more about redevelopment plans for the hotel and the economic benefits that they hotel is projected to bring to the community.

With the Graf’s experience in remodeling and running hotels and event facilities in historic buildings, this has the potential to transform Wilmerding into a destination just outside of Pittsburgh.

A brief history of the Westinghouse Castle

  • 1890 – Westinghouse Castle was built by Frederic Osterling
  • 1914 – George Westinghouse dies
  • 1985 – Castle is donated to an organization that turns it into a conference center (via New York Times)
  • 2006 – Wilmerding Renewed buys the Westinghouse Castle from APICS Educational and Research Foundation for $750,000
  • 2013 – Tours end at Westinghouse Castle
  • 2016 – John Graf purchases the property at sheriff’s sale for $100,000

For more on the history of the Westinghouse Castle, visit The George Westinghouse Legacy Facebook page.

A 13 Mile Drive from Downtown Pittsburgh

Wilmerding is just about 20 miles east of Downtown Pittsburgh. Without traffic, that is about a 30 minute drive.

Gus Millers Forbes Ave Oakland Pittsburgh

The Just Right Tailors, Gus Miller’s Newstand and The Green Weenie

Gus Millers Forbes Ave Oakland Pittsburgh

I posted a photo of this postcard on Instagram earlier this year and asked for some more information about just what “The Just Right” was back in the day. I knew this building had a long history as Gus Miller’s newsstand but I didn’t know what else was in the building. I liked the horse shoe on the top and “The Just Right” seems like a great name for a band or a podcast or the title of an essay for the New Yorker (the essay would of course be about someone who moved to Pittsburgh and found the city to be the just right place to be). For some reason I thought “The Just Right” might be a name for a brothel or other “interesting establishment.” There is a building on the Boulevard of the Allies,  where the restaurant Papa J’s was located, that was a brothel, so it is not out of the realm of possibility. Before I had t-shirts printed for my future rock band “The Just Right” I wanted to make sure I knew just what “The Just Right” building housed back in the day.

Thanks to Darren Toth aka @Yinztergram on Instagram and Twitter, who left a comment on my photow with a detailed and colorful history of this corner shop in Oakland.

The building upstairs served as the Oakland Board of Trade, i.e. the local businessman’s organization around the turn of the 20th Century. In 1904 a guy named Edwin Edwards opened up a tobacco shop on the corner, and next door at 3803 was a Tailor Shop, which changed hand a few times before it became known as, “The Just Right Tailoring and Cleaning Company” under an owner named Goldberg. Gus Miller took over the corner shop sometime between 1910 and 1911, and ran the shop pretty much as it was until he retired in 1967, passing the business on to his daughter, Myrtle Mae Miller, who retired in 1985, and died shortly thereafter in 1987. Myrtle was the woman behind the idea of “The Green Weenie“, a sort of precursor to, “The Terrible Towel”, popularized by sports commentator, Bob Prince. It was a green plastic hot dog shaped rattle that was used by Pirate fans in the 1960s at Forbes Field to jinx the other team. Not sure how waving wieners would fly today, but I imagine if you could find an original green weenie in good shape, you could make a few bucs on it…get it? “Bucs”? Eh, anyway, hope that clears it up a bit.

Gus Miller’s 1950s

From the Historic Society of Western Pennsylvania, here is a photo of the same building in the 1950s.

The caption notes that the Pitt Towers dorms were under construction. According to Wikipedia, the towers were completed in 1963, so this photo is probably early 1960s.

Gus Millers

The Green Weenie

Photo credit: The Terrible Blogger.

You can read a whole lot more about the Green Weenie over on The Terrible Blogger. In case you were wondering, the original 1966 Green Wennies are selling for $20-25 on ebay.

Corner of Forbes and Oakland Today

Using the Google Street view history, it looks like the awnings were removed from the building in July 2014.

This post is part of our series on historic Pittsburgh buildings for preservation month. You might be interested in reading about some of the other historic buildings that are located in Oakland:

Wilkinsburg Train Station

41 Years After The Last Train Stopped in Wilkinsburg, Restoration Begins on the Wilkinsburg Train Station

Interior of the Anaheim Train Station.

This month long journey of historic Pittsburgh places is moving right along from planes (see yesterday’s post about the art deco style of the Allegheny County Airport) to trains. I am writing this post while riding Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner in from Anaheim to just north of Los Angeles to meet a friend for dinner. I just sent a photo of the Anaheim Train Station to a friend and commented on how this transit hub really creates a great public space.

This was my first visit to the Anaheim Train Station, which is know as ARTIC, (Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center). ARTIC opened in 2014 and is just a block from the Angels stadium and the Honda Center, which is where the Anaheim Ducks hockey team plays.  ARTIC is also close to both Disneyland and the Anaheim Convention Center.

The Wilkinsburg train station, which no longer sits next to train tracks, but it conveniently located right next to the busway, is being restored and this building has the potential to be a great public space for connecting Pittsburgh and Wilkinsburg.

Rendering of proposed renovations to the Wilkinsburg Train Station.

41 years after the last train made a stop in Wilkinsburg

This is one of those projects that has been chugging along for quite some time and is just now picking up steam. The train station has not been used for train passengers since 1975. I would imagine that if it was possible to get on the train in Wilkinsburg today, it would be a popular stop. It is interesting to see how our transportation habits have changed overtime.

According to a 2007 Tribune Review article, the first studies on repurposing the train station were done in 2004. Last year, the Wilkinsburg CDC has officially kicked off the fundraising for the restoration. After recieving a $1,000,000 grant from the Robert King Mellon Foundation, the Wilkinsburg CDC is working to raise the rest of the $3,000,000 for the renovation from private donations.

The total projected cost for renovating the Wilkinsburg train station building is $3,000,000. The Richard King Mellon Foundation donated the first $1 million and the Wilkinsburg CDC is looking to raise the rest of the money from individuals and other private foundations. Several fundraising events have already been held and I am sure there will be more opportunities to support this project.

Timeline of Train Service to Wilkinsburg & History of Wilkinsburg Train Stations

It was the arrival of the train to Wilkinsburg that led to the expansion of the area as a suburb to the City of Pittsburgh. For more post cards of the current and previous Wilkinsburg train stations visit this page on the Wilkinsburg Historical Society website. For more photos and newsclippings about the Wilkinsburg train station, see the album, “A History of Wilkinsburg Station,” on the Wilkinsburg Train Station Facebook page.

Wilkinsburg Train Station

Postmarked 10/13/1917. Credit Wilkinsburg Historical Society Website.

  • 1851 – The Pennsylvania Railroad comes through the village of Wilkinsburg.
  • 1860 – First Wilkinsburg train station was built. (More information on early history of Wilkinsburg is available on the borough website.)
  • 1916 – Wilkinsburg Train Station opens in current location, two previous stations had been located a few blocks away. This station serviced trains on the Pennsylvania Railroad.
  • 1963 – East Liberty train station was demolished, Wilkinsburg train station was used as a stop for both East Liberty and Wilkinsburg.
  • 1967 – Building was sold to borough of Wilkinsburg
  • 1968 – Pennsylvania Railroad merged with Penn Central Transportation Company

  • Clock on the wall of the Wilkinsburg Train Station. Interior photos from the Wilkinsburg Train Station Facebook page.

    1971 – Amtrak took over the passenger service. 3 of the 4 passenger train routes that made stops in Wilkinsburg were discontinued.

  • 1975 – Amtrak discontinued the stop, only 128 people had used the stop in the first 6 months of the year.
  • 1981 – The Parkway Limited train provided brief service to Wilkinsburg, but did not use the train station building.
  • 1985 – The Wilkinsburg Train Station is added to the National Register of Historic Places.
  • 2016 – October 5, 2016 – Wilkinsburg CDC hosts public kickoff event for train station restoration project.

The Wilkinsburg Train Station Restoration Project


More information on the WIlkinsburg Train Station and Wilkinsburg history is available here:

 

Moltrup Steel Mansion

Buy the Moltrup Steel Mansion in Beaver Falls for $80,500

Update 1/18/2018: Open house on Saturday, January 20, 2018.
Update 9/25/2017: Price Drop. The Moltrup Steel Mansion in Beaver Falls Reduced to $62,500

Today’s post for preservation month was shared by Jonathan Denson on his Facebook Page Discovering Historic Pittsburgh. If you are interested in historic buildings, the Discovering Historic Pittsburgh Facebook page should be on your radar. Check out some of his recent posts on homes in Titusville and McKeesport.

Jonathan shared a link to the post about the Moltrup Steel Mansion on the blog Circa, which is an entire blog about old homes all across the country. I could spend all afternoon browsing through the houses on here.

 

History of the Moltrup Steel Mansion & Moltrup Steel

This house was also featured on the Old House Dreams website and there are lots of comments with more history of this house. Here is what I have pieced together about the history of the house and of the Moltrup Steel Company. I was surprised that there is not much information about Molthup Steel on the internet.

  • 1914 – House was built with a steel frame
  • 1924 – Stephen Moltrup dies, his wife Ellen stayed in the house with her daughter Helen
  • 1964 – Helen Moltrup Townsend bought the house from her mother for $5,256
  • 1989 –  Moltrup Steel plants sold to Fort Pitt Acquisition Inc
  • 1999 – Helen Moltrup Townsend’s son, Stpehen Townsend, sold the house for $122,000
  • 2001 – The house was sold for $129,000
  • 2004 – The house was sold to Shane Bowser for $144,000
  • 2002 – Moltrup Steel plant shut down
  • 2007 – Moltrup Steel plant demolished

Fire & water damage, but woodwork, marble & stained glass still intact

While the house definitely needs a restoration, the woodwork and marble are still in place. The house has 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and a 3 car garage.

There is a unique stained glass window in the photos, I have already emailed the stained glass experts at Preservation Pittsburgh to see what they know about this window.

From a comment on the Circa Facebook page:

I was in this house today and it is magnificent! Full disclosure there have been 3 fires in the house and it has severe water damage. Repair estimates are at least $150k-250k. It is a concrete and steel frame but water has wreaked havoc. Still, the woodwork, staircases, and stained glass are in incredible shape.

More photos of the house are available on the listing and on the Old House Dreams blog.

The Google street view image of the house is dated August 2011 and it looks like the house was lived in at the time, or at least decorated with flags for the holiday.

Beaver Falls Mansion Google Street View

The house is located just a few blocks away from the Beaver River.

Moltrup Steel Mansion Listing

Address: 914 8th Ave, Beaver Falls, PA 15010

Listing Agent: Melissa Hill, Northwood Realty

Asking Price: $89,500

Visit the listing on Northwood for a virtual tour of the house.

 

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Rachel Carson’s Homesteads and her 110th Birthday Celebration

English: Pittsburgh Ninth Street Bridge, now R...

English: Pittsburgh Ninth Street Bridge, now Rachel Carson Bridge as seen from the top of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you have crossed the river from downtown to the Northside you probably know the name Rachel Carson because you have crossed the Rachel Carson Bridge.  The Rachel Carson Bridge is one of the Three Sister’s bridges, the other two bridges are named for Roberto Clemente and Andy Warhol. If you are not familiar with her work, this should give you a clue that Rachel Carson is an important Pittsburgher.

Rachel Carson was born in Springdale, just up the Allegheny river from Pittsburgh and her work as a scientist and conservationist continues to have a huge impact around the world today. She is In 1962, Carson published the book “Silent Spring” that launched the environmental movement and eventually led to a ban on DDT. Carson’s book was the catalyst for the environmental movement which led to the creation of the EPA.

There are two historic buildings that served as homes for Rachel Carson that can be visited today:

  • Birthplace – The Rachel Carson Homestead in Springdale, PA is where Carson was born. The house still exists today and is open for tours, educational events and this weekend will host a birthday celebration in honor of Carson’s 110th birthday.
  • Residence – The other Rachel Carson homestead is in Colesville, Maryland. This house in Maryland is where wrote “Silent Spring.” Ryan Morden visited the house in Colesville a few years ago and wrote a post, A Visit to Rachel Carson’s Other House,  about this house which was named a National Historic Landmark in 1991.

Rachel Carson Homestead, 613 Marion Ave, Springdale

Timeline of the Rachel Carson Homestead

  • 1901 – Carson family moves into home in Springdale
  • 1907 – Rachel Carson is born
  • 1929 – Rachel Carson graduates from Pennsylvania College for Women, now known as Chatham University
  • 1962 – Silent Spring is published
  • 1964 – Rachel Carson dies of a heart attack at her home in Maryland
  • 1975 – Rachel Carson Homestead Association is established
  • 1976 – Rachel Carson Homestead added to the National Register of Historic Places

More on the Rachel Carson Homestead

AUDIO POSTCARD: TURNING BACK TIME ON RACHEL CARSON’S CHILDHOOD HOME

Visit the Rachel Carson Homestead in Springdale, PA

By ccbarr (Flickr) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Docent led tours of the Rachel Carson Homestead are available on Saturdays from April 22, 2017 through November 2017.

  • Hours: Homestead is open 10:30am-1:30pm, tours starts on the hour at 11am, noon & 1pm.
  • Cost: A minimum donation of $10 is requested for each adult, $3 for children.
  • Website: rachelcarsonhomestead.org
  • Social Media: Facebook Page,

Tours are also available by appointment, email Info@RachelCarsonHomestead.org for details.

Special Events at the Rachel Carson Homestead

The Rachel Carson Homestead hosts a number of special events throughout the year, especially during the summer. In fact, my first visit to the Rachel Carson Homestead was for a welcome home party and lecture from Mark Dixon and the filmmakers, who spent a year traveling to all 50 states to make a documentary, YERT – Your Environmental Road Trip. The documentary is about how people are embracing sustainability. (I wrote a blog post about their homecoming back in 2008 , You Can See a Year of Garbage at the YERT Homecoming. Yes, they carried all of the trash from the entire trip with them)

Follow the Rachel Carson Homestead Association on Facebook to learn about upcoming events.

Saturday, May 27 – Rachel Carson 110th Birthday Celebration

Rachel Carson HomesteadThis Saturday, the Rachel Carson Homestead will host a birthday celebration.

  • Saturday, May 27, 2017
  • Noon-5pm
  • Music by Earth Mama, cake, raffles,
  • Free (please rsvp by sending an email to info@RachelCarsonHomestead.org)
  • Facebook Event

More information on the birthday celebration and the involvement of Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation is available here.