Tag Archives: Manchester

Colonel James Anderson House

The Colonel James Anderson House & Victorian Tea Benefit

Colonel James Anderson House

Photo: Cara Halderman via Flickr creative commons

The Anderson House holds quite a bit of architectural and historical significance for Pittsburgh, the Manchester neighborhood, and any anyone who has ever borrowed a book from the library.

The building is architecturally significant, it was built in 1830 and is one of the oldest buildings in Manchester. This house is also one of the only remaining examples of Greek Revival style architecture in Pittsburgh. Another unusual feature to the Anderson House is the English basement, which is a fancy term for a garden apartment.

Architectural history aside, this building has a connection to a current community institution that can be found in neighborhoods across the country today. Colonel Anderson would lend books to a young Pittsburgh boys, including Andrew Carnegie.  It was Colonel Anderson’s book lending that inspired Andrew Carnegie to create public libraries.

From the Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie, 1920.

Colonel James Anderson–I bless his name as I write–announced that he would open his library of four hundred volumes to boys, so that any young man could take out, each Saturday afternoon, a book which could be exchanged for another on the succeeding Saturday.

A Brief History of the Colonel James Anderson House

There is not a lot of detailed history about this building on the internet, based on what I could find here is a found  timeline of the building and some key dates for both Colonel James Anderson and Andrew Carnegie:

  • 1812 – James Anderson serves in the War of 1812
  • 1830 – Anderson House is Built
  • 1835 – Andrew Carnegie is born
  • 1850s – Andrew Carnegie borrows books from Colonel James Anderson on Saturdays
  • 1881 – Building Owned by Women’s Christian Association (Allegheny County Real Estate Website)
  • 1904 – Colonel James Anderson Monument is dedicated. Monument was located at the corner of Federal & East Ohio Streets  (via Pittsburgh Art Places)
  • 1905 – Large addition is added to the house (via Post-Gazette)
  • 1919 – Andrew Carnegie dies.
  • 1960s – Anderson Monument was dismantled as part of Urban Redevelopment and creation of Allegheny Center.
  • 1984 – Pittsburgh History and Landmark’s recreated the Anderson Monument and installed the origional sculptures  (via Pittsburgh Art Places)
  • 1989 – Anderson House added to Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Historic Landmark’s list.
  • 1999 – Anderson House is included on the Manchester House Tour (via Post-Gazette)
  • 2003 – Family Hospice & Palliative Care used the building for personal care & hospice facility
  • 2014 – Family Hospice & Palliative Care listed the building for sale for $500,000
  • March 2016 – Manchester Historic Society acquires the Anderson House
  • August 2016 – Anderson House included on the Manchester House & Garden Tour (via Post-Gazette)

Photo Tour of the Anderson House

The following photo tour of the Colonel James Anderson House was published on the Post-Gazette website on July, 29, 2016. If the slide show does not load you can view the photos on the Post-Gazette website here.

Colonel James Anserson House Location

The Anderson House is located at 1423 Liverpool Street in the Manchester neighborhood of Pittsburgh.

Mother’s Day Tea to Benefit the Colonel James Anderson House

This Sunday, the Manchester Historic Society has planned a Mother’s Day tea which will be held at a historic mansion in the Manchester neighborhood.  Proceeds from the tea will be used in the restoration of the Anderson House. The tea is open to everyone, you don’t have to be a mom or bring your mom to attend, anyone who is interested in history is welcome for tea.

Tickets are $45 per person and there will be two seatings, 11am-1pm & 2pm-4pm.

Victorian Tea to Benefit Colonel James Anderson House Restoration
Sunday, May 14, 2017
11am or 2pm
Location: The tea will be held in a private mansion in Machester, exact address will be sent to ticket holders.
$45 per person, purchase tickets online here
Facebook Event

MLK Day: Bookshelf Building

I think this looks like a great project to do on Martin Luther King Junior Day. The folks from the Sierra Club are great and this is a great project that will be used all over the city.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day Bookshelf Building with the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club, along with 250 adults, youth and familes, will be building and designing bookshelves that commemoratre the Civil Rights Movement. These bookshelves, as well as multicultural books, will be donated to local schools Continue reading

Git Aht! – Things To Do This Weekend

(Things to do while trying to figure out how to get into Folino’s without proper ID…)

Friday, October 13
Scitech Spectacular, 5:30 p.m., Carnegie Science Center, North Shore Side

do_and_dont
Correct (left) and then, y’know… not so much.

“Ride a Freakin’ Segway!” is what this one boils down to. Oh, ok, those guys that did the Mentos/Diet Coke dancing Waters thing are gonna be there too this weekend, (I hope accompanied by a tape of Claire De Lune) but really, this is all about the opportunity to look as White & Nerdy as possible, captaining the device that was supposed to “change the way cities are built” around an obstacle course in the best possible time. If there aren’t prizes, there damn well should be. I dunno, pocket protectors or something… Gold-plated 20-sided dice maybe…

The Scitech Spectacular is full of cool things to do beyond the Segway, like the Rinspeed Senso, a car that ” senses the driver” and looks like the kind of thing you’d hop into to chase down people running away from Carousel. There’s a Hi-Tech (their spelling, not mine, some sort of marketing thing, I think) Sports and vehicles show, river education tours (Like, you get educated, not the river. The river was home-schooled and anyway, it don’t need your education, it don’t need your thought control), and all manner of other events, but allow me to reiterate: Ride A Freakin’ Segway. End of story.

Sound Bytes, 9:00 p.m., Wood Street Galleries, Dahntahn
kilmerWood Street Galleries continues it’s Sound Bytes series, a mixture of Art and Music with Natura Nasa, who are described as sounding like “something like a nightmare and a flying dream”. Gotcha, I dig it. I love flying dreams, personally. Hell, I just enjoy dreams. Like… Anyone else have that dream where you see yourself standing in sort of sun-god robes on a pyramid, with a thousand naked women screaming and throwing little pickles at you? No?

Saturday, October 14
St. Benedict The Moor/Epiphany Nationality Food Fest/Frankie Capri, 2:00 p.m., Uptahn
This weeks winner of the prestigious “Longest Item Title” award…

I received the following important communique from the Dishers

“The man, the myth, the legend, Frankie Capri is performing at the St. Benedict the Moor/Epiphany Food Fest this Saturday from 2-5. Heck, I thought he was dead. If you haven’t seen Frankie before, it’s a once in a lifetime experience.”

“Ethnic food and the complete and utter lunacy of Mr. Capri. What’s not to like?”

I couldn’t have said it better myself, which is probably why they’re what I like to call “writers” and I’m more of a scribbler. Or a typist with a gift for googling local events. Whichever. The Fest runs all weekend and also has a Tiki Lounge. One more thing, and I have saved the best for last: they will be serving free beer during the Steelers game on Sunday. Lemme say that again: FREE BEER. Do I have to draw you a drunken picture? ‘Cause if I do, it’ll be a charcoal rendering of Sienna Miller. In the style of Renoir, if you know what I mean. Yeah!

Speaking of which, Sienna, baby doll, you never wrote to me. What’s up wit dat? My sweet limey love muffin, you’re only in town for a couple more days, and we need to make the most of it. I can get you into Folinos, no problem. They know me there.

OUTrageous Bingo/Flaming Fall Frolic 6:30 p.m. and whenever, Goodwill, Sahsside, then The Sideways 8 Club, Shadyside
“Drinking For A Cause” makes a strong return this weekend with two events that serve as fundraisers for the Shepherd Wellness Community, a local AIDS outreach program. First on the fabulous docket is something called “OUTrageous Bingo”. Allow me to quote from the release: “A very VERY gay old time with a drag show at intermission.” I’m not sure about the booze level at this first one, since it’s at Goodwill, and I don’t think they’ve got a liquor license yet, but it’s located on the Sahsside, so it’s only a matter of time, really. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., games start at 7:30. $15 at the door. Tickets available in advance are $12 and can be purchased at:

  • A Pleasant Present
  • Banner Coin Exchange
  • Klavon’s Ice Cream
  • Tuscany Cafe

And after you’ve had your fill of giggling like Beavis and Butthead every time “O 69” gets pulled from the old ball bucket, (I went to one of those Sunday Night Catholic Church Bingo bashes once, and there was an older lady there who had New Years Eve noisemakers just for when O 69 was pulled), head on up to the Ol’ Sideways 8 Club, which is real life is called the 5801 Video Lounge on Ellsworth (formerly New York, New York just to fully confuse the issue) for the “Flaming Fall Frolic”, where you’ll enjoy $1 off all drinks, free appetizers and the piano stylings of Al Snyder.

Drink and Draw: Burlesque Style , 5:00p.m., Brillobox, Upper Larryville
sallyrandThis one will give me the chance to brush up on my charcoal rendering techniques in advance of my session with Sienna. Brillobox is hosting drop-in model sessions for artists beginning in October, and this is the first one. How it works is, you pay a fee to get in, bring your art supplies, and draw (or paint) the models that will be on hand to pose for you. This session’s theme is burlesque, drawing inspiration from the vaudeville queens and their outrageous costumes. Short description: two models, one in feathers, the other in satin and Lace. No photography or oils, dry mediums and water-based paints acceptable. If the one wearing feathers looks at all like Sally Rand, let me know so I can get up there and propose marriage immediately. Any further questions, call them at 412.621.4900.

(Thanks to Susan for sending this one in… )

Sunday, October 15
Gold Diggers of 1933, 8:00 p.m., Regent Square Theater, Regent Square (Duh.)
kanyeI ain’t sayin’ she a gold digger…

This is a film that was shot in the five year period between the advent of talkies and the enforcement of the Hays Code, so it’s something of a groundbreaker and historical oddity. Filled with sex, money, power, it’s the story of how far a good girl can go before she becomes a bad girl. (Short answer: The Firehouse on a Saturday Night)

The opening scene is chorus girls wearing giant gold coins. Sold.

Long Ago And Far Away, 8:00 p.m., Manchester Craftsmens Guild
ACFFA6Billed as “an original interactive performance created by Kim Nazarian of New York Voices”, Long Ago And Far Away doesn’t have anything to do with Star Wars, from what I can gather, but it still seems to be a good thing to do of a Sunday Evening, and the Steelers will be done by the time this starts. (Hell, they might be done done by the time this thing starts if the offense can’t get something going.)

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Got an event planned? Would you like a whole flock of yinzers with disposable income to show up? Let Git Aht know by sending the electronic mail to gitaht@gmail.com.