I learned about the Gardener-Bailey house from this photo from Cam Miller (@CatLadyCam) on Instagram. Built in 1864, this building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. Does anyone know the history of this grand old Victorian home?
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.
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.
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:
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.
Detail of portico of Wilkinsburg Train Station, October 2016.
Wilkinsburg Train Station, October 2016.
Wilkinsburg Train Station, October 2016.
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
The house is located just a few blocks away from the Beaver River.
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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
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 CommonsDocent 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.
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)
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.
Address: 914 8th Ave, Beaver Falls, PA 15010
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)
This Saturday, the Rachel Carson Homestead will host a birthday celebration.
