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ABSTRACT Title of dissertation: MISTER ROGERS’ NEIGHBORHOOD GOES UPSCALE: REDEVELOPMENT AS NEIGHBORHOOD CLEANSING A Study of Courtyard Housing in the Pittsburgh Neighborhood of Squirrel Hill and Gentrification- Induced Displacement Ruth O. Bergman, Doctor of Philosophy, 2011 Dissertation directed by: Professor Mary Corbin Sies Department of American Studies University of Maryland Despite an abundance of literature on gentrification that has been published over the past several decades, little attention has been focused on the fate of displacees once they have migrated away from their neighborhoods of origin. This study covers new ground by tracking displacees to their new sites of habitation and applying ethnographic methodologies to collect displacement narratives spanning a decade— from forced relocation to resettlement and beyond. I argue that, notwithstanding the “trauma” of eviction, outmovers were able to tap into their own personal as well as their collective sense of place-identity in order to better negotiate the relocation process, proving to be far more resilient than might otherwise have been anticipated. Furthermore I suggest that the informants, all former residents of a cluster of courtyard enclaves in the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Squirrel Hill, were empowered in their displacement journeys by the everyday practices of collaborative living that they experienced as participants in a highly articulated socio-spatial system that I have called “court-ordered living.” Finally, this dissertation argues that the discourses surrounding gentrification-induced displacement be reflected upon from the vantage point of hindsight, providing new insights into the intersection of historic preservation, property rights, neoliberal governance, affordable housing, and what constitutes “a beautiful neighborhood” from the perspective of competing stakeholders across time and place. Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood Goes Upscale: Redevelopment as Neighborhood Cleansing A Study of Courtyard Housing in the Pittsburgh Neighborhood of Squirrel Hill and Gentrification-Induced Displacement by Ruth O. Bergman Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Maryland, College Park in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2011 Advisory Committee: Professor Mary Corbin Sies, Chair Professor John L. Caughey Professor Isabelle Gournay Professor Angel David Nieves Professor Nancy L. Struna Professor Brooke Wortham-Galvin Copyright by Ruth O. Bergman 2011 To my husband Sam Bergman and community activist Sharyn Frederick also In memory of my recently departed siblings, Sam Flesher and Annabel Lindy ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank the many people hailing from Pittsburgh who contributed to this dissertation, especially the displacees from Squirrel Hill’s courtyard complexes who not only graciously shared their displacement narratives with me, but were most generous with their time and encouragement. An abundance of thanks goes to my untiring spouse, Sam Bergman, who served not only as my technical adviser but my number one muse. I’d most especially like to acknowledge my dissertation chair, Professor Mary Corbin Sies, who expanded my vision of the research agenda and challenged me to be my very best. Her amazing breadth of knowledge and unwavering commitment as an educator have served me well throughout my graduate studies. I am also indebted to Professor John L. Caughey who introduced me to the magic of ethnography as a window into the worlds of others. Additionally, I would like to recognize all of my committee members, Professor Isabelle Gournay. Professor Angel David Nieves, Professor Nancy L. Struna, and Professor Brooke Wortham-Galvin, for their very thoughtful feedback during the proposal phase and their active participation in my dissertation defense. Lastly, I am eternally grateful to my dear friends and family members who refused to allow me to abandon ship despite some very stormy seas. iii Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..................................................................................... III LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ................................................................................... VI OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................ 1 INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................... 10 REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ......................................................................... 10 Courtyard Housing ............................................................................................. 11 Environmental Psychology ................................................................................. 15 Gentrification ...................................................................................................... 19 CONTEXT STUDY ................................................................................................ 26 The Economic Landscape of Pittsburgh ............................................................. 26 Squirrel Hill’s Cultural Landscape .................................................................... 30 Redefining Class: The Alternatively-Minded Class ............................................ 37 Renaming Gentrification Terminology: Revalorization ..................................... 39 The History Of Multi-Family Housing in the East End ...................................... 40 THE CASE STUDY SITES C. 1998-2000 .............................................................. 51 Hamilton Cottages/Beacon Gardens .................................................................. 51 Forbes Terrace .................................................................................................... 64 Forbes Cottages .................................................................................................. 68 Wightman Place .................................................................................................. 70 METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................. 72 Research Methodology ........................................................................................ 72 Ruth Bergman’s Home History ........................................................................... 78 PART 1: BEACON GARDENS ............................................................................... 81 CHAPTER ONE: WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR ...................................................... 81 “That Nestled Feeling” ....................................................................................... 81 “No Dirty Looks!” ............................................................................................ 110 CHAPTER TWO: WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THE MAD THAT YOU FEEL.................. 121 “It’s Hard To Be So Powerless” ...................................................................... 122 “It Could Have Been Historic” ........................................................................ 154 “It Was Just Kind of Shocking” ........................................................................ 178 CHAPTER THREE: HELLO, YOU’RE WELCOME HERE ............................................. 194 “Two Degrees of Separation” .......................................................................... 194 iv PART 2: FORBES TERRACE .............................................................................. 206 CHAPTER FOUR: A PLACE OF OUR OWN ................................................................ 206 “The Crown Jewels” ......................................................................................... 206 “I Just Liked The Whole Feeling Up There” .................................................... 209 “It Was An Uphill Battle” ................................................................................. 232 “The Writing Was on the Wall” ........................................................................ 252 PART 3: POST DISPLACEMENT ....................................................................... 263 CHAPTER FIVE: I’M STILL MYSELF INSIDE ............................................................ 263 “Making Something Tangible Out of Nostalgia” ............................................. 263 “There Goes Another Property” ...................................................................... 288 PART 4: POSTSCRIPT ......................................................................................... 311 CHAPTER SIX: NO ONE CAN EVER TAKE YOUR PLACE ......................................... 311 “I Seriously Doubt They Have What We Had” ................................................ 311 CONCLUSION: ...................................................................................................... 333 CHAPTER SEVEN .................................................................................................... 333 “What Would Mr. McFeely Say?” .................................................................... 333 APPENDIX A: LIST OF KEY INFORMANTS .................................................. 342 APPENDIX B: GLOSSARY ................................................................................. 344 APPENDIX C: BIO OF FREDERICK SCHEIBLER ....................................... 347 APPENDIX D: HISTORIC PRESERVATION IN PITTSBURGH ................. 349 APPENDIX E: MODEL ALLIANCES ..............................................................

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