Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation 450 The Landmarks Building One Station Square Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Published for the members of the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation Number 99 Fall 1986 o Preservation Scene o Events Review & Preview o History & Landmarks: Resources for Education Residential and Industrial Architecture Focus of Survey It is strange how conspicuous øn entity can be in local history or culture, yet how little studied. Some such entities were perhaps too dauntingly vast to ad- mít easily of comprehensive treatment. Whøt could be a more obvious subject than the steel industry in Southwestern Pennsylvania, with all that its presence and its development brought into be- ing? Here is one of the very greatest facts of our local existencq yet how lit- tle literature there is! On the other hand there is that modest yet legendary fust End architect Frederick G. Scheiblef Jr. His quiet ørchitecture,- cherßhed and enjoyed by afew lucky home-owners and tenants, has never been studied with any thoroughness though hß name is well known. In the next yeør, how- eve4 much will be done to remedy the deJiciencies in our knowledge. l,andmarks recently received a $12,000 matching grant from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Bu- reau for Historic Preservation, utilizing grant-in-aid funds from the National Park Servicg U.S. Department of Interior, to fund the Pittsburgh Region Thematic Sur- endangered. The lilorks of Frederick G. Aboue: Parâstone Duellings, 6937 vey Project. This 1986-87 project is Scheiblen comprehensive survey "Þ. will rec- Penn Auenue, Point Breez'e.'Tiese designed to expand upon the work of the ord and document all foar identified Scheibler- housing anit¡ uere fusigned Scbei- Allegheny County Survey, conducted by fu designed properties in the region. bler in 1922. Persinn rags initøted in landmarks between 1979 and 1984, by spe- tile seem to høng from uþper þorclt cially focusing on two thematic groups of Steel Industry Sites of pøroþets. historic resources. Southwestern Pennsylvania Works of The Steel Industry Sites of Southwestern Izft: Old Heidelbers, South BraddocÃ, Pennsylvania thematic group potentially and II/øterly Street,Þoint Breeze. Thi¡ trhederick G. Scheibler, Jr. encompasses a wide range of historic is one of Sclteibler's best-A,nown ønd lørgest uorÞs, and one The Works of Frederick G. Scheibler, Jn resources associated with the steel industry that ìl/astrøtes botÌt his rationølisrn and bis loue thematic group encompasses resources as it developed and flourished in the Pitts- of føntasy. Tlte aþartmznt baildins uøs designed by Pittsburgh architect Frederick burgh region between circa 1845 and circa designed in 1906 uiîl) ødditioni in G. Scheible¡ Jr. between circa 1898 and cir- 1945. This survey is designed to measure the 1908, ca 1948. Scheibler was Pennsylvania's most steel industry's pervasive physical impact important proto-Modern architect and has on Southwestern Pennsylvania through Be/ou':Jones & Iøughlin, c. 1960. been ranked in national importance with historic resources such as steel production architects such as Wilson Eyre of Philadel- furnaces and mills, steel fabrication plants, phia and George Maher of Chicago. Schei- beehive coke ovens and by-product coke bler was one of very few American ar- works, transportation facilities including chitects to be influenced by progressive corporately owned railroads and hot-metal turn-of-the-century European architects bridges, related industry such as machinery such as Carl Maria Olbrich of Austria, C. companies, corporate office buildings, un- F, A. Voysey of England, and Charles Ren- ion halls, company-built housing for work- nie Mackintosh of Scotland. His work ers and executives, the mansions, real-estate reflects principles of both the Viennese speculations, and philanthropies of the in- Secession and the English Arts and Crafts dustrialists, and so on. Movement, while asserting its own distinct Only a limited number of the sites in Al- Early Modern character. It ranges from the legheny, Beaver, Fayettq Washington, and romantic - utilizing unusual massing and Westmoreland Counties have been included decorative tile and art glass, to the rational in countywide surveys, and no systematic - displaying planar surfaces and exposed attempt has been made to record and inter- I-beams. pret the scopq interrelationships, and com- Despite his awareness of distant progres- parative significance ofthese resources. Yet sive trends, Scheibler was very much a many of the sites are presently endangered. regional architect. Of 8l known extant The Steel Industry Sites of Southwestern works, 79 are located in Southwestern Pennsy lvania reconnaissance survey will Pennsylvania: 75 are in Allegheny County broadly explore the physical impact of the and the remainder are in Greeng Washing- steel industry in this region; analyze types ton, and Westmoreland Counties. Schei- of steel industry-related resources; identify, bler's architecture can thus be comprehen- map, and in some cases record specific sively studied in a regional context. Some sites; and provide a framework for evalua- Scheibler designs were included in the Al- tion and future study. legheny County Survey, and two (the Old The Pittsburgh Region Thematic Survey Heidelberg and Highland Towers apart- Project provides a unique opportunity for ment buildings) have so far been listed on the study of two groups of resources of the National Register of Historic Places. great regional importance and substantial But a focused thematic survey is necessary state and national significance. We will be to record the scope of Scheibler's output reporting the results of these survey and to promote the preservation of these projects in forthcoming issues of PHLF unique resources, a number of which are News. I Page2 PI{LF News Fall 1986 lT/e/corne New Members StøffProfile; EarI James Mernbers Contribufe Allegheny North Side Development, Inc. Arthur J. Kerr Earl James joined Landmarks on August 4 Antiochian Village Mrs. David S. Ketchum The Preservation Fund as Director of Programs and Preservation William H. Artzberger C. Benjamin Lamp, III We are pleased to Ms. Maryanne Barnes John lænzner Services. His duties are manifold: adminis- acknowledge the following Thomas E. Beaty Ms. M.A. MacDonald trative assistance to Louise King Ferguson, members who recently contributed to the Mr. & Mrs. Rich Brean & Family Miss Marcia Maley our executive director; and execution of re- Preservation Fund, a unique restoration re- Carlow Campus School James D. Merritt search projects such as those on the local source operated by Landmarks. Ms. Maureen M. Cherry Raymond H. Moore steel industry and the work of Frederick G. Mrs. James A. Bell John T. Concilus Mrs. Rose M. Moore Scheibler, Jr. Miss Elizabeth R. Bradley Ronald Conti John Anthony Morasca Mr. & Mrs. James Dalrymple Lawrence E. Nalley Mr. James, who has degrees from the Dr. Tapan D. Datta Ms. Joann L. Davic Ms. Julia Nicholson University of Arkansas and George Robert L. Spear Ms. Marjory C. Dilmore Dan Petkovich Washington University, has 16 years of ex- Mrs. Donald Thompson, Jr. Ms. Gloria Elbling Ms. Rebecca C. Rodriguez perience in museum work, much of it with Since our first appeal to our members in Ms. Kristen Farland Ms. Kimberly Rubash the National Trust for Historic Preserva- February, 66 people have contributed to the Michael Fisher Ms. Christina Schessler tion. He has been fund and close to $7,000 has been raised. Mr. & Mr.s. Donald E. Fledderjohn Mel Seidenberg the director of the Trust's & Family Ms. M. Christine Sichelstiel Decatur House and Woodrow Wilson Ms. Nancy A. Funtal Chris Magee Steel, II House Museums in rùy'ashington, and of Ms. Marlene Goucher Joel B. Strause Woodlawn Plantation in Mount Vernon, Historic Proþerty News Ms. Elizabeth D. Grevlich Bill Sweet Virginia. He has supervised numerous re- Ms. Mary Guzowski Ms. Win Sweet The Neville House Mr. & Mrs. Irving Half search projects, organized exhibits, written David J. Vater Join members of the Neville House Aux- Ms. Margaret W. Hendrix Ms. Donna Wegner successful grant proposals, and in general iliary a Dr. Frances M. Holland Mr. & Mrs. Charles J. Whitford has had a broad experience in the field of on fund-raising excursion to the A.M. Hornak Wilbert Young museum and preservation work. In 1976, in Baldwin-Reynolds House Museum in Mrs. J.G. Hunter Ms. Barbara Zuzin addition, he became the founding board Meadville on Thursday, October 16. The chairman of the Museum of the City of Baldwin-Reynolds House, now a National Washington, and has served as its interim Register property, was built in l8l3 as a Volunteer Profi/e: director. retirement home for U.S. Supreme Court He is going to be a very useful member Justice Henry Baldwin. At 9 a.m., the tour Carol King of our administrative staff. On the personal bus will depart from the Neville House, lo- sidg it is interesting to note cated on Washington Pike in Collier Town- When Carol King's daughter, Louise that Mr. James comes to Pittsburgh as a matter of deliber- ship. A tax-deductible contribution of $20 King Ferguson, accepted the position ate choice; previous acquaintance per person will cover the cost of transporta- of director of education and public with our city convinced him a good tion, lunch, and admission. Proceeds from affairs with Pittsburgh History & that it would be place to live and raise a family, and it was a the event will benefit the continuing resto- Landmarks Foundation in 1981, Car- matter of good fortune that he found a job ration of the Neville Housg built in 1785 ol found too few opportunities to see so suited to his skills. He and his family will and now designated a National Historic her daughter. Never to be left behind, be living in a wonderful Landmark. For reservations, please call Carol joined Landmarks' first train- Queen Anne house in Carrick.