Protecting the Places that Make Pittsburgh Home Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation Nonprofit Org. 100 West Station Square Drive, Suite 450 U. S. Postage Pittsburgh, PA 15219-1134 PAID www.phlf.org Pittsburgh, PA Address Service Requested Permit No. 598 PPublishedH for the membersL of the FPittsburgh HistoryN & Landmarksews Foundation No. 171 October 2006 In this issue: The Landmarks Building 3 at Station Square (William Wilkinsburg “Before”: George Burns, architect, Landmarks, County, & Sarah 1901) houses the fourth- Scaife Foundation Provide floor offices of the Funds to Restore Four Houses Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation 7 and its recently-expanded Planned Giving Works: James D. Van Trump Library. Creative Gifts and Landmarks initiated the Two New Named Funds Station Square development in 1976, adapting five under- utilized railroad buildings for 16 new uses. In 1994, with its Shedding Light on Some historic preservation goals New Old Windows at the met, Landmarks sold the 52- Presbyterian Church, Sewickley acre Station Square site to Forest City Enterprises, Inc., 20 a Cleveland-based developer. 6 Free Events for Members: October & November 2006 The Preservation Nation Comes to Pittsburgh Walter C. Kidney Charles L. Rosenblum Memoir & Book of Toward the end of October, an influx of National Trust Conference comes Excerpts Published visitors will arrive in Pittsburgh, many an opportunity to amplify the The Pittsburgh History & Landmarks taking in the remarkable view from the fruitful interchange between Foundation is releasing two books, Fort Pitt Tunnels for the first time. And preservation practices at local and designed as companion publications, while they will doubtless appreciate the national levels. in conjunction with the National gleaming office towers, lavish stadiums, The scheduled speakers exem- Preservation Conference that begins and sweeping convention center amid plify this relationship. Pulitzer in Pittsburgh on October 31. “Our the stunning tableau of rivers and hills, Prize-winning historian David intention is to give the work of our they will invariably focus on other, McCullough will speak in the late architectural historian, Walter C. more nuanced features as well. The plenary session at the Benedum Kidney (1932–2005), the national Landmarks Building for example, is Center for the Performing Arts attention it deserves,” said president trickier to spot from the bridge, but on Wednesday, November 1 from Arthur Ziegler. for our visitors, it is a more prominent 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. His national Both books will be available for structure than, say, the Convention profile sometimes overshadows purchase from Landmarks’ booth in Center. They are, after all, coming for the fact that he was born and the Exhibit Hall at the Pittsburgh the annual conference of the National raised in Pittsburgh. On the other Hilton, open to the public November Trust for Historic Preservation. hand, William Strickland, another 1 through 3 (see page 20). Or, you The Landmarks Building, William plenary session speaker, is head can order copies from Frank Stroker George Burns’s well-detailed classical of the Manchester Craftsmen’s (412-471-5808, ext. 525; office block of 1901, is well-loved for Guild and the Bidwell Training [email protected]) its sweeping interior stained glass vault Center. He draws a national Book details are as follows: and fanlight (see page 12), treasures to audience for his work in social • Beyond the Surface: Architecture delight any preservationist. Also, as the entrepreneurship based solely in and Being Alive, by Walter C. home of the Pittsburgh History & Pittsburgh. Speakers such as best- Kidney, with an introduction by Landmarks Foundation, it is a center selling author Sarah Susanka and fine arts consultant Thomas H. for organizing and running the confer- community leadership expert Dr. Garver and a select bibliography ence. More importantly, though, as one Gary Davis will bring national of the author’s publications by component in the revitalization of issues to Pittsburgh, while architect David J. Vater. Station Square in the 1970s and 1980s, documentarian Rick Sebak and H. H. Richardson’s Allegheny County Courthouse 112 pages; 61/2" x 9"; 18 duotone it proved the economic, urbanistic and Landmarks’ Arthur Ziegler will and Jail (1884–88) introduced Pittsburgh to a more photos; $ 24.95 (hard cover) esthetic validity of preservation-based serve as additional exemplars of lucid, compositionally unified architecture than it less 10 % membership discount. redevelopment when the city and the Pittsburgh’s visibility on the had known for decades. As Landmarks’ architectural country were full of doubters. Now, national scene. historian Walter C. Kidney wrote: “The Courthouse • Life’s Riches: Excerpts on the like numerous other campaigns led by Various of Pittsburgh’s best- tower has not dominated Pittsburgh for a hundred Pittsburgh Region and Historic Landmarks through the decades, it is known historic buildings will years, but its simple, slender, strong form rises among Preservation from the Writings of quite literally a textbook example of figure prominently in the towers much taller, and among them is an aristocrat.” Walter C. Kidney, with a preface by successful preservation, as Norman Conference. H. H. Richardson’s Richard Moe, president of the Tyler’s book Historic Preservation: An Allegheny County Courthouse and session, “Preparing a Historic Structure National Trust for Historic 1 Introduction to Its History, Principles Jail will be part of the bus tour, “H. H. Report,” on Wednesday, November 1 from Preservation. 112 pages; 6 /2" x 9"; and Practice demonstrates. Richardson and His Heirs,” which will 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. will focus on the 71 color and b/w photos; Pittsburgh’s past and present successes take place on Saturday, November 4 Richardson buildings. “Fallingwater,” per- $24.95 (hard cover) and $19.95 in historic preservation draw national from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. This was haps the region’s best-known structure, will (soft cover) less 10 % membership interest and praise, even as they improve the first field session to sell out. Also the be a tour site, and it will also be the subject of discount. (See page 6) our own communities. With the (Continued on page 10) Page 2 PHLF News • October 2006 OUR WORK: Recent Progress Revitalizing Fifth/Forbes The tide has turned. After eight years of controversy and several failed proposals, private local developers, the City of Pittsburgh, Urban Redevelop- ment Authority, Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and Pittsburgh History In Memoriam & Landmarks Foundation are begin- ning work to revitalize the area sur- rounding Fifth and Forbes Avenues in Mayor Bob O’Connor downtown Pittsburgh. The goal is to (1944–2006) make downtown a regional “destina- With the unexpected death of Mayor tion neighborhood,” with housing and a mix of national retailers and local Bob O’Connor on September 1, businesses geared toward meeting the Pittsburgh lost a bold politician who needs of downtown residents and understood the value of grassroots office workers. organizations and advantages of The City of Pittsburgh and Urban The City of Pittsburgh and Urban Redevelopment Authority have agreed to let Landmarks working with local developers to Redevelopment Authority have accepted acquire and restore three buildings at Fifth Avenue and Market Street. The corner building, 130–32 Fifth Avenue, was designed by Alden & Harlow in 1908 for the Regal Shoe Company reinvigorate a place. In his brief, our offer (see PHLF News, April 2006) to purchase and restore three endangered and is shown below in the Architectural Record of 1911. The two Market Street buildings are seven months as Mayor, he “gave buildings: 433 and 439 Market Street and three-story Italianate structures, c.1875. our city freshness and vitality by 130–32 Fifth Avenue. Together, the three launching Fifth/Forbes with buildings anchor the corner of Market local developers and giving the Street and the south side of Fifth Avenue; neighborhoods his personal restoring them for first-floor retail with office or lofts above will strengthen the attention,” said Landmarks president Market Square Historic District, estab- Arthur Ziegler. “We hope his spirit lished in 1972. Preservation Pittsburgh will infuse our people and become submitted suggestions for the reuse of his legacy.” 130-32 Fifth Avenue—originally the Just weeks before Mayor Regal Shoe building—and we hope to O’Connor was admitted to the unite the interiors of all three buildings for code purposes. Tom Keffer, hospital, he attended our membership Landmarks’ superintendent of property tour in Lawrenceville on June 24. maintenance and construction manager, Arriving promptly at 2:00 in the is working with Landmarks Design afternoon, the Mayor shook hands Associates, architects, to draw up with tour participants in Doughboy preliminary plans for bid. Across the street, on the north side Square, posed for a group photo, of Fifth Avenue, 13 buildings in the and listened to opening remarks 200 block were demolished in August by Landmarks, the Lawrenceville and September (see page 15) to enable Corporation, and Lawrenceville PNC Financial Services Group to develop Historical Society. Through his pres- a $170 million, 23-story skyscraper: the ence and attendance, he affirmed the city’s first since the 1980s. Landmarks and Christine Davis Consultants (CDC) importance of organizing events that Interior of the former Regal Shoe documented the architecturally significant building: notice the original get people into the neighborhoods to buildings before demolition; PNC brackets and window openings. see the good that is happening and to donated building fragments to In September and October, address the needs that exist. Construction Junction for reuse; and Landmarks worked to secure and We will remember Robert E. CDC is creating interpretive signage dry the three buildings, address about the historic buildings for public O’Connor as a personable, commit- liability issues, and transfer display. insurance and utilities. ted, caring, and hardworking Mayor.