Wigman House - Revision history

Jrudiak at 23:31, 26 January 2013

2013-01-26T23:31:47Z

Jrudiak: /* Wigman House Receives Historic Designation by Pittsburgh City Council */

2013-01-17T05:54:53Z

‎Wigman House Receives Historic Designation by Pittsburgh City Council

Jrudiak: /* City Council hearing on Wigman House historic nomination in Carrick */

2013-01-17T04:01:04Z

‎City Council hearing on Wigman House historic nomination in Carrick

Jrudiak: /* AKA 1425 Brownsville Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15210 */

2012-03-28T15:05:45Z

‎AKA 1425 Brownsville Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15210

Jrudiak at 16:04, 8 March 2012

2012-03-08T16:04:08Z

Jrudiak at 15:55, 8 March 2012

2012-03-08T15:55:00Z

Jrudiak: /* This beautiful structure must be saved */

2012-03-07T20:15:55Z

‎This beautiful structure must be saved

Jrudiak at 20:01, 7 March 2012

2012-03-07T20:01:29Z

Jrudiak at 19:58, 7 March 2012

2012-03-07T19:58:34Z

Jrudiak: /* This beautiful structure must be saved */

2012-03-07T19:56:53Z

‎This beautiful structure must be saved

@@ Line 319: / Line 319: @@
 I toured the Wigman house in Carrick yesterday and I must say, it was one of the most beautiful homes I have ever been in.  I was lucky enough to get a tour of the home by  Bonnie Kramer, who grew up in the home.
-[File:Wigman blog 1.jpg]
+[[File:Wigman blog 1.jpg]]
 Constructed in 1888 for the owner of Wigman Lumber, William Wigman, it is the last of the Victorians on what was known as, “Millionaire’s Row.”  It is a beautiful example of a Queen Anne Victorian, boasting a front-facing gable, a large front porch with large arches, dentil molding, fish scale siding, classical columns, and spindles. The most distinctive exterior feature is a polygonal tower with a second-story balcony off one of the home’s four bedrooms.  The balcony is accessed through a large window…so charming!
@@ Line 326: / Line 326: @@
-[File:Wigman blog 2.jpg]
+[[File:Wigman blog 2.jpg]]
 The home has 6 fireplaces, one working, the other five decorative.  Each fireplace has a different species of wood and a unique marble surround and hearth.  The fireplace in the foyer is flanked by built-in bookcases.
@@ Line 361: / Line 361: @@
 Could you be the next owner of this historic house?  Contact Mo Kaylor to find out more and to schedule a tour.  Feel free to contact me if you would like me to go with you to see this home.  I bet you fall in love like I did!  And since I believe this landmark home deserves to be restored to its former glory, I am offering half-off my consulting services to the buyer.  I have a lot of great ideas for restoring this gem!  I could do a one-time consult to point you in the right directon, or I can work with you through the entire project.

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:54, 17 January 2013
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	===Wigman House Receives Historic Designation by Pittsburgh City Council ===		===Wigman House Receives Historic Designation by Pittsburgh City Council ===

		+	File #: 2011-1743 Version: 1
		+	Type: Resolution Status: Passed Finally
		+	File created: 5/31/2011 In control: Land Use and Economic Development Committee
		+	On agenda: Final action: 7/12/2011
		+	Enactment date: 7/12/2011 Enactment #: 485
		+	Effective date: 7/27/2011
		+	Title: Resolution providing for the designation as a Historic Structure under Title 11 of the Code of Ordinances that certain structure known as the Wigman House, located at 1425 Brownsville Road, block and lot number 60-G-168, in the 29th Ward, City of Pittsburgh.
		+	Indexes: PGH. CODE ORDINANCES TITLE 11 - HISTORIC DESIGNATION

	Resolution providing for the designation as a Historic Structure under Title 11 of the Code of Ordinances that certain structure known as the Wigman House, located at 1425 Brownsville Road, block and lot number 60-G-168, in the 29th Ward, City of Pittsburgh.		Resolution providing for the designation as a Historic Structure under Title 11 of the Code of Ordinances that certain structure known as the Wigman House, located at 1425 Brownsville Road, block and lot number 60-G-168, in the 29th Ward, City of Pittsburgh.

@@ Line 278: / Line 278: @@
 Writer: Andrew Moore
 Source: John Rudiak
 ===[http://amyrybacki.com/blog/2011/07/wigman-house-tour/ The Beautiful Wigman House] ===

@@ Line 27: / Line 27: @@
 Carrick’s formation as a Borough in 1904 was described as an area “inhabited by wealthy South Side businessmen”  so such was the choice of land for a grand home on the new elegant street called that was simply named “The Boulevard.”
-Ferdinand Benz of the L. Benz Brothers Company was single and did not build on this lot.  Perhaps Carrick was too far from his businesses and buildings or maybe he was simply a land speculator because sold the lot to Gwendolen P. Wigman, wife of William H. Wigman, on April 2, 1897 for $1,450.  Gwendolen P. Wigman then transferred the lot for one dollar to her husband later that year. On November 28th, 1902, Julius Frey sold his property, Lot Number 19 next to Lot Number 20, for the sum of $3,000.
+Ferdinand Benz of the L. Benz Brothers Company was single and did not build on this lot.  Perhaps Carrick was too far from his businesses and buildings or maybe he was simply a land speculator because sold the lot to Gwendolen P. Wigman, wife of William H. Wigman. The deed was recorded on April 2, 1897 for $1,450.  Gwendolen P. Wigman then transferred the lot for one dollar to her husband later that year. On November 28th, 1902, Julius Frey sold his property, Lot Number 19 next to Lot Number 20, for the sum of $3,000.
-William H. Wigman was either the owner, or the son of owner, of a very prosperous lumber company at 48 South 18th Street on the South Side, Wigman Lumber.   The Pittsburgh Street Directory of 1912 lists his home as Baldwin Twp indicating that he built the home sometime before that year and probably shortly after he bought the two lots large enough for his grand Queen Anne style home.
+William H. Wigman was the owner of a very prosperous lumber company at 48 South 18th Street on the South Side, Wigman Lumber.   The Pittsburgh Street Directory of 1912 lists his home as Baldwin Twp indicating that he built the home sometime before that year and probably shortly after he bought the two lots large enough for his grand Queen Anne style home.
-Supporting the evidence of the home being built before 1905 is indicated in the G. M. Hopkins Maps of 1896 and 1905.  In fact between those two dates not only were several mansions built on The Boulevard, a new school for the community, Quentin Roosevelt School can be found. Truly this was fast becoming the location to live in the South Hills.
+Supporting the evidence of the home being built before 1905 is indicated in the G. M. Hopkins Maps of 1896 and 1905.  In fact between those two dates not only were several mansions built on The Boulevard, a new school for the community, Quentin Roosevelt School can be found. Truly this was fast becoming the location to live in the South Hills. Recent documents from the grand daughter of William Wigman indicated the house construction was started in 1895 and finished in 1896. A wedding reception was held in the house in 1906 for William H. and Gwendolen P. Wigman that year.
 The Wigman House at 1425 Brownsville Road reflects the utilization of the best the William Wigman Lumber Company had to offer to design and build this home in the classic American Queen Anne style popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s.  The ornate exterior wood trim, the interior doors, woodwork and framing, the pocket doors and even the closet doors are still illustrate how detailed the builder and architect built the home.  The woodwork is wood that displays the real graining, without the staining to produce faux stained wood as common in less expensive homes of the time. The large chain hung window/door entrance to the turret balcony reflects the ingenuity of design. The original stained glass windows, which are held by rich wooden framing, indicate great wealth and expertise.
@@ Line 38: / Line 38: @@
 On February 23, 1952, Arthur Herrmann sells this property to Regis L. McClory, et. ux, for $11.750.  The house is currently owned by Regis L. McClory, deceased, and his wife, Eleanor Marie McClory.
 == [http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10358/1113145-53.stm Some in Carrick strive to save Victorian house] ==

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:04, 8 March 2012
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	First published on April 7, 2011 at 12:00 am		First published on April 7, 2011 at 12:00 am
		+
		+
		+	===Buying Here: Carrick===
		+
		+	Saturday, May 28, 2011
		+
		+	By Marylynne Pitz, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
		+
		+	'''[http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11148/1149140-30-0.stm click here for Post-Gazette article]'''
		+
		+	In the late 1800s and early 20th century, affluent Americans loved Queen Anne -- the style, that is. Imported from England and introduced at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition of 1876, the architectural style characterized by "gingerbread" trim, turrets and grand wraparound porches was a hit across the country.
		+
		+	One of Pittsburgh's best examples of an American Queen Anne is at 1425 Brownsville Road (MLS No. 865454), the main thoroughfare in the city neighborhood of Carrick. Listed for $109,900 with Howard Hanna Realtor Mo Kaylor (www.1425brownsvillerd.howardhanna.com), the three-story house with four bedrooms and two bathrooms was built of wood in 1903-1904 by William Wigman, who owned Wigman Lumber on the South Side.
		+
		+	Set on a corner lot, the Wigman House is the first in an impressive row of houses on a brick-paved street called The Boulevard. Walter Kidney, the late architectural historian, devoted an entire page of his 1997 book, "Pittsburgh's Landmark Architecture" to The Boulevard and the house.
		+
		+	"Though not perfectly kept and not designed to a unified scheme, this cluster of turn-of-the-century Colonial Revival houses makes a solid, coherent impression. ... At the junction with Brownsville Road is a remarkable Queen Anne house of wood," he wrote.
		+
		+	The city's Historic Review Commission and Planning Department recently approved designating the house as a historic structure after a nomination by members of the Carrick Overbrook Historical Society, The final decision rests with Pittsburgh City Council; no hearing has been scheduled.
		+
		+	The house presents a huge restoration challenge: The exterior needs a paint job and its interior requires plaster repair, repainting and probably new electrical and plumbing systems. Still, its architectural bones live up to Mr. Kidney's description of "remarkable."
		+
		+	Three elegant white arches frame the front porch, which needs to be stabilized. Ornamental exterior details include dentil molding, spindles and fish scale shingle siding. There's a front-facing gable, a polygonal tower and a second-story balcony that's accessible through an especially tall window in one of the second-floor bedrooms.
		+
		+	The second-floor balcony enchanted Julia Tomasic, a member of the Carrick Overbrook Historical Society who toured the home last year.
		+
		+	"You could sit out there in the middle of the night and watch the world go by," she said.
		+
		+	Unlike many properties from this era, this house was never divided into apartments so its plaster is intact, although some of it is flaking in the first-floor bathroom. The wood and craftsmanship are clearly first rate and it appears that all the hardware on the doors is original.
		+
		+	Inside the front door is a reception room and foyer. To the right is a window seat that has storage beneath it. A built-in bookcase with wooden doors on either side frames the fireplace. To the left is a bay window and a staircase.
		+
		+	The 17-by-15-foot living room has 10-foot ceilings and a pentagonal alcove. It's possible that dead family members were laid out in this space during a wake as that was a common practice during the late 19th and early 20th century.
		+
		+	Functioning pocket doors separate the living room from the 18-by-16-foot dining room, whose fireplace mantel is made from quarter-sawn oak and features carved leaf scrolls. The dining room fireplace is log burning; the other five fireplaces in the home do not work but are truly decorative.
		+
		+	From the foyer, a staircase leads to a landing dominated by three stained-glass windows done mostly in blue and gold with accents of pink, purple and green. Not surprisingly, the glass is buckling slightly after more than a century and metal rods have been placed across the windows to stabilize them.
		+
		+	The 15-by-14-foot kitchen has pine cabinetry and Formica counters installed in 1952, when the ceiling was lowered. There's a large pantry behind an elegant wood door. Off the kitchen is a 40-year-old bathroom.
		+
		+	The second floor contains four spacious bedrooms, three of which have fireplaces. Room sizes are 17 by 12 feet, 16 by 15 feet, 15 by 15 feet and 14 by 10 feet. A second-floor bathroom, installed 40 years ago, is trimmed in blue tile.
		+
		+	The home's slate roof is original, Ms. Kaylor said, and while it has been repaired, there have been no leaks. A new forced air gas furnace was put in about 10 years ago. The first-floor windows were updated about 40 years ago, but windows on the second floor and in the attic are original. The attic runs the length of the house and it's easy to stand upright in it and walk around.
		+
		+	Thieves stole copper plumbing from the basement and kitchen, but bathroom plumbing is intact, Ms. Kaylor said. The property's county assessed value is $64,000 (www2.county.allegheny.pa.us/RealEstate/Search.aspx).
		+
		+	Three nearby houses built around the same time also are on the market now. All on The Boulevard, they're listed for $274,900, $159,900 and $117,000, respectively.
		+
		+	Since 2008, five properties have sold in the 900-1400 blocks of Brownsville Road ranging in price from $42,000 in January 2010 to $125,000 in November 2008 for a four-unit apartment building next to the Wigman House (www.realstats.net). To tour 1425 Brownsville Road, Carrick, contact agent Mo Kaylor at 412-882-9100, ext. 235.
		+
		+	Carrick At a glance
		+
		+	Website: www.carrickpa.com
		+
		+	Incorporated: Originally a separate borough established in 1906, Carrick became a Pittsburgh neighborhood in 1926.
		+
		+	Size: 1.673 square miles
		+
		+	Population: 10,500 (University of Pittsburgh Center for Social and Urban Research)
		+
		+	School district: Pittsburgh (www.ppps.k12.pa.us)
		+
		+	Mean SAT scores: Math, 457; critical reading,432; writing, 430 (Carrick High School)
		+
		+	Annual taxes on a $100,000 house: $2,870
		+
		+	City: 10.8 mills ($1,080); school: 13.92 mills ($1,392); county 1: 4.69 mills ($398)
		+
		+	Claim to fame: In 1997, Carrick was the first community in the northern United States to be named a "cool community" by the U.S. Department of Energy. Community groups partnered with conservation groups to weatherize homes and businesses, plant trees and flowers and add "green" elements to the renovation of Carrick High School.
		+
		+	1 includes the Act 50 Homestead Exclusion, which reduces assessed market value by $15,000 for county taxes

	===City Council hearing on Wigman House historic nomination in Carrick===		===City Council hearing on Wigman House historic nomination in Carrick===

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:55, 8 March 2012
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	First published on April 7, 2011 at 12:00 am		First published on April 7, 2011 at 12:00 am

		+	===City Council hearing on Wigman House historic nomination in Carrick===

		+	'''[http://www.popcitymedia.com/devnews/wigmanhouse062911.aspx click here for Pop City article]'''
		+
		+	WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 2011
		+
		+	The Wigman House in Carrick is being considered for historic landmark status by the City of Pittsburgh. City Council held a public hearing yesterday on historic designation for the Crown Jewel Victorian which had been threatened by plans for demolition earlier this year. Eight residents spoke at the hearing, all in favor of historic designation.
		+
		+	"Anybody that passes this house, this is the highlight of their day," says John Rudiak, of the Carrick-Overbrook Historical Society. "It's just marvelous the way the sun shines on this house all the time, and it always looks magnificent and grand. It makes people smile, it really does."
		+
		+	The Queen Anne Style home, built around 1902, was nominated for historic designation last year by Rudiak and the Historical Society.
		+
		+	The Society was galvanized to preserve the home when state Rep. Harry Readshaw, a potential buyer of the home, said he would consider demolishing the house to create a parking lot for his neighboring funeral home business.
		+
		+	The home is still for sale, but Rudiak says current owner Grace McClory now hopes to see it preserved. In February, the Young Preservationists Association of Pittsburgh named the Wigman House one of the region's top ten preservation opportunities as part of their annual report.
		+
		+	Rudiak cites three other grand, Queen Ann homes that have been demolished in Carrick, one for a road, a second for a parking lot, and a third for a strip mall.
		+
		+	"Everyone that we've talked to in the neighborhood said that it would be a shame to destroy this house," Rudiak says, "This house is the last Queen Anne in Carrick."
		+
		+
		+	Writer: Andrew Moore
		+	Source: John Rudiak

	===[http://amyrybacki.com/blog/2011/07/wigman-house-tour/ The Beautiful Wigman House] ===		===[http://amyrybacki.com/blog/2011/07/wigman-house-tour/ The Beautiful Wigman House] ===

@@ Line 107: / Line 107: @@
 Just as those ghosts clung to the past, so must the ghosts of the last remaining Victorian mansion in Carrick be appeased.
-[[Emily Pritchard Cary]]
+[[Emily Prichard Cary]]
 Scottsdale, Ariz
 == [http://www.youngpreservationists.org/2011toptenlist Young Preservationists Association Award] ==

@@ Line 84: / Line 84: @@
 Diana Nelson Jones: djones@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1626. Read her blog City Walkabout at http://blogs.sites.post-gazette.com.
 First published on December 24, 2010 at 12:00 am
 === This beautiful structure must be saved ===
@@ Line 106: / Line 107: @@
 Just as those ghosts clung to the past, so must the ghosts of the last remaining Victorian mansion in Carrick be appeased.
-[[EMILY PRITCHARD CARY]]
+[[Emily Pritchard Cary]]
 Scottsdale, Ariz
@@ Line 189: / Line 190: @@
 === [http://amyrybacki.com/blog/2011/07/wigman-house-tour/ The Beautiful Wigman House] ===
 Monday, July 25th, 2011