Built in 1872, this was the church where H. J. Heinz taught Sunday school. It is an exceptionally well preserved example of the vernacular Gothic churches of the period. The various additions give it an intriguing complexity, including an octagonal protrusion that reminds us of a medieval baptistery.
Some scenes along the Trillium Trail in Fox Chapel, just before the big spring show begins.
Two varieties of Tudor house. They have very similar center-hall plans, but the one above emphasizes extravagant and almost cartoonish woodwork, whereas the one below is much more restrained. Old Pa Pitt would have guessed that the second one was later, but the Pittsburgh Historic Maps site tells us that both were built at about the same time, not long before 1910 (between the “1903–1906” layer and the “1910” layer). It would be interesting to know the name of the somewhat eccentric architect who designed the one above.
Here is a flourishing web of utility cables with a Gothic church behind them. The view above is old Pa Pitt’s best attempt at duplicating an old postcard view:
Not much has changed. The roof (originally slate-shingled) has lost the Gothic ornamentation at the top; exterior steps have been removed; the stonework at the top of the tower has been simplified, possibly after some decay or a lightning strike; and the corner entrance has been turned into a window.
This church was built in 1905 in a heavy, stony, romantic Gothic that was already somewhat out of fashion. It gives the impression of being equal parts church and castle. It now belongs to the Northern Area Multi-Services Center, a social-services organization that, to judge by its name, offers more than one service.
Map.
This house is under sentence of condemnation. There is nothing really special about it, except that it is probably about 150 years old and a good representative of the Gothic I-house. The I-house is a vernacular style of house common in Pennsylvania and much of the Midwest, with a center hall and two rooms on either side. When the simple plan is complicated by a peaked central gable, as in this house, it is it is described as a Gothic I-house. Often the I-house is extended by additions that give it an L shape—and sometimes more than one addition accumulates over the years, as we see with this one, where the smaller addition in the foreground was probably added around the 1920s, to judge by the 3-over-1 window on the second floor.
Note the pointed vernacular-Gothic windows in the attic.
This church was built in 1924, and its streamlined Gothic style, in spite of the irregular stonework, carries a whiff of Art Deco. We’ve featured Bethany once before with views from its own side of the street. Here are some pictures from across West Liberty Avenue to give Bethany the honor of being our Easter church this year.
The church’s next-door neighbor is a gas station.
