Father Pitt

Tag: Janssen (Benno)

  • House by Benno Janssen, Squirrel Hill

    Front of the house

    This beautiful and slightly fantastical house is tucked back in the woods in Squirrel Hill. Not long ago, a small group of Benno Janssen’s fans, among whom old Pa Pitt certainly counts himself, were given a tour of the house by the current residents, whose memorable hospitality made the occasion a delight. The details of the house are beautifully preserved, and with the owners’ permission we present a few of them here, beginning with one of the distinctive copper dormers.

    Dormer
    Lantern
    Main stairway
    Closet at the top of the stairs

    Ascending the main stairway leads to a surprising revelation: all the doorways upstairs are Gothic arches, including the large closet at the head of the stairs.

    Upstairs hall
    Bedroom
    Outer wall of bedroom
    Chandelier

    The metalwork in the house is by Samuel Yellin, a Ukrainian artist in Philadelphia who ornamented many Janssen buildings.

    Upstairs hall
    Sconce
    Original stove

    Downstairs in the kitchen is the original range, which has had some spiffing up but needed no thorough reconstruction. It is still the main cooking apparatus for the house.

    Rear of the house

    The rear of the house opens on a beautiful shaded slope that terminates abruptly in a forested cliff, because this is Pittsburgh. The current owners added a new dining room in the rear, carefully matched to the original house in its details.

    Rear of the house
    Rear of the house
    French doors

    You may have noticed that windows are few in this house: French doors take the place of most windows. They can be flung open for generous air circulation, and the louvered shutters still shut over the openings.

    Looking up at the roof
    Rear wall with dormers
    Dormers and roof slates
    Sony Alpha 3000; Fujifilm FinePix HS20EXR.

    Like most Janssen designs, the house uses simple lines, exactly the right number of them, and relies on carefully chosen materials—like these irregular roof slates and copper dormers—to add satisfying texture.

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  • Some Houses on Tennyson Avenue, Schenley Farms

    203 Tennyson Avenue

    More Schenley Farms houses in the snow (many with bonus icicles), beginning with this 1909 house, designed by Vrydaugh & Wolfe.

    205

    We have not yet found an architect for this lavish Tudor house, built in 1906.

    205
    210

    Another one whose architect we don’t know yet, also built in 1906.

    212

    A free interpretation of Colonial by Alden & Harlow, built in 1921.

    213

    Designed by Louis Stevens and built in 1911.

    215

    Designed by Benno Janssen and built in 1912.

    217

    Designed by Simpson & Schmeltz and built in 1909.

    217
    219

    Designed by Rutan & Russell and built in 1909.

    223

    Designed by C. E. Mueller and built in 1908.

    270
    Canon PowerShot SX20 IS.

    Designed by Simpson & Isles and built in 1914.

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  • Janssen & Abbott in Brookline

    1402 Creedmoor Avenue

    Benno Janssen was one of the titans of Pittsburgh architecture, but even titans take on small projects once in a while. This is a fairly ordinary house on an ordinary street in Brookline, but it was designed by the firm of Janssen & Abbott.1 In spite of revisions that have changed some of the original character, it seems to retain some of the elegant simplicity of Janssen, who never wasted a line.

    Front door

    The front door is set back on the side of the house, which allows a broad front living room opening out on the porch, without dropping visitors right into the living room when they arrive—a clever way of making a narrow lot seem less restrictive.

    Showalter house
    Fujifilm FinePix HS20EXR.
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  • Tuberculosis League Hospital, Hill District

    Tuberculosis League Hospital

    Back when tuberculosis was incurable, the best medical wisdom held that plenty of fresh air was essential for tuberculosis patients. Thus this hospital for tuberculosis was given a parklike setting with plenty of pleasant areas for sitting around in the healthful outdoors. Now that it is a retirement home called Milliones Manor, the beautifully landscaped grounds are just as welcome.

    Milliones Manor in a lunette
    Tuberculosis League Hospital

    The main building was designed by E. P. Mellon, nephew of Andrew Mellon. Other buildings—Father Pitt has not sorted out which is which—were designed by other local stars, including Benno Janssen and Ingham, Boyd & Pratt.

    Decorative brickwork
    Another building
    Perspective view
    Entrance
    Outbuilding
    Front building

  • Terrace on King Avenue in Highland Park

    1147–1155 King Avenue

    The late Franklin Toker believed that these houses were probably designed by Frederick Scheibler. He was following the original scholars of Frederick Scheibler, Shear and Schmertz, who brought poor old Scheibler out of obscurity in his old age in time to see himself hailed as a prophet of modern architecture.

    Father Pitt hates to contradict Dr. Toker, whose encyclopedic knowledge of Pittsburgh architecture was probably unmatched; but Toker has been wrong before. Martin Aurand, whose biography of Scheibler will probably remain the definitive one for generations to come, lists these houses under the “misattributions.”

    Old Pa Pitt himself is of the Aurand opinion, and in fact Father Pitt has probable grounds for attributing these houses—without, however, claiming complete certainty—to Benno Janssen. His reason is that there is a very similar terrace in Oakland (368–376 McKee Place) that is almost certainly by Janssen & Abbott. It would be odd if one of these terraces were by Janssen & Abbott and the other by Scheibler.

    1147–1155 King Avenue
    1153 and 1155 King Avenue
    1149 King Avenue

    These houses are yet another clever answer to the question of how to design a terrace of relatively inexpensive houses so that they are architecturally attractive and distinctive—so that, in other words, they make potential tenants think they’re getting something special. Compare them, for example, to the row just next door to the left, which was built on a lower budget to a much more ordinary design.

    1123–1145 King Avenue
    Terrace on King Avenue

    Which design makes you feel special?

    1147–1155 King Avenue
    Fujifilm FinePix HS10.
    Comments

  • Annunciation School, Perry South

    Annunciation School

    Benno Janssen and Edward J. Hergenroeder were the architects of this school, which seems to show the economy of line old Pa Pitt associates with Janssen. Hergenroeder would go on to design many Catholic schools, as well as the convent around the corner from this one (which we’ll be seeing soon).

    The parish school closed years ago, but the building has found another use, so it is occupied and well maintained.

    Annunciation School inscription
    Entrance to the school

    Among the decorations are several inscriptions, most of them not from Catholic sources.

    Quotation from Addison

    “Knowledge is that which, next to virtue, truly and essentially raises one man above another.” —Addison.

    Arvada Way entrance

    The side entrance on Arvada Way.

    Quotation from Shakespeare

    “The purest treasure mortal times afford is spotless reputation.” —Shakespeare.

    Terra-cotta child

    Terra-cotta figures of children enjoying their childhood decorate the side walls of the school.

    Hornblower
    Banner-carrier
    Writer
    Rope-jumper
    Annunciation School
    Canon PowerShot SX150 IS.
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  • Pittsburgh Athletic Association Building, by Janssen & Abbott

    The architects’ rendering of the Pittsburgh Athletic Association Building. It was published as the frontispiece to the Catalogue of the Pittsburgh Architectural Club’s Fifth Exhibition, March, 1910.

    We have photographs of this building by day and by night.

  • The Negley, Shadyside

    The Negley

    The Negley was probably built in about 1909; the architects were the firm of Janssen & Abbott. Some of the original details have vanished over the years, but Benno Janssen’s spare version of Georgian style still leaves an impression of dignity and elegance.

    The Negley
    Entrance
    Lunette
    Doorway frame

    An unusual choice: the doorway frames are cast iron.

    The Negley
    Fujifilm FinePix HS10; Samsung Galaxy A15 5G.

  • Reflected Light on the Buhl Building

    Buhl Building
    Kodak EasyShare Z981.

    The Buhl Building, an early work of Benno Janssen, bathed in reflected light. Perhaps the image would be more poetic without the construction zone at the end of Fifth Avenue, but old Pa Pitt can only do so much about construction zones.

  • Keystone Athletic Club

    Keystone Athletic Club

    The Keystone Athletic Club was designed by Benno Janssen, Pittsburgh’s favorite architect for high-class clubs of all sorts. Most of them were classical in style, but for this skyscraper clubhouse Janssen chose a simple and streamlined Gothic style instead. It is now Lawrence Hall, the main building of Point Park University, so that two universities in Pittsburgh have trademark Gothic skyscrapers.

    Keystone Athletic Club emblem
    Side of the Keystone Athletic Club
    Window
    Window
    Terra-cotta tile

    Early in his career, Benno Janssen was a fiend for terra cotta; he was much more restrained later on, but he usually included some characteristically appropriate terra-cotta ornaments.

    Tile
    Tile
    Tile
    Fujifilm FinePix HS10.