Early in 1786, 21-year-old John Scull arrived in Pittsburgh from Philadelphia, bringing a rickety wooden hand printing press across the Allegheny range.
Intending to open a print shop, he was persuaded of the frontier community's need for a newspaper. On July 29 that same year, he published the first edition of The Pittsburgh Gazette, the direct antecedent of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the first newspaper west of the Allegheny Mountains.
Several years ago, the Pennsylvania Historical Marker that had commemorated this event disappeared from the corner of Market Street and the Boulevard of the Allies, Downtown, near the original site of Scull's print shop. Arrangements were made to have it replaced, an effort that culminated in a public ceremony on Oct. 27 and renewed interest in Mr. Scull's history.
As I traced his past, it led to Irwin and the home of his wife, Polly, the daughter of Col. John Irwin.
Trading with the local Indians had made Col. Irwin a wealthy man, and fighting with Gen. George Washington against the British during the American Revolution gave him status. Col. Irwin took up residence in the area. (It was Irwin's nephew who took the necessary steps to establish the town of Irwin.)
Col. Irwin's first house was burned to the ground by Indians and his second was struck by lightning, so in 1792 he built a two-story, fieldstone mansion that would "withstand man and the elements."
The sturdy house became known as Brush Hill. In 1818, Col. Irwin sold the estate for $1 to his grandson, John Irwin Scull, son of John and Polly Scull. It was to Brush Hill that John Scull Sr. retired in 1822 when he left public life in Pittsburgh and there that he died in 1828.
Brush Hill remained in the Scull family until 1949, after which the house changed hands several times. Located about a five-minute drive from the Irwin Exit of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, it has been listed on the National Registry of Historic Places and remains a testimony to the history of the Irwin and Scull families.
But this is also a house that can truly be called lucky. Built to last, it did last long enough for Don and Dilly Miller, of Penn Hills to find it empty in 1977, in desperate need of attention and advertised for sale at a modest price.
Mr. Miller, then an electrical engineering manager for Westinghouse, now retired, was looking for a project. Mrs. Miller, a former nurse, had the necessary temperament for supporting the house's return to health. Their two preschool sons, Ian and Reed, found the prospect of living in a house with a long curving banister to slide down exciting. Brush Hill, which Mrs. Miller describes as "a big, drafty, bear of a house," was first seen on a Thursday and purchased two days later.
Living in the house has had a significant influence on the entire family. The sons both chose history as their college majors, and an interest in antiques has stayed with them. In their separate careers, both travel, and having lived in an old house has kept them alert for pictures and artifacts that perfectly fit its history.
Nearly 30 years later, Don Miller continues to work on maintaining the house "full time," meaning all of the time. Over the years he has gone over every inch of the exterior and the interior, making repairs as he sees the need. Included among his accomplishments are raising the entire house 6 inches to give it a firm foundation, thus strengthening the walls, but also requiring that he replace all of the house's many inset windows.
He has redone the plumbing, the electrical wiring and installed a new furnace. He has dug out floorboards and 6 to 8 inches of cement and dirt beneath them to reach the original oak plank flooring, which he then refurbished. He has added a two-story veranda in a historically accurate architectural style and with the same sensitivity installed a fabulous modern kitchen. He has insulated the attic, and he excavated tons of dirt from the pit that was the basement and turned the space into a family room. Dig, blast, haul, gut, measure, nail, fit, raise, chop, clear, polish, move, heave, truss, peg, pump, trim and repair, Mr. Miller has done it all.
"I like to do stuff," he says. He long ago gave up reading fiction for reading architectural and engineering manuals and continually educating himself about early construction.
Soon he will take on the major task of replacing the slate roof, a job for which he will require professional help. Because of the expense involved it may also require the Millers to do something they have not done so far -- apply for funds available through the U.S. Department of the Interior for buildings on the National Register of Historic Places.
Though under no obligation to do so, Mrs. Miller, who is responsible for the house's lovely garden, continues to greet curious visitors who knock on her door looking for information about the house's history and hoping to have a tour. It is always best to call ahead: 724-864-6388.
It is difficult to praise the residence enough. The Millers have kept Brush Hill true to the period in which it was built. To be sure, there are conveniences now that were not available when the house was built, but they never intrude on its sense of history. Rather than a museum, Brush Hill is home to a family who honors its past and is genuinely pleased to share what information it has.
Brush Hill is particularly handsome at the holidays. Not one but several decorated trees fill the large high-ceilinged rooms, and bunches of holly from the garden are brought inside for display.
In the library, just to the right of the front door, there is often a fire blazing in the open grate. "Welcome to Brush Hill" is the message it sends.
To reach Brush Hill from Pittsburgh, take the Turnpike east to Exit 67 (Irwin). After the toll booth, stay in the left lane to Route 30 West for a few hundred yards and the first traffic light. Turn right and go to the next light, at Pennsylvania Avenue. Turn left and go about 3/4 mile to a stop sign, at Brush Hill Road. Turn right. Brush Hill is the second house from the corner on the right. The address is 651 Brush Hill Road.
(Virginia Kopas Joe, South Bureau Chief, contributed to this article.)
Beekeeper contest
In response to my recent column on honey, the Beaver Valley Area Beekeepers Association has informed us of its current "Becoming a Beekeeper" essay contest, which is open to persons age 11 to 18 who are not currently beekeepers and who don't have immediate family members keeping bees.
In 200 words or less, entrants should explain "Why I Wish to Keep Honeybees" and demonstrate a strong and sincere interest in the subject. Entrants should have parental approval and have attended previous workshops or be willing to attend Beginning Beekeeping 2006, which will be held in Monaca on Feb. 4 or in Mercer on Feb. 11.
The winner will receive a beehive (including frame, foundation and other essential woodenware ) as well as a certificate for a colony of live honeybees that includes a queen. Support and guidance will also be provided. The hive and bees would have a value of about $150.
The deadline for entries is Jan. 31. Send entries to Beaver Valley Area Beekeepers Association: Attention Lee Miller. PSU Cooperative Extension Office, 2020 Beaver Ave., Suite 200, Monaca, PA 15061. For information: 724-774-3003.