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Going in Style: Three Washington County houses give a glimpse into Eclectic architecture
Saturday, August 11, 2007
By Gretchen McKay, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Lovers of old houses have a lot to admire in the city of Washington. One of the region's most historic towns, having been first settled by Colonists around 1768, it's home to two properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places: The Bradford House, the stone Federal-style house completed in 1788 for David Bradford, a leader in the Whiskey Rebellion, and The LeMoyne House, which was built in the Georgian style in 1812 and served as a stop in the Underground Railroad.

Its architectural appeal, however, extends well beyond those two famous house museums. Along with scores of Victorians, both lovingly restored and ones waiting to be rescued, the area boasts a fair share of Eclectic houses, a residential architectural style that was popular from the late 19th century to about 1940. Unlike the frou-frou, mix-and-match Victorian era, this period stressed faithful copies of earlier styles, such as classical Greek, Roman and European architecture.

Three homes that have recently gone on the market in roughly the same price range demonstrate some of the Eclectic movement's most recognized styles. The first, a eight-bedroom 1903 Colonial Revival at 413 E. Beau St. in East Washington, is being offered by Howard Hanna for $259,000. A few blocks away at 64 N. Watson Ave., Coldwell Banker has a four-bedroom Tudor Revival listed for $319,000. And in neighboring North Franklin Township, you'll find a two-story Craftsman nestled on seven acres at 935 Redstone Road (a continuation of Main Street), which Northwood Realty has priced at $249,900.

East Beau Street

The Colonial Revival on East Beau Street is the largest of the bunch, with more than 3,600 square feet of living space spread over three levels. It also has two covered porches and a terraced back yard that includes a small koi pond and a concrete patio shaded by an awning.

The formal entry includes two sets of doors graced with sidelights and a transom that are separated by a small vestibule with original honeycomb tile. High ceilings, natural woodwork and original oak floors distinguish the 29-foot-by-9-foot center hall; a large stained-glass window above a window seat on the second-floor landing helps illuminate the staircase.

The formal living room has built-in bookshelves and pocket doors that open onto the dining room. Its most interesting architectural detail, however, is its ornate fireplace mantel, which boasts both a built-in clock and a pair of oval mirrors. The mantel in the adjoining dining room, which includes built-in cabinets with beveled-glass doors, is even more elaborate. The room also includes a stained-glass transom above a bank of windows overlooking the side yard, and a crystal chandelier.

The galley-style kitchen has white cabinetry and an adjoining breakfast room with maple floors and a built-in china closet. There's also a first-floor powder/laundry room, a large mud room that opens onto a side porch and a front den with a gas fireplace.

The second floor contains five of the home's eight bedrooms (one is used as a walk-in closet) along with two full baths. Four have decorative fireplaces with hand-painted screens. The master bath has a claw foot tub and subway tile walls; the main bath has a tongue-and-groove wood ceiling and stained-glass windows. The partially finished third floor holds three more bedrooms, including one that measures a whopping 30 feet by 13 feet, and a small kitchen area that could easily be turned into a bath or laundry.

North Watson Avenue

The rooms are a little smaller in the romantic English-style Cotswold cottage on North Watson, which was built in 1929 for a local doctor. What it lacks in size, though, it more than makes up in style. This meticulously maintained house, which sits on a quiet, tree-lined street, features a two-story entry with a wrought-iron staircase and a 28-foot-by-15-foot sunken living room with a massive stone fireplace. There's also an L-shaped covered side porch that overlooks the lushly landscaped back yard.

Of particular note in the large center hall are the hand-wrought wall sconces. Original to the house, they match not just the four sconces in the dining room and the six in the formal living room, but also the fireplace screen and all of the door knobs. They also match the chandelier in the dining room, which has a window seat that's framed by a pair of built-in china closets and an arched doorway to the entry.

The newer kitchen has custom countertops and ceramic tile flooring, and opens onto a small breakfast room with a built-in corner hutch. The back door still includes this blast from the past: the original "milk door" used by the milkmen who delivered milk in glass jars.

The largest bedroom on the second floor has hardwood floors and a gas fireplace and adjoins a Jack-and-Jill bath with the original soaking tub, pale lilac ceramic tile walls and pedestal sink. A carpeted second bedroom overlooks the back yard while a third, used as a den, has a built-in ironing board outside the door. A second original bath has a walk-in shower and a laundry chute.

Remodeled into a master suite, the third floor features a bedroom with floral wallpaper, a cedar walk-in closet, a carpeted dressing room and a full bath with an original soaking tub and commode. There's also an air-conditioned walk-in storage closet under the eaves. The partially finished basement has a Pittsburgh potty and a workshop area, and access to a two-car tandem garage.

Other improvements include high-velocity air conditioning on the second and third floors, all new gutters and downspouts, a security system, and new windows.

Redstone Road

You might not expect it, but the picturesque Craftsman on Redstone Road, which is fronted by a towering catalpa, or toby tree, also has central air. But even it if didn't, you wouldn't have a hard time cooling off on a muggy August day, as the home comes with an in-ground swimming pool.

Among the older properties in North Franklin, the three-bedroom house was built in 1898 for the McKahan family, who owned a lumberyard in town. At one time, the property included a working farm and an orchard. Its acreage, though, was whittled down over the years to where there is now just seven acres.

Inside, the house features all the quintessential architectural elements of the Arts and Crafts style. The main room, for instance, which has original oak floors and a coffered ceiling, includes a separate "library/card room" with half-height paneled walls and a built-in window seat. There's another coffered ceiling in the formal dining room, along with a three-quarter-height plate rail and a built-in china closet with glass doors. A long window seat sits in front of a bank of three windows.

A den off the living room has paneled walls and wall-to-wall carpeting; a first-floor bedroom has its own bath and a walk-in closet. The older, eat-in kitchen opens on to a large covered deck with a view of both grassland and woods.

The second floor holds three bedrooms, all of which have hardwood under the carpets. The master bedroom has a built-in cabinet with a glass front and a large closet under the eaves. A small room at the top of the staircase once held a full kitchen but is now used as a closet; equipped with water, it would make a great second-floor laundry.

The finished basement includes both a paneled gameroom with a ventless gas heater and a bedroom with a full bath. There's also a door that opens to reveal an attached springhouse with a cistern, which back in the day would have allowed the original owners to keep their fruit and milk cool.

First published at PG NOW on August 10, 2007 at 2:01 pm
Gretchen McKay can be reached at gmckay@post-gazette.com.
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