With only one usable wall, rebuilding this 130-year-old Deutschtown home was a challenge
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Exterior of 610 Lockhart St. -
The 2nd floor of 610 Lockhart Street. -
The 2nd floor of 610 Lockhart Street. -
Working on the restoration were, from left, Joshua Parise, manager and designer of Pittsburgh Pond and Stone Co., Oakmont; architect Bob Baumbach; and Al DePasquale, owner and developer. -
The first floor dining area of 610 Lockhart St. -
The third floor bedroom. Center, a faux doorway made of wood. On the door is a plaque labeled "610 3/4." To the right of the doorway is a mural, created by Joshua and Aaron Parise, featuring a streetcar.
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As owner of October Development, Al DePasquale has made his mark renovating old buildings. But there wasn't much worth saving on a 130-year-old house on Lockhart Street
"We had to tear this house down and build it back up," he said.
With only one usable wall, he and architect Bob Baumbach were free to imagine an interior much different than those found in other century-old North Side row houses. The result is a series of wide-open spaces that culminate in a lofty third-floor room that bridges the gap between boy's playroom and bachelor pad.
"He wanted a master suite with all the bells and whistles," Mr. Baumbach said.
When: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
Where: Tours begin in the Priory Hotel's garden courtyard on Lockhart Street. Free parking is available in the large lot adjoining the Grand Hall. The tour will include the new wing of the Priory Hotel, and there is an optional end-of-the-day wine tasting in its new Monks Bar.
Tickets: $12 in advance, $15 at the door. Students $5. Discounts of $2 per ticket for groups of six or more.
Information: www.deutschtown.org.
If that sounds a bit like a streetcar, you're on the right track. In addition to a huge mural depicting the 77/54 car that Mr. DePasquale rode through Oakland in the 1950s, there are two "weeping wall" water features set in brick niches, oversized replicas of Pittsburgh Railways tokens, a stained-glass window depicting the front of a locomotive and a "door to Narnia" that looks a bit like a subway tunnel to nowhere.
"Allie said, 'I want something different and I like trains,' " recalled artisan Josh Parise.
It's the kind of vague challenge that is familiar to contractors and others who work with Mr. DePasquale. And they don't often disappoint him.
First Published September 24, 2011 12:00 am
