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Time Begin/In Cue

Content

Connections

:27

Funder message for Pgh History Series

HH01

:40

Kids trick-or-treating

A video house tour of Pittsburgh reveals the city's rich architectural history -- and gives clues to the secrets of the city's past! From "castles" to mansions to homes designed by a famous Pittsburgh architect named Frederick Schiebler, this peek into Pittsburgh homes also offers a look at the people living inside.

Introduction

HH02

2:24

Wide shot of hills, greenery, in Aspinwall

Frederick Sauer's "castle"

Frederick Sauer, a prominent architect who came to Pittsburgh in the early 1900's from his homeland of Germany, designed a home in Aspinwall. In the woods behind that home, though, Sauer built an unusual collection of stone structures -- actually a group of little castles! Now rented out as apartment, these castles are based on the ones Sauer remembers from his old life back in Heidleberg, Germany. A tour of the apartment interiors reveals many of the original features Sauer designed.

Western PA History: Immigrants

Bridges and Buildings

The Arts

HH03

6:42

Moving pan right to left past a row of Regent Square homes

Hully houses from the 1920's

Not all homes have to be castles to be interesting! Many so-called "ordinary" houses have fascinating features — as we see by visiting a row-house in Regent Square. The current owner wrote a research paper on the architecture and discovered a common Pittsburgh style referred to as a "Hully house." This style was named for an architect who worked in Pittsburgh in the 1920's.

Bridges and Buildings

Creating Community: People

HH04

11:00

White house with black window trim, pan left to two more houses

Creating Community: People, neighborhoods

HH05

13:08

Wide shot of a large orange-brick home with blue pillars and porch

18:25 Close-up of a squirrel sitting in an outdoor planter

21:50 Woman climbs up on scaffolding

Restoring old Highland Park houses

Two young architects bought a Friendship home in 1992 and made a project of restoring it. A tour of this huge home's interior reveals great features like carved wooden mantels, elaborately patterned floors, and many other indications of its original 1910 décor.

A restored turn-of-the-century home in Highland Park shows an example of wall murals. These elaborate paintings were common features in Pittsburgh's prominent homes, and today a Russian artist has traveled to the U.S. to restore one mural to its former glory.

A local artist apprentices with the Russian artist to learn about mural restoration. While no signatures reveal who created these murals, it is suspected that traveling artists were commissioned for the work.

Creating Community: People

Arts: mural painting, restoration, interior design

Bridges and Buildings

Western PA History: Traveling artists

HH06

24:10

Tilt down on the exterior of a stone home with a pointed roof

25:45 A man in blue shirt is reflected in a bedroom mirror

27:55 Dissolve from a flowered stained glass window to a sketch of the design

31:30 Man and woman sitting at a table for interview

The houses of architect Frederick Scheibler

Frederick G. Schiebler, Jr., was a progressive architect who worked in Pittsburgh in the early 1900's. A tour of this home's interior reveals classic Schiebler features, as well as a collection of antiques from around the world.

One antique dealer calls this place "an antique dealer's dream," since the home and its treasures are so well-preserved.

At Carnegie-Mellon University, Martin Aurand is an archivist who wrote a book about Scheibler. Martin explains some of the features that distinguish Scheibler houses, and takes us on a tour of other Scheibler homes around Pittsburgh, including a very large apartment complex known as the Old Heidleberg.

Residents of the Old Heidleberg give a tour of the apartment's interior, and point out classic Scheibler features, such as a brass fireplace hood.

Western PA History: People

Bridges and Buildings

Creating Community: People

The Arts: Local artist

HH07

33:54

Moving shot going through small red covered bridge

36:20 Long pan past a simple, childlike drawing of cars and trucks on wall

Artist Malcolm Parcell's Moon Lorn

In Washington County, an artist named Malcolm Parcell built new rooms onto an older structure and dubbed his creation Moon Lorn. An art critic wrote a book about Parcell, and sheds light on the unusual man who created such an unusual home.

An artist-in-residence studies the artwork created by Malcolm Parcell.

Western PA History: People

Creating Community: People

The Arts

HH08

37:36

Driving under an archway that says Cokesburg

41:05

Long moving pan right to left past a row of homes on a tree-lined street

Company houses in Marianna, Donora

Immigrants who worked in coal mines lived in "company houses," which were long rows of homes that looked the same. One neighborhood of company houses is in Marianna, PA, and a visit with the people who live here today reveals the history of the immigrants who once occupied them.

More company homes, these ones in Donora, are known as "cement city," because of the material used to build them. A tour of interior shows how cement differs from other common building material.

Western PA History: Immigrants, coal/mining industry

Creating Community: People

Bridges and Buildings

HH09

42:55

Archival footage of a family walking on a lawn

Swift pre-fabricated houses

Swift houses, another example of company houses in Elizabeth, PA, became common in more than 28 U.S. states in the 1950's. A visit with the people who used to manufacture Swift homes reveals the lasting impact of their structures. Ultimately, more than 300,000 Swift homes were built world-wide.

Western PA History: Business, industry

Bridges and Buildings

HH10

46:07

Pan from a metal picket fence to man in trenchcoat walking on street

A Schenley Heights house with a view by architect Walter Roberts

In Schenley Heights, Robert Lovell built his house in 1955, on the east end of Pittsburgh's Hill District. He explains his decision to build his home inside the city, and his experience working with African-American architect Walter Roberts. Roberts designed with sensitivity to the city's landscape, and views of Oakland.

Western PA History: People, minority cultures

Creating Community: Pittsburgh city landscape

HH11

48:46

Zoom out from driving car to red brick apartment building

Chatham Village: A planned community of the 1930s

Chatham Village on Mt. Washington was built in the 1930's, and is one of the earliest examples of planned communities. The concept of planned communities was the work of the Buhl Foundation, who wanted to build garden communities for people of moderate incomes. A tour of the exterior reveals some of the features that made Chatham Village a world-wide model for planned communities. The interior tour shows ways some of the residents have customized their homes.

Western PA History: Business, community development, lifestyles

Creating Community

Bridges and Buildings

HH12

53:20

Wide shot tilt down on the Clayton Mansion

Clayton: Home of Henry C. Frick

In Point Breeze, Pittsburgh's only remaining great Victorian mansion was once the home of industrialist Henry Clay Frick, who lived there with his family from 1882 to 1905. The home was restored and holds many of the Frick family treasures. Clayton opened to the public as a museum in 1990, and those people who take the tour get a glimpse of the privileged lifestyle of one of the city's most renown historical figures. Clayton's curator points out some of her favorite pieces, including an original Monet painting, as well as many pieces that are not on public display.

Western PA History: People

Bridges and Buildings

The Arts

59:00 Show credits

The End