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Crafton Home Receives PHLF Historic Landmark Plaque The unassuming brick Tudor owned by Diane Dennis and James Crawford is the first private residence in Crafton to be the recipient of a historic landmark plaque presented by the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation. This East Crafton Avenue residence, known as the George Leber House, was built in 1938 and was designed by renowned Pittsburgh architect, George Rowland. Previous owner, Neill C. Stouffer, restored the home and applied for and received the landmark designation. Diane and Jim followed through by purchasing and installing the landmark plaque. Although the home may seem ordinary when viewed from the street, the home’s interior features a wealth of unique and beautiful architectural elements that make it worthy of landmark status. The most striking feature of the home is the cast terrazzo spiral staircase which winds through five of the home’s seven levels. The cantilevered construction allows the staircase to float with seemingly no support. Rising above the staircase is a plaster dome ringed with braid molding and hand-carved acanthus leaves. Throughout the rest of the home are fascinating features that range from the bold and the striking to the nearly invisible. Most notable are the large cast concrete fireplaces that grace the living room and the pine room, as well as an original art deco bathroom clad in black and mint green Carrara glass tile. Not so noticeable are the hidden closets tucked away in the pentagonal dining room, the radiators that are recessed into the walls and the doors with no visible hinges. All of these things, plus many more, make this house a landmark. But for Diane and Jim, they make it a treasured home. Our Member’s Social series kicked off the 2007 season with a lovely event hosted by Maura and Ed Burgess. Maura treated us to a huge array of food and some fabulous beverages. After everyone had caught up with folks they hadn’t seen since the Gala, everyone adjourned to the family room to view Maura and Ed’s episode of HGTV’s house-history TV series, “If Walls Could Talk”. The series, which focuses on buildings that have housed famous (or infamous) characters, been sites of historical events, or are simply filled with good stories, came to Crafton in November to film the story of the medical mysteries uncovered in Maura and Ed’s 1892 Grand Victorian home. Congratulations to Maura and Ed on their TV stardom and many thanks for a great social. Our second social was hosted by Betsy Martin who welcomed us to her fascinating and historic home. A nice crowd gathered to enjoy her hospitality as well as her Sangria recipe. During the social, Amy Kerlin, our Education Chair, announced that the director of the University of Pittsburgh’s Digital Research Library would be coming to Crafton to discuss the “Historic Pittsburgh” project. As many of you know, the “Historic Pittsburgh” project recently completed the online publication of “The Story of Crafton”, authored by our talented hostess, Betsy Martin. Thanks go to Betsy for a great evening. Be sure to mark your calendars for Thursday, October 25 when Dr. Sharon Wilson opens her home for our final social of 2007. Please plan to join us for a bite to eat, a beverage, and an evening of fun. This informal gathering is free of charge so we encourage you to attend and to bring a non-member as a guest! Kindly RSVP to Sharon for this event at 412-921-6540 or JWilson481@aol.com. Learn How Crafton History Goes Digital "Collaborating to Digitize Local History: The Historic Pittsburgh Website." Wednesday November 7 This presentation is FREE and open to the public! Light refreshments will be served. See you there! |
