“Live Worship Shop” House Tour 2015 Preview

1

93 North Fremont Ave.

Built by Benjamin Avery Groah for his own residence. He and his family lived in the home until 1918. Groah also built the Jackson and Grant Elementary schools. The Groahs sold the house to the Lockwood family. It remained in the family until 1948 when it was sold to the McGill family. The current owners are the son and daughter-in-law of the McGills. They purchased the home in 1993 and have painstakingly renovated the home and added updates without losing the charm of the home.

2

31 North Howard Avenue

First owner: Margaret J. Davidson. When wallpaper was removed from the kitchen in the 1980’s, the name John Davidson Ballard was found written in pencil on the wall. The brass fixtures in the living room are originals. The house, at some point, was a boarding house. The upstairs bedrooms still have traces of the locks that were installed for individual rooms. The current owners have remodeled extensively to include refurbishing of the hardwood, adding a backyard patio and remodeling the first floor bathroom.

3

25 North Bryant Avenue

This home was a single family home that was, at some time, converted into three apartments. In the 1980’s, there was a fire in the home. Though there was no damage to the grand wood work, the home was piece milled back together. In 2004, the current owners took the house down to the studs, on all three floors. The result of their arduous undertaking is a home which offers a bright open floor concept, combining the charm of the old with a fresh splash of contemporary.

4

216 Jefferson Avenue

This building was built by Benjamin Avery Groah . It originally was the Grant Elementary School. Renovations to convert the building into 21 condominiums was completed in 2007. The architect was William J. Shaw. The owners bought the unit in 2007 and have designed and decorated the unit themselves. The former principal’s office is now their home office, including the original master clock with the bell system. Each unit includes an original chalkboard.

5

45 North Sprague Avenue

Founded in 1903, the cornerstone of Assumption Church was laid in 1904. The first mass was held on January 1, 1905. In 1924, land was purchased to erect a new church. The architect was Bellevue’s own Leo A. McMullen. The building was dedicated in 1931. The American Institute of Architects noted McMullen as one of “the six architects who shaped Pittsburgh.” It wasn’t until the 1940’s that this proud church added it’s stained glass windows, organ and baptismal font.

6

457 Lincoln Avenue

Bellevue United Presbyterian Church was designed by Lewis Beatty. He also designed the West Penn Hospital. The church was dedicated in November 1901. The stained glass in the sanctuary are originals designed by Willet Stained Glass Co. The Estey organ was donated in part by Andrew Carnegie. The church is constructed of Beaver gray stone and the name and date of dedication are etched in the stone at the front left hand corner of the building.

7

318 Lincoln Avenue

John A. Hermann Memorial Art Museum John Adam Hermann was born in 1855 and travelled the globe to hone his craft and document the world he saw. He worked at his father’s leather business for thirty-seven years before striking out at the age of fiftyfive to fulfill his lifelong dream of becoming a full-time artist. John Hermann had decided, at some earlier point in time, never to sell or disperse any of his work. Upon his death in 1942, he generously bequeathed over 1,000 beautifully framed paintings, bronze artwork and ornate pieces of scrimshaw, to the small town he loved. John Hermann’s prolific collection of oil paintings, sketches and watercolors, spanning the early 1900s to 1942, are literally a chronicle of a bygone era. You can find out more about the museum at www.johnhermannmuseum.org.