10 N. Fremont Avenue - Christ the King Church
Christ the King Church is the former Emanuel’s Lutheran Church which had a very long history in Bellevue, occupying the building at 10 North Fremont Avenue from the time of its construction in 1908 until 2015.In 1907 the Reverend B.F. Hankey, D.D. became the founder and first pastor in Bellevue of the Emanuel’s congregation. Soon afterward the congregation purchasedx a lot on North Fremont Avenue in Bellevue, adjacent to the streetcar line to West View. At that time Bellevue was a rapidly growing “streetcar suburb” that was attracting many former residents of Pittsburgh’s North Side neighborhood due to its clean air, attractive streets, and convenient transportation. W.H.C. Moore and H.G. Ruehl were contracted to erect a gray stone building to cost $17,340. The new church was dedicated on February 7, 1909. A bell tower was added at the front of the building in 1922, and a matching 15-room Parish House annex was built in 1927 at a cost of $40,000.Despite the sudden death of the Reverend B.F. Hankey on November 5, 1930, Emanuel’s continued to expand during the pastorate of the Reverend G. Lawrence Himmelman, D.D., who came to Bellevue from Jeannette in June 1931. The confirmed membership numbered 489 by 1932. The congregation enlarged the church as it presently exists, extending the original building to join the Parish House, which greatly enlarged the sanctuary and increased seating by 150. Arthur Steinmark was the architect for the expansion which was completed by April 1942 and cost $62,000. The project included installation of a public address system and Schulmerich Carillon chimes, the stained glass window at the front of the sanctuary was moved to the rear, and a beautiful new window installed above the altar. A church history notes that despite wartime shortages and rationing which hindered new construction in Pittsburgh and across the nation, “with influential men on our committee...we were successful in securing steel and other materials after the market was closed to unrestricted buyers.” On April 22, 1942 members gathered to celebrate the successful completion of the project which they called “Building a Greater Emanuel’s.”The 13 stained glass windows along the sides of the sanctuary, designed and crafted by Hunt Studio, were completed in the 1950s at a cost of $7,600; they are symbolic in design and depict the major virtues in Christian life. Hunt Studio was founded in Pittsburgh’s West End by Henry Hunt in 1906 and is still in business today.By the early 2000s, the Emanuel’s congregation was experiencing declining numbers, and regular attendance at weekly services had dwindled. Only a few years after celebrating its centennial in Bellevue, Emanuel’s closed its doors on July 12, 2015; fortunately they would not be closed for very long.On December 14, 2015 the property was purchased by Christ the King Church, a small but dedicated non-denominational congregation led by Bishop George and Pastor Susan Beninate. Originally birthed in Bellevue 36 years ago, Christ the King Church held its earliest meetings in the former VFW and then moved to the YMCA on Lincoln Avenue. After worshipping in a succession of buildings in various towns around the Pittsburgh area, Christ the King Church finally found a permanent home at Emanuel’s in Bellevue, where the members enthusiastically set to building a dynamic ministry while restoring the church building to its former grandeur and also re-establishing its integral role in the Bellevue community. Although the building remained in beautiful condition overall, members faced the urgent task of addressing a serious moisture infiltration problem. The exterior stonework was re- pointed in 2018; the roof is now in the process of being restored and repaired; and in the near future, the basement social hall will be fully restored and reopened for use as an outreach to the public.
467 Orchard Avenue
The frame Dutch Colonial home of Tim and Danielle Sowers, 5 children, and 3 spoiled cats is located on the south side of Orchard Avenue near North Balph in the Bellevue Land Company’s “Sunnyside Plan of Lots and is a division of the old Bayne Farm. The land was laid out into building lots in July 1890. Like many of the subdivisions in Bellevue there were deed restrictions to encourage the construction of substantial single-family homes rather than apartments and flats. In 1901, the lot was sold to Charles Spring for $1900. Spring built the home soon afterward and lived there with his wife Sadie for nearly 30 years.The Sowers wanted a small, walking school district, and Bellevue was just the community for that—with the bonuses being the quaint parks and libraries and a neighborhood that was perfect for trick-or-treating. The perfect trick-or-treating neighborhood it is with several hundred children coming to their door each year.In January 2020 a devastating fire swept through the house, leaving little intact except the framing, some of the roof, the foundation, and the footprint. The Sowers found some original pocket doors that had been lost in the framing, and some gorgeous (but smoky) oak flooring under the carpet. This restorative labor of love included locating the front door/sidelights and fireplace mantels from architectural salvage from a property of similar age. The interior newel posts were restored and usedfor the front porch banister. Danielle and Tim even ventured into other states during the pandemic searching for necessary components to restore the house. “It’s been a pleasure to find objects and decor at thrift and antique stores and estate sales rather than buying everything new - which makes it feel more lived in, rather than replaced,” Danielle said.Tim and Danielle were able to rework the footprint a bit to fit their lifestyle. They were also able to add a primary bedroom on the first floor along with an ensuite bath with spa amenities.This beauty of a home will soon boast of a dedicated space for canning and home brewing, clean and sophisticated storage, and an out-of-the-way place for exercise equipment.While the fire was devastating, the Sowers were committed to not leaving behind an empty lot in the heart of Bellevue or adding something to the neighborhood that was out of character. Instead they saved as much as possible and did their best to replicate the rest, investing countless hours in the rebuild, despite many challenges posed by the pandemic. The reborn home now fits seamlessly into the streetscape of the neighborhood and will be a community asset for many years to come.
693 Forest Avenue
Since June of 2020, the brick and frame bungalow has been home to Matt Caracciolo and Kaitlyn Mammay. The home is located at the corner of Forest Avenue and Maryland Avenue. The property is part of the Bellevue Land Company’s “Sunnyside Plan of Lots,” a division of the old Bayne Farm. For this Sunnyside Plan, buyers were prohibited from placing a building within 20 feet of the street or erecting houses that cost less than $2,000.In July 1926 Samuel and Jane McKee and Verdie Dille sold this lot to Louis Koval for $1,900, a typical price for an undeveloped Bellevue lot at that time, suggesting that it was still vacant. The following year Koval sold it to Della Baird for $1.00. It is likely that the house was built for either Louis Koval or Della Baird about 1926-1927. Current owners, Matt and Kaitlyn, note that their home is identical to four other houses on the same block which suggests that they all were built at the same time by the same developer.The history of this lot, for the two decades following its sale to Della Baird, is rather confusing due to multiple foreclosures and sheriff’s sales during and just after the Great Depression. After numerous owners, in December 1952 the Borough of Bellevue sold the property to George Brown and his wife Martha for $500. The low purchase price suggests that the house was in poor condition and possibly had been vacant for some time. In 1956 the Browns sold the property to Steven and Ann Jaron for $13,700. The Jarons lived there for eight years. Following the Jarons’ ownership, there was a rapid turnover of ownership.In 2019 the property was lost through foreclosure and sold by the Allegheny County Sheriff to the Bank of New York/Mellon. The Bank then conveyed it to Haven Home Builders, LLC, a local home restoration/renovation company, in November 2019.After extensive renovation, including adding a powder room to the first floor, Haven sold the property to Matthew Caracciolo. Matt and Kaitlyn note that the house had been vacant for a number of years when it was acquired by Haven Home Builders. They say that Haven took the entire interior of the house down to studs and rebuilt, but retained as many original features as possible so that the house exhibits a mixture of 1920s character and modern updates.Some of the more interesting features include stained glass windows in the living room and original doors with skeleton key hardware. “Our style is a mix— if I were to put a label, it would be somewhere between modern farmhouse and industrial, with a little bit of mid century sprinkled in. Our goal is to let the character of the house shine through, and accentuate those features while adding modern touches,” states Kaitlyn.Haven Home Builders also purchased the empty lot next door to add a driveway for off street parking. Upon move in, Kaitlyn and Matt pushed back the retaining wall to make way for a new deck off the kitchen. The added deck creates a cohesive indoor/outdoor space for the couple to enjoy movie nights, grill outs, or just appreciating the rare sunny days of Pittsburgh. Another project the couple completed was the installation of flooring in the basement for additional living space and expanding the attic opening to allow for extra storage.Kaitlyn and Matt have always been fans of Bellevue and were attracted to the house’s mixture of 1920’s character and modern updates, including a modernized, spacious kitchen. They also love the walkability of the Bellevue neighborhood, the friendly atmosphere, and vibrant personalities that live here.
264 Summit Avenue
The frame and stucco Colonial Revival style home owned by Roger Powell and Susan Stabnau is located on Summit Avenue near Maryland Avenue. The property includes two lots in the Bellevue Land Company’s “Sunnyside Plan of Lots.”James Trimble probably was responsible for erecting the fine home at 264 Summit Avenue soon after he purchased the property in 1905. Sons Thomas and Walter worked at their father’s contracting firm and may have been involved in the construction of the house. Trimble was a prosperous contractor and builder, and his family’s time at the home was rather brief and tragic.They had resided there for only two years when Mary Trimble died in July 1907. In October 1913, 68-year old James Trimble died at home of a stroke. He left a personal estate valued at $10,000 as well as “considerable real estate, the value of which is not estimated.” He bequeathed the home and substantial cash to two of his children, Walter and Mary, and smaller amounts to the other children.In 1920 the administrator of the Trimble estate conveyed the property to George Sutter Sr. and his wife Helen Sleeth Sutter for $11,500. George Sutter Sr. was a wholesale sugar broker. His firm controlled much of the beet sugar that came into the Pittsburgh market. The Sutters socialized with Pittsburgh’s elite, regularly vacationing at Conneaut Lake, Cambridge Springs, and Bermuda. The senior Sutters resided at the home for the rest of their lives.In 1983 the estate of George Sutter Sr. conveyed the property to his son George Sutter, Jr. and his wife Frances Sutter. Sutter, Jr. died in December 2004 at the age of 94, and in June 2005 his widow Frances conveyed the property to Mark Francen and Robert Halstead. In October 2009, 264 Summit was conveyed to Roger Powell and Susan Stabnau, the present owners.Roger and Susan have lived on Summit Avenue since 1998. For the first 12 of those years, they lived across the street from their current home. Susan shared, “When we lived directly across the street for 10 years, we were lucky enough to know Ed and Fran Sutter who were in their late 80s at the time. Ed was quite a character who had the best handlebar mustache. One chilly morning we watched him supervise the delivery of fuel oil in his boxer shorts, a white t-shirt and clippies to shape his mustache curls. A sight to behold!”While the house was nearly emptied of contents when they bought it, Roger and Susan did inherit a set of original floorplans that show the three main floors along with the basement. There is also a huge attic that isn’t shown. The house plans have been reproduced and house tour patrons will be able to see them hanging on the wall on the 2nd floor.In the attic Susan and Roger found a huge mound of old magazines: National Geographics from as early as 1919 and Time and Life from the 30s and 40s. The magazines will be a part of the house’s history for future owners. Some that are of particular interest will be available on the 3rd floor for people to carefully look through.Harper the labradoodle and Phineas the 17-year-old diabetic cat that thinks he’s a dog will be wandering around and welcoming you to the home. And while interior design is Susan’s profession, their home is more about collecting and styling—an assemblage of things from family and friends and their travels and adventures. They love to have people come and enjoy the home they’ve created. It’s a home that is easy to live in with modern conveniences while honoring its original character.
236 Summit Avenue
The brick and frame Colonial Revival/Tudor Revival/Shingle style home owned by Drew Farrar and Brenden Rogers is located in the middle of the block on the east side of Summit Avenue. The property includes Lots 321 and part of Lot 322 in the Bellevue Land Company’s “Sunnyside Plan of Lots.” According to a contemporary newspaper report, the two lots were part of an 8-acre group of 36 vacant lots on both sides of Summit Avenue. The land on Summit Avenue was originally set aside by the Bellevue Land Company for a clubhouse as it occupied the highest point in the Sunnyside Plan with an expansive view of the community, but that scheme fell through and the lots were put on the market again.Fourteen of the Summit Avenue lots were acquired by William P. Getty who sold Lot 321 and part of Lot 322 to Mary Eva Dicks in April 1905. To maintain the desired character of the neighborhood, all of the lots carried deed restrictions which mandated that any house must be built 30 feet from the street and cost at least $2,000. Mary Eva Dicks was the wife of John C. Dicks, secretary of the Home Building and Loan Association of Bellevue, who later was convicted of embezzlement, having appropriated $6,700 of the association’s funds for his own use. But that would be years in the future.On October 18, 1910, Mary Eva and John C. Dicks sold the property to Albert E.P. Kerr for $1,500. The house probably was built for the Kerrs soon after the October 1910 sale, and they would live there for 44 years.In August 1952 the guardian of the estate of Albert E.P. Kerr (who was described as “feeble-minded”) and Mary J. Kerr conveyed 236 Summit Avenue to their son Edward P. Kerr and his wife Martha Kistler Kerr for $11,000. Edward and Martha owned the Summit Avenue property for only two years before they sold it to Frank S. and M. Jane Obenauf in February 1954 for $19,000.The next owners of the property, Frank S. and M. Jane Obenauf, resided there for only four years before selling it to David and Frances Dugan in December 1958 for $17,500. In September 1962 the Dugans conveyed it to Francis X. (Fran) and Margaret L. (Peg) Sporrer for $15,000. The Sporrers would own it for the next 32 years and raise eight children in the home.In June 1994 Francis and Peg Sporrer sold the property to Dale T. and Lisa B. Schneider initiating a period of fairly rapid turnover in ownership. The present owners, Drew Farrar and Brenden Rogers purchased the home in November 2021.“We want to see this place looking beautiful for years to come so we are taking an outside-in approach to renovations (ensuring that the exterior is solid and protected from the elements before focusing on the interior),” Drew shared. This outside-in approach can be seen in the recently painted exterior and the repairs to the cedar shake siding. The large front porch is a dream come true for Southerner, Drew, and the couple have made this spot a favorite for relaxing and entertaining.Along with other projects like rehabbing the back deck, replacing the retaining walls, repaving the driveway, and having some masonry work done on the stone foundations/chimneys, Drew and Brenden plan to restore the beautiful stained glass throughout the home This includes two small windows in the living room, two large ones in the staircase landing between the first and second floor, and a final one in the restroom on the second floor.Prior to living in Bellevue, the couple lived in Brooklyn, New York. They felt good about moving to a community that is diverse and welcoming. They made the move here during the uncertainty of the pandemic to have more space, live more affordably, and be closer to family. The home’s character and proximity to downtown, as well as Summit Avenue’s wide brick street with no through traffic, and the neighborhood feel of the area were the reasons Brenden and Drew fell in love with the home.
225 Summit Avenue
The brick home owned by Mike and Kim Tarquinio is located at the south end of the block on the west side of Summit Avenue. The property includes Lot 296 in the Bellevue Land Company’s “Sunnyside Plan of Lots,” a division of the old Bayne Farm.Lot 296 was associated with the adjacent Lot 295 (203 Summit) until 1938. In May 1909 the Chartiers Trust Company sold the two lots to George G. Schmidt who in July 1909 sold Lot 295 to Sarah M. Rowand, wife of William H. Rowand, for $1,750, and he sold Lot 296 to Nannie A. Rowand, wife of Thomas Rowand (see 203 Summit Avenue information). In October 1938 Gaius and Esther Slosser conveyed the vacant Lot 296 to Blanche Wodley Robison, wife of Ernest Robison, for $1.00. The couple probably built the house at 225 Summit Avenue soon after they purchased the lot, and they lived there for the next 33 years. After Blanche died of cardiac disease on 1968, Ernest remained at 225 Summit for another three years.Mr. Robison heard that he would be getting new neighbors next door at 203. He was not very keen on having a family of 11 move in such close proximity to him so he started a petition to keep the family off Summit Avenue. Fortunately, that didn’t stop the new neighbors from moving in, and Mr. Robison became a good friend, even teaching the children how to garden.The property was sold several more times before being purchased by the Tarquinios. Kim and Mike have made many improvements since moving in including removing the wallpaper from the walls and ceilings and opting for lighter design choices than the red velvet drapes that were part of the décor when they moved in. Refinished hardwood floors, the addition of a chair rail and crown molding to the dining room, and central air conditioning were also part of the Tarquinios’ improvements. They also added a primary bedroom ensuite to the space that was once a sleeping porch and bumped out the kitchen onto the back porch. Before adding a new ensuite bathroom, the Tarquinios remodeled the original bath which had a red, white, and blue theme, including a hand painted fire engine red toilet. The side porch and adjoining deck make great space for entertaining as does the basement family room.Mike and Kim live at the property with their three children and Paige, the wonder dog (because they wonder what she’ll do next).
203 Summit Avenue
William H. and Sarah M. Rowand had 203 Summit Avenue built in 1913. The house was constructed on a lot that Sarah M. Rowand had purchased in 1909 for $1750.Ben Avon architect S.L.R. Rosseau designed the house in the Prairie style which is shown in its low-hipped roof with wide overhanging cornice, full-width front porch, massive square front porch supports, hipped dormers, paired windows, solid front porch walls, and stone cap of the front porch walls.The Prairie style, inspired by the early work of Frank Lloyd Wright, became popular in the Pittsburgh area before 1910 and remained in use until about 1925. Allegheny County mortgage records show that the Rowands borrowed $5000 at six percent interest from the German Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh to build the home.The Rowands named 203 Summit Avenue “Hi-Strung,” likely because of the house’s high elevation and its wide overhanging cornice. Whatever the reason, the name fits—if not for the house itself, then for some of her owners.The Rowand family lived in the home for less than three years before William was killed in an automobile accident in 1916. Sarah Rowand sold the house for $10,500 in 1919, and left the Pittsburgh area in the early 1920s.203 Summit Avenue has now had a total of six owners and has been in the West family for 60 years ever since Jim and Pat West purchased it in 1962. They and their nine children moved in and shared the single bathroom. With six bedrooms and a wooded back hill, there was plenty of room for the large family.Like with any aging beauty, improvements and maintenance have been done over the years to help Hi-Strung retain her good looks. Her bricks and chimneys were pointed in 2016. Her trim was painted, too. The 10 foot driveway wall that was hand built using stacked stone had to be replaced using a façade of stacked stone. While craftsman a hundred years ago could build a stacked wall that would stand for 100+ years, ordinances and lack of skill preclude that being done today. But the wall stands straight and tall now, and will be around for the next hundred years, hopefully.Other improvements include adding central air conditioning, a powder room, and a basement bath built using recycled and repurposed materials. Currently the upstairs bathroom is being remodeled with period fixtures. This bathroom will be restored to her original look with hexagonal black and white tile, wainscoting, a pedestal sink that means business, and a clawfoot tub. The only change from the original bathroom is that a rain shower will be installed in addition to the tub. Everything done to the home is to honor the home’s architecture and its former owners who lovingly cared for her these first 110 years.
93 N. Euclid Avenue
The brick and shingle Colonial Revival cottage at 93 North Euclid Avenue is owned by Justin Greenawalt and Christopher Eddie. The property is identified as Lot 37 of the Roseburg Plan of Lots. The Roseburg Plan became one of Bellevue’s most esteemed early twentieth century residential developments.93 North Euclid Avenue is an example of an Eclectic Period cottage. Eclecticism, sometimes called the Historicist Period, was a late 19th and early 20th century architectural period characterized by the sampling and incorporation of varying historical architectural elements to create a stylistic language that was new and original. In architecture, these elements often included structural features, stylistic motifs, and ornament.With its steep gambrel roof and wide front-gable dormer, the house borrows heavily from the Colonial Revival style. However, the cantilevered dining room bay and the use of cedar shingles is a nod to the late Victorian and Shingle styles. Details, including the interior woodwork, are simple and clean, referencing the growing popularity of Craftsman design in the 1900s.In considering the plan of the house, 93 North Euclid was altogether different from most of its contemporaries. The “reception hall house,” frequently identified as an “American Foursquare,” and sometimes referred to colloquially as “the Pittsburgh box,” became the preferred model of developers in the Roseburg Plan. However, the design of this home reflects the needs and desires of an emerging, twentieth-century, American middle class. The house is built on the “living room plan,” wherein the entry opens directly into the living room, dispensing with the typical, formal reception hall and parlor. Guests were received in a spacious living room and welcomed into the house instead of being left waiting at the door. Unlike larger homes of the period, the house was designed to function without the aide of servants or staff.Construction of 93 North Euclid Avenue spanned from late 1911 to early 1912. The home had several owners before it was purchased by James Grant and Marie Connors in 1940. They raised six children in the house. The Connors family would own the house for 71 years. On September 28, 1973, James Grant Connors, Sr. died, leaving the house to his son, James Grant Connors, Jr. James, Jr. remained in the home until 2011.In 2011, Jeffrey Stern purchased the home, and he and his wife began the process of rehabilitating it. On January 2, 2015, current owners, Justin Greenawalt and Christopher Eddie purchased the house from the Sterns.Christopher and Justin knew this was their home when they discovered a December 1933 calendar permanently stuck to door in a hallway closet.The home’s original fireplaces/tile and original doors and hardware remain, and the couple has restored the bathroom with period appropriate antique fixtures and added a deck and pergola complete with backyard landscaping since the 2018 Live Worship Shop House Tour on which the home was also featured.As a professional Architectural Historian and Historic Preservationist, Justin has concerned himself with the continued rehabilitation and restoration of the house. Together, Justin and Christopher view themselves not as owners, but as curators of 93 North Euclid, preserving the house for the generations that will follow.
89 N. Euclid Avenue
The brick and frame bungalow-style home at 89 North Euclid Avenue is currently being rescued by its neighbors. Justin Greenawalt and Christopher Eddie recently purchased the home and are committed to saving it via painstaking restoration including retrofitting and repurposing a 12 foot salvaged mantle.The house, located next door to the couple’s residence was part of the “Roseburg Revised Plan of Lots,” a tract of 13 acres between North Fremont and North Bryant Avenues that was acquired by real estate dealer J. I. McClurg in 1905 and subdivided into 94 building lots. In the last quarter of the 19th century, the 13-acre tract was owned by William Roseburg.Lots in the Roseburg Plan were in high demand, and 75 houses already had been built by 1912. Built in 1919, 89 North Euclid is representative of the substantial single-family homes envisioned by the Roseburg Land Company for its building lots which were intended to attract “the leading business and professional men of Pittsburgh.” The Pittsburgh Press noted that “the Roseburg plan especially has developed into one of the most popular residence sections [of Bellevue], and there is a good demand for property there. These homes are fitted up in an elegant manner and with all conveniences.”On January 9, 1909, the lot was sold, but no home was built on it. A decade later, the lot was sold to Lydia Fladd Menzemer for $2,000. Lydia and her husband Charles probably built the house soon afterward. It was one of the last homes to be constructed in the Roseburg Plan.Charles Menzemer was employed by the Enterprise National Bank of Allegheny as the receiving teller, a position of considerable responsibility. In October 1905, the Bank and Charles were at the center of a well-publicized scandal involving alleged conspiracy and bank fraud, sending the institution into insolvency and receivership. In 1905, the bank was closed by state bank examiners. Menzemer was ultimately convicted and sentenced to 5 years and 10-months in Western State Penitentiary. His wife appealed to President Roosevelt for a pardon which was ultimately granted. President Theodore Roosevelt commuted his sentence to 2 ½ years, and Charles was released in July 1909. After his release from prison, Charles became a real estate agent which gave him a good knowledge of the local real estate market.After Charles’ death in 1920, Lydia and daughter (also Lydia) remained in the home. Tragedy struck in 1955 when the younger Lydia Menzemer died of breast cancer. Three days later, the elder Lydia conveyed the property to herself and son Arthur for $1.00. A year later they sold the property to Ronald and Jean Minnick, and Lydia moved to Michigan to live with her son Arthur. She died there the following year.In 1960 Ronald Minnick’s died tragically in a fall from a 36 foot ladder while trying to rescue several co-workers. Jean remained in the home until 1965 when she sold the property to Edmund and Madelyn Grey.After buying the North Euclid home, Edmund and Madelyn resided there for the rest of their lives. They raised five children in the house. Upon their parents’ deaths, the Grey heirs sold the property to Justin Greenawalt and Christopher Eddie in August 2022. Justin and Chris are currently working hard on its restoration. Even though Justin has the bruises and scars to prove the house is trying to kill him, work continues to rescue another Bellevue treasure.
