5671 - 5679 Beacon Street, cottages

Porter hates when I hold up his walk with a photo opp! He thinks it's a waste of our time.

Here are four more cottages on Beacon. They look a lot like these ones, and once again, they offer their residents a lovely front lawn.





Okay, got 'em!

Hamilton Cottages, 5629 - 5669 Beacon Street

I love Squirrel Hill, and any chance to walk my Beagle past coffee shops, pizza places, movie theaters, and plenty of places for tea, curry, ice cream and even waffles.

Sunday was a very good day to pursue the Scheibler treasure hunt, because it was one of my favorite days of the year -- 61 cent day at the 61C Cafe! Every year on their birthday, they offer 61-cent espresso drinks. I plan my whole day around it.

Their spinach and feta scones are our favorite breakfast. 

With the help of some caffeine, we headed up Beacon to what is now called Beacon Commons, owned by Walnut Capital. These 21 cottages were reportedly "lovingly restored and completely updated" in 2000, but some original details from 1910 and 1911, particularly the doors, seem to remain. You can see some photos of the interiors on Walnut Capital's website. Click here. 

In Frederick Scheibler's Day, they were called the Hamilton Cottages. They were commissioned by Robinson and Bruckman, who also commissioned the Old Heidelberg. They're made of red brick with six rooms in two stories.

Once again, Scheibler shows great appreciation for the outdoors. You can now park in the (relatively new) parking lot in front of the cottages, but you can't drive up to the front doors. You have to take a meandering walkway on foot. 

View from Beacon. 

And here are some photos of 5629 Beacon Street on Zillow.com.

423 South Braddock Avenue, Old Heidelberg Cottage, and 425 South Braddock Avenue, attached house

It makes me feel a little wistful to finish showing you my very favorite building! Here are the last additions to the Old Heidelberg. The final cottage was built in 1908. You can see, below, how it attaches to the Old Heidelberg and becomes yet another element that saves the building from perfect symmetry. The attachments on the right side of the building (from the sidewalk) help the building sprawl closer toward the street in an elegant and ambling way. Reportedly, the adjoining cottages were never part of the original plan for the Old Heidelberg, but now I can't imagine the sprawling structure without them. 

Rear window

Here are some interior photos from Mozart Management's website. (You can see more gorgeous photos of the inside of this cottage and the interesting floorplan if you click here.) I once entered during the tenant's yard sale and wished I'd had my camera then!

Then in 1909, Scheibler added a single home and attached it to the Old Heidelberg with an archway. While I believe it was once a single-family home, today it is four apartments. While Mozart Management owns the Old Heidelberg, this building is owned by an individual.

This is that home. 

An arch over a walkway connects the two buildings. A Beagle butt made it into the photo!

Love the stained glass.

Today, the home has been turned into apartments. I love the big back window, which I imagine should overlook a beach or pastoral scene, not an urban alley where all the area dog owners seem to leave their dogs' poop.  (Watch your step on Flotilla Way!) Anyway, yes indeed, this photo, taken through the front door, is a little creepy of me. This could be remedied if Scheibler owners would invite me inside for tours.

I've now blogged the entire Old Heidelberg--a beautiful site to behold!

Update! Today my heart skipped a beat when I realized that the second-floor dweller of 425 Braddock Avenue was holding a moving sale. I got to meet him - a very nice guy with great adventures ahead -- and see inside the building.

A hallway takes you from the front door to each unit. The apartment I visited today took up the entire second floor.

This hallway has an incredible amount of light! I was so excited to get inside, I neglected to look outside...I wish I would have peered into the curious and fenced back yard. 

Old Heidelberg Cottages, 401-403 South Braddock Avenue and 7612-7614 Waverly

Before I go to bed tonight, let's head back to my favorite Scheibler spot, the Old Heidelberg. In 1908, Scheibler added 2-story cottages to apartment building. They wrap around the property from Braddock Avenue to Waverly.

Like this:

Credit for this goes to, as usual, Martin Aurand

You can see photos of the interiors if you click here. 

But first, check out how the crocuses (croci?) bloomed all the heck over the East End this week!

Porter: always ready to share my enthusiasm 

In The Progressive Architecture of Frederick G. Scheibler, Martin Aurand writes that there is no evidence that Scheibler originally intended to expand the Old Heidelberg. Robinson and Bruckman, who commissioned the apartments, didn't own all of the property around it until after the Old Heidelberg was built.

But in 1908-09, Scheibler added four cottages to the building's north end, a single cottage on the south end, and a house on the adjacent property.  They definitely add to the building's rambling and random quality.

 

All of the Old Heidelberg dwellings have front and back doors, which lends to lots of nooks and crannies. Check out the arch!

Close-up on the cattails!

Rear windows

Here is a post card depicting the Old Heidelberg with the Waverly Cottages.