7521 Graymore Road, House

We recently looked at the very memorable Parkstone Dwellings, which were commissioned by siblings Harry and Rose Rubins. 

Rose commissioned 7521 Graymore Road, and there's a hint of the Parkstone Dwellings in them -- a slight nod to the tiled "Oriental rugs" that hang over the side. This tiled design spruces (Scheiblers!) up a two-story window seat on an otherwise plainer house. 

There is also an original tile over the front door.

Graymore Road is a treasure hunt in itself. It's just steps off of Braddock Avenue, across from the Old Heidelberg, and borders the eastern edge of Frick Park. The little cluster of out-of-the-way homes is quiet and hilly.

The winding road down to the noise and traffic of Braddock Avenue. 

Graymore Road is a private road, the kind where people look out from their yards as though to say, "How did you even find us?" But Porter and I headed that way anyway. I can't imagine a girl with a camera can look very threatening with this face in tow.

584 Briar Cliff Road, house

There is a tiny, quiet, beautiful neighborhood tucked behind the intersection of Forbes and Braddock and perched on a ravine over Frick Park. Briar Cliff Road has a private entrance at the end of the bridge that's suspended high above Frick Park's Hot Dog Dam.

My little Porter used to get nervous about crossing that bridge, but practice makes perfect.

584 Briar Cliff Road was built in 1916. 

Since I haven't seen the inside, I think the best part of living there would be having this as your back yard: 

 

Rockledge, 579 Briar Cliff Road, house

Rockledge, built in 1910, isn't very visible from the road. You have to sort of brazenly balance on some rocks across the street (which belong to 584, another Scheibler house!) while holding tight to your Beagle.

tucked in...

Rockledge has a counterpart, the "Scott House," in Philadelphia. Martin Aurand describes Rockledge as "more upright and uptight."

A little closer...

I love the steps!

It was named for its naturally rocky surroundings and sits over a wonderfully whimsical garden wall.  While I'm stuck in rush hour traffic at the intersection of Forbes and Braddock, I like imagining a gnome living on the other side of this surprise wooden door. It helps me lighten up a bit.

Here is a photo from Martin Aurand's The Progressive Architecture of Frederick G. Scheibler, as well as a floor plan. Incredible! Click the floor plan to enlarge it.

 

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. 

420 - 422 East End Avenue Row Houses

Ready? Let's go!

Porter is always ready.

Three row houses are located almost directly behind the Old Heidelberg at 420, 420 1/2 and 422 East End Avenue. Their year is 1913. 

I keep thinking that these pictures would be even prettier if Pittsburgh was in bloom, but at least you can see the architecture through all the bare trees!

Here are some interior shots of 420 East End Avenue, courtesy of Zillow.

And here's a quick shot I grabbed with my phone on October 28, 2014, when I noticed the sunrise reflecting off the building! 

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.