Get ready for a motherlode! We're about to look at three of the beautiful homes that made me fall in love with Frederick Scheibler in the first place.
But this morning, my Beagle seemed extra tired. Porter came to me with a lot of health problems, so when he drags himself along, I take it seriously. I decided to turn today's dogwalk into a joyride.
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| I love my little Beag. |
Beauty overload! I knew this gorgeous trio was made of Scheibler homes the first time I visited the annual Regent Square Yard Sales.
These homes were built during a time when the middle class was growing and Pittsburgh's East End was quickly filling with houses that were designed for economy over aesthetics. Many of the same basic designs were being used over and over again. Scheibler's houses, though, stood out.
Working chronologically, here is the Miller House: 7506 Trevanion Avenue, built in 1905. I love how it juts off unexpectedly, with stained glass and a corner of windowed walls. (I wish I was a famous Scheibler scholar so owners would invite me inside.) The Miller House is on the Historic Landmark registry.
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| 7506, taken from in front of 7508 |
Right next door, you'll find 7508 Trevanion Avenue, built a little later: 1922-1923.
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| 7508 and 7506. |
Check out the stained glass in 7508, below. It is almost the same as the piece in 425 South Braddock Avenue. See? Click here!
But now for my personal favorite: The very romantic Hellmund House, 7510 Trevanion, built in 1915. This might be my second favorite Scheibler building of all time, falling short only to the
Old Heidelberg. I would desperately love to see inside it.
I love the surprising shape. The front door isn't stuck on the front of the house; it's tucked into a little cutaway. There are arches, geometric shapes, stone mosaics, leaded and art glass, stone walkways, French doors leading onto a balcony, surprising angles, a chimney and a patio. The driveway dips into a lower level garage (also by Scheibler).
In
The Progressive Architecture of Frederick G. Scheibler, Martin Aurand says that the house has an "obsession with corners," since the main entry opens at a corner of the house and every room is entered at a corner.
He also writes that "The rooms abound with built-in cabinets, fireplaces with inset tiles, and an array of custom-designed lamps ranging from a bejeweled urn to a futuristic recessed ceiling fixture. This abundance of inventive detail turns the house into a jewel box."
Speaking of jewel box, look how the upper and lower roof are connected by a triangular spandrel, accented with dots of colored tiles. And, Scheibler returns to the stucco.
I can't imagine calling this beautiful place home.
According to Aurand, the Hellmunds chose Scheibler as their architect because they lived in the (now-shabby)
Meado'cots. Rudolph E. Hellmund was a prestigious engineer and inventor who spent his leisure time gardening. He and his wife had a love affair with their house, calling it by the affectionate German diminutive, their
Hausen.
Here is the floor plan, courtesy of Martin Aurand. Click to enlarge it.
One last thing. Looks like I missed my chance to tour these houses during a Regent Square house tour in 1997!
