John F. Singer House Explained

John F. Singer House
Coordinates:40.4467°N -79.8822°W
Built:1865
Architecture:Gothic
Added:November 13, 1974
Refnum:74001744
Designated Other1:PHLF
Designated Other1 Date:2000[1]

The John F. Singer House is a house in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, United States, an east-side suburb of Pittsburgh.[2] [3] It was built for John F. Singer, who was made wealthy during the American Civil War by supplying the Union Army with iron and steel.[4]

Described as "one of the most elaborate mansions built" in the nineteenth century,[5] [6] it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.[7]

History

Located in Wilkinsburg, which is an east-side suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,[8] [9] the John F. Singer House is a Gothic Revival-style house that was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.[10] [11]

Built for John F. Singer, who was made wealthy during the American Civil War by supplying the Union Army with iron and steel, this structure may have been designed by architect Joseph W. Kerr. Begun in 1863 as a summer residence for Singer, this thirty-five-room stone house was initially situated on thirty-five acres of land.[12] Completed in 1869, its construction cost roughly $65,000.[13]

Atypical of Kerr's pattern-book designs, it was a far more ostentatious finished product than anything Kerr had previously done. Among the effects achieved by the plasterers, stonemasons and woodcarvers that Singers had brought in from Austria, Germany and England were "delicate natural motifs in low relief under each bay window" and hand-carved, hardwood vergeboards, according to the Society of Architectural Historians.[14]

A cruciform-style design with four gables, multiple, ornate dormers, two crushed sandstone and gesso-dressed, mahogany porches, and front steps carved from Mexican slate, the design also incorporated an Italianate-tiled foyer.[15] The architectural plans show that it was a spacious home which had a living room, breakfast room, dining room, kitchen, library, and guest room on the first floor,[16] and five bedrooms, two bathrooms and a sitting room on the second floor.[17]

Each of the eighteen rooms on the structure's first floor is characterized by its own unique marble mantel and is accented by mahogany doors and window frames.[18]

The estate also initially included a gatehouse, carriage house, private Episcopal chapel, and an artificial lake that was one hundred and twenty-five feet wide and eight feet deep.[19] [20]

Singer then had his estate landscaped with gardens, an orchard and a vineyard.[21]

Singer resided here with his wife and children until his death in 1872.[22] During the resolution of his estate, his widow was awarded one-third of the property while his children were awarded the remaining two-thirds.[23] Sometime after that, his widow and children moved out of the residence, but chose to leave clothing, jewelry, books, furniture, and other household items there, a significant number of which were stolen during a break-in by thieves at the home in 1875.[24] [25]

Following the death of Singer's widow, Mary (Snyder) Singer, in 1893,[26] her one-third share of the property was awarded to Singer's children by way of a trust fund managed by the Safe Deposit & Trust Company.[27]

Sometime after that, Singer's home was converted, first, into a boarding house for Westinghouse executives[28] and, later, into individual apartments.[29]

Renovations on the historic building were undertaken by John Bos and Sally Lindsay-Bos during the 1960s and 1970s,[30] and, later, by Steven and Michele Saling.[31]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: Historic Landmark Plaques 1968-2009 . Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation . Pittsburgh, PA . 2010 . 2011-07-28.
  2. Book: Historic Landmark Plaques 1968-2009 . Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation . Pittsburgh, PA . 2010 . 2011-07-28.
  3. "Here's Where to Find East Hills Landmarks." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: The Pittsburgh Press, May 20, 1975, p. 40 (subscription required).
  4. "John F. Singer House," in SAH Archipedia. Chicago, Illinois: Society of Architectural Historians, retrieved online December 29, 2022.
  5. "John F. Singer House," in "Travel Notes." Lancaster, Pennsylvania: The Sunday News, February 2, 1975, p. 49 (subscription required).
  6. "John F. Singer House," in "Sewickley Craft Exhibit Offering Imagination." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, February 14, 1975, p. 10 (subscription required).
  7. Book: Historic Landmark Plaques 1968-2009 . Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation . Pittsburgh, PA . 2010 . 2011-07-28.
  8. "Here's Where to Find East Hills Landmarks," The Pittsburgh Press, May 20, 1975.
  9. "Wilkinsburg Celebrates Half Century of Progress." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: The Pittsburgh Press, September 26, 1937, p. 66 (subscription required).
  10. Book: Historic Landmark Plaques 1968-2009 . Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation . Pittsburgh, PA . 2010 . 2011-07-28.
  11. "John F. Singer House," in "Travel Notes," The Sunday News, February 2, 1975.
  12. "John F. Singer House," in SAH Archipedia. Chicago, Illinois: Society of Architectural Historians, retrieved online December 29, 2022.
  13. "Elegance of Bygone Era Enhances Modern Living." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 21, 1961, p. 74 (subscription required).
  14. "John F. Singer House" in SAH Archipedia, Society of Architectural Historians.
  15. "John F. Singer House," in SAH Archipedia, Society of Architectural Historians.
  16. "HABS PA,2-PITBU,23- (sheet 1 of 6) - John F. Singer House, 1318 Singer Place, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, PA," in "Historic American Buildings Survey." Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, retrieved online December 29, 2022.
  17. "HABS PA,2-PITBU,23- (sheet 2 of 6) - John F. Singer House, 1318 Singer Place, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, PA," in "Historic American Buildings Survey." Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, retrieved online December 29, 2022.
  18. "John F. Singer House," in SAH Archipedia, Society of Architectural Historians.
  19. "Elegance of Byone Era Enhances Modern Living," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 2, 1961.
  20. "John F. Singer House," in SAH Archipedia, Society of Architectural Historians.
  21. "Elegance of Byone Era Enhances Modern Living," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 2, 1961.
  22. "John F. Singer House," in SAH Archipedia, Society of Architectural Historians.
  23. "City Will Except." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 13, 1899, p. 3 (subscription required).
  24. "Bold House Breaking." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: The Pittsburgh Press, February 9, 1875, front page (subscription required).
  25. "Daring Daylight Robbery." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh Daily Post, February 9, 1875, p. 4 (subscription required).
  26. "Mrs. Mary Singer" (obituary). Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh Daily Post, December 29, 1893, p. 6 (subscription required).
  27. "City Will Except," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 13, 1899.
  28. "Wilkinsburg Celebrates Half Century of Progress," The Pittsburgh Press, September 26, 1937.
  29. "John F. Singer House," in SAH Archipedia, Society of Architectural Historians.
  30. Sachs, Sylvia. "Couple Returning Charm to Wilkinsburg Mansion." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania" The Pittsburgh Press, August 17, 1978, p. 20 (subscription required).
  31. "Saling, Steven Allen" (obituary). Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, January 19, 2015.

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