A playful, postmodern house in Squirrel Hill is one step closer to demolition now that six members of Pittsburgh City Council members voted against designating the property as a city historic landmark.
In a preliminary vote Tuesday, six council members opposed designating a house designed by Robert Venturi, who won the Pritzker Prize for architecture. Council will take a final vote Tuesday.
Council woman Erika Strassburger, who represents the district where the house is located, said she has toured the home at 118 A Woodland Road.
“There is black mold in the walls. There is a risk for persistent water damage. No one has actually come forward to put up the money to restore the house. It is a house that needs an infusion of significant financial resources to restore it to a livable condition,” she said.
“Unless, miraculously, someone comes forward to spend money, it’s going to fall down eventually. Then the other option is to vote against the nomination and it’s taken down. Either way, I don’t see anyone stepping forward to save the house, unfortunately. I will be voting against the historic nomination.”
The two surviving daughters of Betty Abrams, who commissioned the house that has drawn architecture lovers here from around world, sold it to Patricia and William Snyder. The couple have been restoring a white house next door, designed by another significant major architect, Richard Meier.
Six council members — Anthony Coghill, Theresa Kail-Smith, Bruce Kraus, Corey O'Connor, Daniel Lavelle and the Rev. Ricky Burgess — voted against historic designation for the property.
In taking this vote, council rejected recommendations to save the house put forth by both the Pittsburgh Historic Review Commission and the city Planning Commission.
Stanley Levine, a lawyer for the Snyders, said people who want to see the Venturi house have to trespass twice. First, they have to drive on Woodland Road, a private road, then walk down the Snyders’ driveway to reach it. His clients oppose the historic designation.
Donald A. Kortlandt, a city resident who nominated the property for designation, is also general counsel to Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation, the city’s oldest preservation group.
“Forever is a long time. Once we tear down a house, it ceases to exist,” Mr. Kortlandt said.
PHLF, he added, is restoring two properties in Manchester where it has disassembled walls, cleaned the bricks and relaid the bricks.
“If there’s a will, there’s a way. It’s a matter of price,” Mr. Kortlandt said.
City council member Debra Gross lives in a 100-year-old house and said she favors historic preservation, although she abstained from taking a vote.
The city, Ms. Gross said, demolished a Greyhound bus station, a mid-century modern building with “acres of turquoise glass.” Since then, people have begun to appreciate mid-century modern architecture and furniture. The city, she added, is losing too many historic buildings.
City council member Darlene Harris was the lone vote in favor of historic designation.
“If we wouldn’t have started saving the North Side, there would be nothing left now,” Ms. Harris said.
Ms. Kail-Smith, who voted no against designation, said the case saddened her because it reminds her of the old stone tavern in the West End, which was designated a historic landmark nearly a decade ago.
“It’s falling into disrepair. It’s sad. I do love preservation and preserving as much as we can of our history. We need to change the process by which we determine historic designation. It’s beyond time,” Ms. Kail-Smith said.
Rev. Burgess, who lives in a Homewood house built in 1870, said historic designation should only occur with the owner’s support.
“If the owner does not support it, and we believe the property is of such value, we should be willing to offer the owner the fair market price for the property. I think that’s fair,” he said. The Snyders oppose the historic designation.
After the vote, Mr. Kortlandt said, “We’re disappointed that the Abrams house will not be protected for future generations to enjoy it. It does in fact represent a unique example of postmodern architecture crafted by a nationally and internationally renowned architect.
“However, council had to wrestle with a very challenging factual setting here. The fact that Woodland Road is private and the fact that the house can only be seen in part from the road. That confronted council with the question of what public purpose was being served,” he added.
Three council members, Mr. Kortlandt noted, said they are uncomfortable with the city’s historic ordinance because it imposes historic status on owners of private property who do not want the designation. Those council members are Mr. Coghill, Ms. Kail-Smith and Rev. Burgess.
Marylynne Pitz at mpitz@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1648 or on Twitter:@mpitzpg
First Published: March 13, 2019, 5:59 p.m.
