For more than 40 years, Karl Backhaus and James DeWitt shared a wonderful life together.
“It was a home that two people stayed in for a long time. They supported and loved each other,” said Mr. DeWitt’s niece, Jacqueline Wyatt.
Mr. Backhaus died in 2017, and Mr. DeWitt has decided to downsize and put the house on the market. The three-bedroom, three-bath house at 1141 Jackson St. in Wilkinsburg is listed for $265,000 (MLS No. 1401265) with Sara Leitera of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices (www.thepreferredrealty.com or 412-600-0569). An open house will be held from 1-3 p.m. Sunday.
The house is in Blackridge, a plan of sturdy brick and stone houses built for Westinghouse executives and other professionals that stretches through parts of Wilkinsburg, Penn Hills and Churchill.
Built in 1930, this brick-and-stone charmer remains largely intact except for a few updates. An arched front door with its original screen sits under a window turret. Inside, the formal entry has original oak floors that run throughout the house and period doors with glass doorknobs.
“Karl was just the second owner of the home,” Ms. Wyatt said. “They really kept everything intact.”
The 26-by-15-foot living room has a decorative fireplace with its original tile surround and large windows with custom-made plantation shutters. An arched opening leads to the 15-by-13-foot dining room. Several of Mr. DeWitt’s large antiques are still in the home and available for sale.
“My uncle kept beautiful things in the house. He had pieces in every room,” Ms. Wyatt said.
The most dramatic change was opening up the back wall and repurposing the original small kitchen as a butler’s pantry. Its plumbing was used for a full bathroom. Then the couple added a spectacular new kitchen with granite counter tops, stainless-steel appliances, a large island and a service bar with a wall of glass-front cabinets and custom lighting.
“My uncle filled them with beautiful dishes and serving pieces,” Ms. Wyatt said. “It was filled with colored glassware.”
Appliances include a double wall oven and gas cooktop. Mr. DeWitt was a chef who loved to cover the island with food, appetizers and wine. “He wanted you to feel as if was all just for you when you came to the home. It was a very happy place.”
She said the couple entertained often.
“Karl was German, and his family was all in Germany. So they had a lot of friends that were like family there.”
The kitchen could easily hold 25-30 people and not feel crowded, Ms. Wyatt said. A pair of French doors extended parties out to the deck and large backyard with a firepit and mature plantings.
The second floor has three bedrooms ranging in size from 10 by 9 feet to the 16-by-15-foot master. That bedroom features walnut bookcases and a pair of closets flanking the window on the far end.
Off the hallway is a hideaway with a window seat in the turret. The bedrooms have hardwood floors, original doors and glass knobs.
The second-floor bathroom has a pedestal sink, shower and original porcelain light sconces on either side of the built-in medicine cabinet.
The third floor is a finished 25-by-12-foot space with steel gray carpet, a wall of bookcases and storage closets.
“My uncle used the bookcases for display,” Ms. Wyatt said. “He was especially interested in Asian and French Provincial art and decorative pieces.”
The basement boasts a third full bathroom with a vintage cast-iron tub, laundry facilities and a fireplace. The house has central air conditioning and forced-air heat.
The property has an assessed value of $140,000 and a tax bill of $6,752. Over the past nine years, four houses have sold on Jackson Street for prices ranging from $87,000 in April 2004 to $103,000 in May 2000 (www2.county.allegheny.pa.us/realestate).
Mr. DeWitt has a message for potential buyers, conveyed by his niece: “I hope this house goes to someone who loves it like we did.”
Rosa Colucci: rcolucci@post-gazette.com.
First Published: June 28, 2019, 12:00 p.m.