Wigman House

The Wigman House is a historic American Queen Anne house in the Carrick neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[3] It is a City of Pittsburgh Designated Historic Structure.[2]

Wigman House
Location of the Wigman House in Pittsburgh
Location1425 Brownsville Road
Carrick neighborhood, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Coordinates40°24′4.5″N 79°59′20.3″W
Area2,782 square feet (258.5 m2)[1]
Built/founded1888[1]
Governing body/ownerMcClory family[1]
CPHD designatedJuly 12, 2011[2]

The four-bedroom home was constructed in 1896 for William H. Wigman, the owner of Wigman Lumber on the South Side.[3][4] At the time, Carrick, which sits upon a hilltop south of Pittsburgh, was a popular neighborhood for wealthy entrepreneurs who sought to escape the smoke of the city.[3] The Wigman House is all that remains from this area known as "Millionaire's Row"[4]

Since 1952, the house has been owned by the McClory family; in 2011 they placed the property for sale, seeking $150,000, a move that set local preservationists into action.[3] The owner of a neighboring funeral home, Congressman Harry Readshaw, considered purchasing and demolishing the building for parking for his funeral home, across the street from the property.[3] Members of the Carrick-Overbrook Historical Society sought to block Readshaw's purchase by nominating the home for historic status, calling it "the last remaining example of several homes of the wealthy South Side gentry who lived in Carrick."[3] The owners, the McClory family, opposed the nomination, concerned that the designation would harm its chances to sell.[5] The Young Preservationists Association of Pittsburgh identifies the building as a top-priority historic preservation opportunity.[6]

In April 2011, the city's Historic Review Commission approved the historical society's application,[7] setting the stage for contentious hearings before the Pittsburgh City Council.[4]

The historic status was opposed by City Councilman Ricky Burgess, expressing a concern about the rights of the house's current owners.[4] In a reversal, the current owners changed their position on the historic status in a letter to the Council, citing historic tax credits and the possibility that the house's historic value could be a selling point.[5]

References
  1. "General Information". Assessment Property Search. Allegheny County Office of Property Assessments. May 6, 2011. Retrieved May 16, 2011.
  2. Symdo, Joe (July 12, 2011). "Victorian house in Carrick declared historic". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
  3. Jones, Diana Nelson (December 24, 2010). "Some in Carrick strive to save Victorian house". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved July 20, 2011.
  4. Vidonic, Bill (July 11, 2011). "Historic status debates can often divide owners, neighbors". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved July 20, 2011.
  5. "Council OKs historic status for Wigman House in Carrick". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. July 12, 2011. Retrieved July 20, 2011.
  6. Moore, Andrew (June 29, 2011). "City Council hearing on Wigman House historic nomination in Carrick". Pop City. Retrieved July 20, 2011.
  7. "Historic review board OKs Wigman House". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. April 7, 2011. Retrieved July 20, 2011.
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