Demolition Denied: This Sumptuous $2.9M Pittsburgh Victorian Lives On!
Realtor.com
A 9,286-square-foot mansion in Pittsburgh dating to the late 1800s and boasting a spectacular restoration seeks a new steward. It’s now available for $2,988,000.
“It’s a special spot that we’ve all known about and driven by,” says listing agent Mark Jennings, with Piatt Sotheby’s International Realty.
Locals know the property as the Baywood Mansion, and it’s sometimes referred to as the Alexander King Estate. The Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation has designated it a historic landmark.
Columns on the wide front porch are exquisite, as are the interior’s ceiling murals, stained-glass windows, fireplace tiles, and carved woodwork—particularly on the entry’s two-level staircase.
A glass-enclosed sunroom is large enough to host an event.
The home is situated on a 1.8-acre lot in the Highland Park neighborhood, adjacent to a 5-acre park.
“These are the communities they would call ‘Millionaires Row,’” Jennings says of the area. “Back in the early 1900s, Pittsburgh was second to New York City in terms of wealth.”
This is actually the seven-bedroom, 4.5-bath mansion’s second chapter. It burned down in 1890 and was rebuilt soon after. The buyer who snags this house will be only its fourth owner.
‘Perfectly pristine’
“This one is perfectly pristine, move-in ready,” Jennings says.
Updated mechanicals, air conditioning on the top floors, a new boiler, and a backup generator are among the recent improvements.
The porch and roof were also repainted. And the kitchen is a chef’s dream with modern updates, while still retaining original features—like the wood-paneled butler’s pantry.
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Alexander King, who was known for bringing the glass-making process to Pittsburgh, commissioned the home. He died shortly after it was rebuilt, and his wife and son’s family remained in the home until the 1950s.
“At one point it was 60 acres with stables and so forth,” Jennings says.
From tear-down to terrific
During the 1980s, Dr. Frank Brown bought the property. He negotiated with the city for six years in a fight to save it from the wrecking ball.
“For 27 years, he has been restoring this house meticulously,” says Jennings. “He was a physician by day and wallpaper-plaster guy by night. He searched out matching tile and the original patterns, and brought chandeliers in from Philadelphia that would have been period-appropriate. He also curated all of the furnishings [to be] of a Victorian era.”
The home could certainly be used as an inn, and the next owner doesn’t necessarily have to be steeped in the Victorian lifestyle. Building plans for a carriage house or garage are included in the sale.
“Dr. Brown says it’s more for the future generation,” explains Jennings. “If someone doesn’t want the Victorian furniture, they don’t have to keep it. It’s a very livable home. If someone wanted to add a swimming pool to the side or expand the porch area, those are very doable because you’re not starting with [renovating] a very old house.”
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