184 38th Street

February 2025 January 2025 184 38th Street 184 38th Street Pittsburgh.jpg Pittsburgh#Pennsylvania#USA Location in Pittsburgh##Location in Pennsylvania log home Vernacular architecture $43,000 (2011) 38th and Charlotte StreetsLawrenceville, Pittsburgh 40 28 1.9 N 79 57 54.0 W inline 2 3740 sqft m2 184 38th Street, also known as McBride Log House, McBride Log House Meeting Lawrenceville Stakeholders 2009-06-13 http://lawrencevillestakeholders.wordpress.com/2009/06/13/mcbride-log-house-meeting/ 2011-05-28 was a historic log house in the Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Before its demolition, it was thought to be the oldest log house in any major American city to be used as a residence. O'Neill Brian Passions stirred anew for an old log house Pittsburgh Post-Gazette May 15, 2011 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11135/1146386-155-0.stm https://web.archive.org/web/20110520220949/http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11135/1146386-155-0.stm dead May 20, 2011 2011-05-28 Dating to the 1820s, it was one of the original buildings in Lawrenceville. Several attempts were made by historical groups to restore the building, but such efforts were cost prohibitive. The building continued to be used as a residence until the early 21st century, when it was purchased by a real estate developer. In 2011, the building was demolished. Building history The building was constructed in the 1820s by Henry McBride, who purchased the property directly from Lawrenceville founder William Foster for $250 in 1822. At that time, Lawrenceville consisted of little more than several buildings centered around the Allegheny Arsenal. On September 17, 1862, Catherine Burkhart, a 15-year-old girl who lived in the home with her mother, was killed in an explosion at the Allegheny Arsenal, where she worked assembling munitions for the Union Army.The explosion killed 70 munition workers at the Allegheny Arsenal, mostly young girls; it was the largest civilian death tally of the American Civil War. Connors Michael The Next Page: The Allegheny Arsenal explosion -- Pittsburgh's Civil War carnage Pittsburgh Post-Gazette September 12, 2010 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10255/1086577-109.stm https://web.archive.org/web/20120302014201/http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10255/1086577-109.stm dead March 2, 2012 2011-05-28 "nb" In May 2007, the building was cited for rotting window frames, deteriorating exterior walls, and crumbling wood under the roof; by December 2007, the building had passed inspection. It was boarded up in 2008 to prevent vandalism and squatters. In April 2011, a real estate agent from the North Hills of Pittsburgh purchased the building for $43,000.Allegheny County assesses the property at $13,300. "nb" Specifications The two story, two family building contained 12 rooms and roughly 3740 sqft m2 of space. General Information Assessment Property Search Allegheny County Office of Property Assessments May 6, 2011 http://www2.county.allegheny.pa.us/RealEstate/GeneralInfo.aspx?ParcelID=0049J00075000000 Web Search 2011-05-28 Parcel ID: 0049-J-00075-0000-00 It was constructed using a framing technique. The logs were squared-off, rather than the stereotypical Lincoln Logs-style. A fire in 2004 exposed the original logs; the extent of the historical significance of the building was not widely known until then. The asphalt siding was then removed from the outside of the building. As of 2011, the clapboards were peeling and showing the original logs underneath. Preservation efforts After the 2004 fire, the Lawrenceville Historical Society began trying to find a way to preserve the building, but the society was unable to raise the necessary funds to purchase the building outright. In late 2006, the Lawrenceville Historical Society commissioned a study that estimated that the cost to restore the house as a history museum would cost $250,000. Other studies have estimated the cost of restoration at greater than $200,000, not including the purchase price. The building was placed on the market in November 2008 with an asking price of $79,900. At the time, the property owners, investors in a limited partnership, hoped to find "the right buyer who will treat it with the respect it deserves." In 2008, Lawrenceville United executive director Tony Ceoffe described the dilapidated structure as a "terrible eyesore" and went on to say that neighbors were claiming it attracted vagrants and drug users. Pfister Bonnie Lawrenceville log cabin at new frontier Pittsburgh Tribune-Review 2008-02-23 http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_553864.html 2011-05-28 https://web.archive.org/web/20120302014204/http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_553864.html 2012-03-02 dead The Log House Committee of the Lawrenceville Stakeholders, led by a local architect, made an unsuccessful attempt to purchase and restore the property. In 2011, Arthur P. Ziegler, Jr., noted preservationist and president of Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation, expressed hope that the house could be restored, but expressed doubts about the feasibility, due to the cost. Following the purchase of the building in 2011, the Lawrenceville Stakeholders expressed fear that the new owner would demolish the building. When contacted by a reporter from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the owner indicated that there were no immediate plans for the property. Cochran expressed hope that the new owner would recognize the historic potential of the home and believed that a restored home of this age could be a "gold mine" as a single family residence in Lawrenceville, which was developing into a significant social center of Pittsburgh. Modifications made to the house since its construction, including 1830s cuts through the original logs to create windows, would have complicated any efforts to fully restore the building. Observers, including Carol Peterson, Pittsburgh's pre-eminent house historian, believed that the modifications had their own historical significance and should have been preserved in any restoration effort. In July, the owner demolished the structure, while attempting to preserve the logs, in case the building could be re-assembled elsewhere. Pitz Marylynne 1822-vintage log house doomed? Pittsburgh Post-Gazette July 12, 2011 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11193/1159809-51-0.stm https://web.archive.org/web/20110716082337/http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11193/1159809-51-0.stm dead July 16, 2011 Gallery Notes "nb" References Category:Log buildings and structures in Pennsylvania Category:1820s architecture in the United States Category:Houses in Pittsburgh Category:History of Pittsburgh Category:Buildings and structures demolished in 2011 Category:Demolished buildings and structures in Pittsburgh Category:2011 disestablishments in Pennsylvania Category:1820s establishments in Pennsylvania Category:Lawrenceville (Pittsburgh)