Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-09
LESSONS FROM FIRE.
Two Departures in the Architecture
of Pittsburg Homes.
ONE FOLLOWED THE FIRE OF 1916.
The Other Came When Natural Gas Let the
Sunshine Come In.
AN OLD REPORTER'S "REMINISCENCES


1 OQe Oh the ATSb DlLS OA 4Ocd4 ulSbOEJ AuAa
parted to me when came TO PittsbuTg was
the reminiscence of the great fire Of April
10, 1S45 Some of those who bad witnessed
the great conhagration spoke of it, even
then, with an excited quiVer of the voice.
The fire started, as one of my correspond
ents reminds me, in the icehOuse (of all
places in the WORLDLY of Colonel Diehl, on
the southeast corner of Second avenue and
Ferry street, and swept the city to the last
house in old Pipetown, and northward to
Diamond alley.
The original Smithfeld street bridge was
one of the notable structures destroyed on
that historically terrible day, and the origin
al Monongahela House was another. How
many other interesting landmarks disap-
peared in the cyclone of flame, nobody now
undertakes to say The fire itself was one
of the landmarks of Pittsburg history, and
was for long time-probably now is-kept
fresh in the public memory by the ringing
of the frebells on its anniversary.
The great fire was recognized as point Of
departure in the march of improvement.
In later times it was heralded as a blessing
in disguise, since it gave the opportunity
for replacing the old with the new, that was
very much better. A freak of the fire Of
1845 vas to leave a solitary house standing
unharmed in the midst of the burned dis
trict; and for many years the house was
| carefully preserved as Landmark among
the Improvements that sprang up all about
it. It was, l believe, little yellow house
of wood, and was said 10 fairly represent
| the style Of buildings that disappeared on
that fatal 10th of April. In other words, it
was a sample piece of the Pittsburg that ex-
listed before the fire. Can anybody imagine
a little yellow frame house in the heart of the
city which Pittsburg is to-day? In those days
| there were a few stately mansions both in
the city and in the suburbs. But even such
embellishments as their square massiVeness
exhibited was considered intrinsic evidence
of wealth Nobody ever thought Of making
beautiful houses for poor people, or people
| of moderate means.
SUDDENLY BECAME HIGH CHURCH.
When Quaker gets tired of being a
Quaker he is apt to become not Presby-
terian, but a very High Church Episcopa-
liam. An old Pittsburger, coming back to
the former home alter years of absence, is
astonished to see how very High Church
the smoky Quaker of old has become in a
short time. No feature Of the booming
rush of progress is more strongly accented
than the changed methods of housing the
inhabitants. Formerly Pittsburg had
dwellings" Now it has residences. :"
When you come to think Of it there is a
wide difference between the two sorts Of
homes The dwellings are there yet; but the
| multitude of new homes springing up on
every hand are all of the newer order
Fire brought about the former change;
fire has brought about this later develop
ment. What was the use of trying to grow
the plant of beauty in the dense smoke
which thickened the atmosphere of old?
Natural gas came, and, for time at least,
the fire that did not blacken the air let un-
hindered sunshine into every grimy nook of
the place. In the unaccustomed light it
was seen that the city was not only grimy,
but of ungraceful outlines as to its build
ings. The line of beauty had not been
much thought of heretofore; but under the
new order of things why should there not
be the virtue of cleanliness? All of a sud
den it was discovered that Pittsburgers were
hungry for the outer elegancies of life, and
very keenly appreciatiVe of them when
they were to be had. Then came the discov-
cry that it cost no more to build a handsome
house than an ugly one; and following that
revelation came the architectural avalanche.
Then it was found that elegance was not
the only thing Pittsburg had waited for
| without being quite conscious of it. There
were hundred little accessories and elab-
orations of daily life to be had almost for
| the trouble of taking. The extra comforts
and luxuries had not been much missed in
their absence. But suddenly somebody laid
| hold of them, and then everybody wanted
them. Now everybody must have them,
and they are parts OF the habit OF life.
A BETTER ENJOYMENT OF LIFE.
The returned Pittsburger not only sees
new homes clustering thickly where the
wilderness used 10 be; but such homes as
they are. He finds whole districts of what
the generation Just ahead of this one would
have called palaces, and what this genera
tion styles handsome places" Great struc-
lures they are, in which the genius of do
mestic architecture seems to have emanci-
pated itself from the last broken fetter of the
old conventional restraint. And all Of
them suggest such added resources for the
enjoyment Of life as are very pleasant to
think upon.
And the resources are all there, too; from
the kitchen range to the telephone; from the
perfectly appointed bathroom to the system
of electric bells. And you can choose your
own way of looking out upon the world
through the crystal space of single pane
plate glass window; or through the many
colored medium ofthe stained glass in other
windows.
But it is not only these striking homes Of
the rich which impress the returned wan
derer. He is apt to be still more impressed
by the new homes of his aequaintances
whom ne knows to be in very moderate cir
cumstances. These homes may be in regions
only short ride from the heart of the city:
or they may be in further suburb on oae
of the lines of railroad; but if they are of
recent construction they are sure 10 be rev.
elation to anyone accustomed to the old
style of Pittsburg homes. Perhaps thev are
of brick, perhaps they are of wood; but
whatever the material, they are Sure to be
pretty without and within. Truly. If
natural gas furnished the impulse for all
this it did good thing; and Pittsburg nav
well be glad it came, even if it goes to-
morrow. For revolutions do not 20 back
ward, and the new order of things has come
to stay.
ONCE RURAL DISTRICTS.
Another amazing thing to the returned
old-timer is to note the districts which the
spirit OF progress has taken possession Of in
its onward march. There is, or was, Nc
Farland's Grove, in the East End, for exam
pie. A famous place for picnics it used to
be; and it could be made as private as the
most exclusive could desire. Therefore it
was much in favor with those who wished
to have the enjoyment of a strictly select
picnic. But now, where the grove was,
streets have been laid out and city improve
ments are beginning to appear. Near where
the platform was laid groups of new houses
stand, of the sort have spoken OF; and there
is no spot within long distance available
ko- L, Il 80 ofh