William Penn Life, 1988 (23. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1988-08-01 / 8. szám
August 1988, William Penn Life, Page 3 Discovering a masterpiece A historical perspective on the architectural beauty of the William Penn Home The deteriorating pergola (foreground) frames this view of Vancroft’s main entrance. By Mary Myers Picture, if you will, Pittsburgh in the 1880’s. These were the days of the titans: Carnegie, Frick, Heinz, Mellon, Phipps, Westinghouse and Vandergrift. The identifying marks of this period were opulence, magnitude and money to burn. The nation was on the threshold of the 20th Century. The continent was opening and moving west. Millions of immigrants from Europe and the rest of the world were pouring in, seeking a life in the steel mills, coal mines, railroads and oil fields of Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh was becoming the industrial powerhouse of the nation. Almost every foot of railroad line that opened our nation and all the machinery that drove its industries were made of Pittsburgh metal. It was into this atmosphere that Henry Hobson Richardson, America’s greatest 19th-Century architect, came to Pittsburgh from Boston to design a courthouse. Richardson’s Allegheny County Courthouse is widely recognized as one of the greatest American buildings of the 19th Century. One of Richardson’s colleagues was Alexander Wadsworth Longfellow. After three years in Richardson’s office, Longfellow left to found his own firm with Frank Alden and Alfred B. Harlow. Richardson was best known for his Romanesque style of architecture, and his design principles were carried on by his outstanding disciples Longfellow, Alden and Harlow. The firm was overwhelmed with commissions. But in 1895 Longfellow decided to strike out on his own in New England, while Alden and Harlow took over in Pittsburgh. It was at this point that Alden and Harlow began to develop more fully the Colonial revival style of architecture. For Andrew Carnegie they designed numerous branch libraries and the Carnegie Building, Pittsburgh’s first steel-framed structure. Alden and Harlow also gained predominance in the design of houses. Some of the most elaborate of those were commissioned by the Mellon family, Alexander Peacock, J. J. Vandergrift and other steel millionaires. A number of their homes still stand in the Sewickley area. In 1900 Joseph B. Vandergrift, a funloving millionaire playboy from Pittsburgh, commissioned Alden and Harlow to build a hunting lodge at nearby Wellsburg, West Virginia. The resulting work was "Vancroft,” known today as the William Penn Home. In Vancroft are provided greater insights into the Richardson landscape tradition and longer trends of design in American architecture. The elongated courtyard plan — built up with steep, irregular roofs and towers — draws on Richardson’s earlier designs. The veranda, concave in plan, gives an aerial toutness to the facade. Dark, shingled exterior and low stone towers are from the designs developed by Richardson and others for the seaboard estates of Newport, Rhode Island. The 500-acre estate was merged with the landscape. The manor house looks over a spectacular view of the countryside. This same elevation is linked frontally to the landscape by a circular pergola of monumental proportions. Its indisputable sources in pure classical tradition are confirmed by the original white paint. The gardens were spectacular, a symphony of perfection. The great magnolia trees, 88 years later, still bring breathtaking beauty every May. A study of the ground shows the comprehensive program that went into this landscaping: dogwood trees, American elms, red maples, black walnuts, and horse chestnuts, to name a few. Vancroft’s interior invokes more historical precedent. Its American arts and crafts details are notable. The vertical half timbering and rectangular furniture of the hallway are one of a kind. The central hall contains original simple oak furniture that provides for function, while hammer beam trusses and a hooded giant fireplace speak the medieval language. The Japanese stencils and screens of the opium den are outstanding. The opium den is above the impressive Gothic dining hall that is artistic perfection. The Japanese parlor and billiard room house a large collection of Oriental and American Indian artifacts. At this time, primitive and native art was just beginning to influence Picasso and Frank Lloyd Wright. A hundred pictures by the superb late-19th-century photographer R. Rinehart were framed into the billiard room screen and the half timbered walls along the full length of the hallway. The estate also has several out buildings: the cock fighting arena, two residences of exceptional design, and the outstanding spring house. Architecturally, the spring house can be described as fabulous for its symmetrical shape and perfect marriage to the landscape. Dr. Margaret Henderson Floyd, a nationally recognized author and professor of architectural history at Tufts University, is America’s foremost authority on the colonial revival period in American architecture. She discovered Vancroft in early 1987. Under her guidance, Tufts and Northeastern University incorporated Vancroft into an exhibit of the works of Longfellow, Alden and Harlow. The exhibit opened in Boston in April 1987 and will arrive in Pittsburgh in 1989. Northeastern University Press has produced a catalog and videotape to make a permanent record of the exhibit. Dr. Floyd is now preparing to write a manuscript entitled, "Architecture After Richardson: From Boston to Pittsburgh with Longfellow, Alden and Harlow.” The work is scheduled for release in the spring of 1989. Vancroft will be the highlight of her book. Dr. Floyd presented a paper at the national convention of the Society of Architectural Historians at Wellesley College in Chicago in April 1988. She also presented slides of Vancroft, bringing the discovery of the William Penn Home to the architectural world for the first time. It is Dr. Floyd’s expert opinion that Vancroft is a masterpiece, the finest design of Alden and Harlow. She urges that it must be preserved and restored at all costs, for it is a characteristic type that is unique. It is long, grand, impressive, contradictory, beautiful and strong. It is like the minds of its originators: bold and unique in its combinations. H. H. Richardson’s vision of context of buildings in the landscape persists within the classical designs of his successors to provide for American architecture a continuum between 19th and 20th centuries. In its derivation from both Richardson’s tenets and the academic traditions of Alden and Harlow, Vancroft is a significant milestone between Richardson’s Allegheny County Courthouse and the genius of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater. Since 1922 the estate has been a personal care home for the William Penn Association’s senior members. The manor has quietly survived unrecognized for its architectural greatness. In 1900 Vancroft was built, and it is only now in 1988 that it is being acclaimed for its unique style and roots in contemporary American architecture. (Mary Myers has been conducting tours of the William Penn Home on a volunteer basis for many years. She has been a leader in the effort to achieve greater recognition for our Home as an architectural treasure and support for its restoration and preservation.) Save the pergola An appeal from our National President Dear Members: / It comes as a surprise, to say the very least, that we are the owners of such an architectural treasure as the William Penn Home. Various experts with impressive credentials have visited our Home in the last few months. Every one of our visitors has expertise in artifacts, furniture and Oriental and American Indian arts and crafts. We are grateful for all their suggestions. It was a very special honor to have attracted the attention of Dr. Margaret Henderson Floyd, a nationally acclaimed architectural historian. In 1985 the William Penn Home was granted a National Historic Register Designation. It is believed that with this designation we can now research and explore the various historical foundations in which we can appeal for contributions and grants to assist us in restoration. However, this will take time and we have an immediate serious problem at hand. The huge pergola has fallen into complete disrepair. Dr. Floyd has convinced us that the pergola is truly a great feature of the house and that it must be preserved. The Board of Directors has decided that current capital expenditures by the Association at the Home would be for the well-being of our personal care residents. Historical preservation has to rely on grants. However, the search for grants will take several months and the pergola will not survive one more winter. We desperately need your help! A "Save the Pergola Fund” has been established. If every member will donate one dollar, we can restore this magnificent structure. Americans of diverse ancestries and aspirations have expressed their dreams and ideals in the wood, stone, brick and steel of their homes. We know that our members believe in the great traditions of fraternalism and are especially sensitive to the preservation of our historical values. We truly believe that our membership will want to encourage the restoration and rehabilitation of this historical and architecturally significant property. The preservation and restoration of this property can lead to the establisment of a heritage foundation to encourage the preservation and public education of our own strong traditions. It will also bring much pleasure to our beloved residents. We will keep you up to date on our plans and would appreciate any suggestions you might have. We look forward to hearing from you. Stephen G. Danko National President Send your donations payable to William Penn Association to: "Save the Pergola Fund," William Penn Association 709 Brighton Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15233.
