William Penn Life, 2014 (49. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2014-02-01 / 2. szám
Puzzle Contest #104 with Lizzy Cseh r — — — — — — — — — — — ~i The Darlington House As we celebrate WPA’s 128th anniversary, I thought it would be interesting to learn a little more about the center of operations of our beloved fraternal insurance organization, a historic building known as the Darlington House. Ornately carved woodworking adorns the building that sits upon about a half acre in the former city of Allegheny, now known as the Allegheny West section of Pittsburgh. The focal point of this spacious home is an elaborate hardwood staircase that wraps around from the lobby to the second floor. The Darlington House was one of the first homes in the area to have an elevator. (See the July 2010 issue of William Penn Life for a photographic tour.) Often times, the story of a particular home is overshadowed by the personal lives and inappropriate behaviors of the family that lived there. Such is the case with the beautiful 31-room brick home with slate roof and adjacent garage that serves as WPA’s Home Office. The property was formed from three lots, originally owned by James and Margaret Graham and James McCutcheon. The house and two-story garage were built in 1909 for $60,000 and $9,000, respectively. The buildings were designed by noted Pittsburgh architect George S. Orth and constructed by W. F. Trimble and Sons. The home was a wedding gift from Mr. and Mrs. Harry Darlington Sr. to their son and daughter-in-law, Harry and Lefreda (Weir) Darlington. The Darlington family fortune was built mostly from the wise business and investment dealings of Harry Sr. Their fortune centered around steel, natural gas, a brewery and several other industries. The wives of both Harry Sr. and Harry Jr. came from families of social and monetary prominence in the Pittsburgh area. Both father and son were involved in several clubs and high society organizations not only in Western Pennsylvania but also in New York City. Harry Jr. seemed to live in the shadows and within the vigilant eye of his father. Harry Sr. even lived on the same street, Irwin Avenue (which later became Brighton Road). Harry Jr. married his first wife in London in 1908. Although his family was of high society in Pittsburgh, Harry Jr.’s wedding merited only a brief article in a New York newspaper. The marriage, according to court documents and news accounts, was filed with scandal, lies and deception. Every summer Harry Jr., his wife and their only child would summer in a posh resort area north of New York City. In 1913, Harry Jr., according to court documents, returned to Pittsburgh, leaving his wife and son at the resort He ordered the locks to be changed at the 709 Brighton Road location. Servants were ordered to never admit his wife and child in the home again. In 1915, his wife filed for and was granted a divorce based on abandonment Mired in embarrassment from his failed first marriage, Harry Jr. married again in 1917, this time to Ethel Shields. A few months later, he joined the U.S. Army in the engineering corps and was shipped to France. He remained a soldier throughout World War I and was discharged in early 1919. He returned to Pittsburgh and lived a short time longer in his home before selling it to Robert and Marguerite (Singer) Milligan and moving back to the residence of his now deceased mother and father. In 1925, he sold his parents’ home and moved to several other locations in the area. He continued to work from the same office that he occupied with his father until his passing in 1931 at the age of 43. He had one son from his second marriage. The Milligans sold the home in 1940 to Carl and Grace Trauben, who convened the home into a furnished rooming house. Two years later, the home was purchased by The Catholic Knights of St George (CKSG), a fraternal benefit society, and became the organization’s home office. The Darlington House became WPA’s Home Office in 1982 when the CKSG joined the WPA family. The home was extensively renovated to restore much of its original beauty. This month, our wordsearch Puzzle Contest features 21 clues reflecting the history of the William Penn Association’s Home Office. Since this column was a bit longer than usual, the list of winners from Puzzle Contest #101 appears on page 28. Good luck, and see you in March! Éljen a Magyar, Lizzy Check WPA PUZZLE CONTEST #104 OFFICIAL ENTRY Brick Brighton Road Darlington House Desertion Divorce Garage Harry Darlington Irwin Avenue McCutcheon Milligan Orth Pittsburgh Slate Traubert Trimble Weir William Penn WWI Name:___________________________ Address:_________________________ City:____________________________ State:__________________Zip Code: Phone:___________________________ Email:____________________________ WPA Certificate No.:_____________ RULES 1. ALL WPA Life Benefit Members are eligible to enter. 2. Complete the word search puzzle correctly. 3. Mail your completed puzzle, along with your name, address, phone number, email address, and WPA Certificate Number, to: WPA PUZZLE #104 709 Brighton Road Pittsburgh, PA 15233 4. Entries must be received at the Home Office by March 31,2014. 5. Four winners will be drawn from all correct entries on or about April 4, 2014, at the Home Office. Each winner will receive $50. L J
