{"id":300174,"date":"2026-10-05T16:02:23","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T16:02:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/300174\/"},"modified":"2026-10-05T16:02:23","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T16:02:23","slug":"time-machine-in-observatory-hill-hits-the-market-for-the-first-time-in-over-a-century","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/300174\/","title":{"rendered":"Time Machine in Observatory Hill Hits the Market for the First Time in Over a Century"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"1<\/a><\/p>\n

PHOTOS BY MIKE LEONARDI, CANDIDLY YOURS PHOTOGRAPHY<\/p>\n

After five generations of family life, one Observatory Hill home is set to change hands for the very first time.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThis house was built by my great-great grandfather over a century ago,\u201d says Doug Blair, who spoke to Pittsburgh Magazine on behalf of the family. \u201cThe rooms are incredibly spacious for the time, and the details like coffered ceilings, a laundry chute, the kitchen-to-dining room pass-through, and handprinted wallpaper are reminders of the elegance of those earlier days.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"18<\/a><\/p>\n

Blair also highlights the ornate stair rail, mantels, built-in cabinets and dining room window seat as some of 4135 Perrysville Avenue\u2019s most standout markers of bygone craftsmanship.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Blair\u2019s great-great grandfather was George Stimple, who founded the still-operating Stimple & Ward<\/a> company.\u00a0 While the company has since passed out of the family, it is still billed as \u201cAmerica\u2019s oldest electrical coil company\u201d and is a key part of Pittsburgh\u2019s industrial ingenuity.\u00a0<\/p>\n

While well-maintained, the home has been nearly untouched since it was built.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe only update to the home was a complete rewiring in the 1980s and a new metal roof about 10 years ago,\u201d says Blair. \u201cEverything else is original. It\u2019s like a time machine, but one you live in.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"13<\/a><\/p>\n

In a market full of quick flips and a sea of millennial greige, it\u2019s a refreshing addition to the local market \u2014 and priced affordably.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Listed by Lisa Elliott<\/a> at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices<\/a> for $200,000,<\/a> the home sits below the city\u2019s median home value by about $70,000. The next owner may want to make some cosmetic updates for personal taste, but Blair says she hopes a buyer also will appreciate the detail that\u2019s been so carefully left intact.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you want to live in a historic home, this is the home for you,\u201d she says. \u201cThe room sizes are extremely large, and the character, the original woodwork, the ceilings, the built-ins \u2026 the brick overhang from the carriage house garage in the back. The kitchen has a peekaboo window into the dining room.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"24<\/a><\/p>\n

Elliott adds the three-bedroom, one-bathroom home, which measures just over 2,000 square feet, feels larger than it appears on the outside.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe room sizes are extremely large,\u201d she says, adding that the built-ins and a cozy window bench in the dining room are among her favorite spots.\u00a0<\/p>\n

On the main level, the coffered ceilings, detailed woodwork and wall sconces frame an oversized living room that features a decorative fireplace flanked by custom built-in bookshelves; a bright, front-facing sunroom offers large windows, more built-in shelving and a side entrance.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"25<\/a><\/p>\n

Upstairs, three large bedrooms each have a fireplace and hardwood floors. There is an additional attic space in the eaves and a functional basement for storage, as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Outside, a nicely sized yard, cozy porch and detached garage round out the property. The home is within walking distance to Riverview Park for jazz, swimming and recreation, as well as conveniently located to both the city and the businesses along McKnight Road; all contribute to what Blair describes as a truly livable home and location.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"46<\/a><\/p>\n

While taking pride in the home\u2019s craftsmanship, Blair says he hopes the next owners make core memories there, just like their family did for five generations.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s perfectly suited for intimate entertaining,\u201d he says. \u201cI can close my eyes and think of the dining room and smell turkey.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u00a0\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"PHOTOS BY MIKE LEONARDI, CANDIDLY YOURS PHOTOGRAPHY After five generations of family life, one Observatory Hill home is…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":300175,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[73,75,74],"class_list":["post-300174","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-pittsburgh","tag-pittsburgh","tag-pittsburgh-headlines","tag-pittsburgh-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/300174","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=300174"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/300174\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/300175"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=300174"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=300174"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=300174"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}