Negley-Gwinner-Harter House
Encyclopedia
Negley-Gwinner-Harter House (also known as Gwinner-Harter House, and William B. Negley House) located at 5061 Fifth Avenue in the Shadyside
neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
, was built from 1870 to 1871 for William B. Negley (June 5, 1828 - January 16, 1894, a lawyer
who attended Princeton University
, served as a Major
in the American Civil War
under General James S. Negley
, and was the son of Jacob Negley and the nephew of Sarah Negley and Thomas Mellon
). After Joanna Wilmerding (Bruce) Negley, the widow of William B. Negley, died in 1910, Edward Gwinner, a stone and railroad contractor, purchased the property in 1911. Gwinner had it remodeled and expanded. The original architect is unknown, but Frederick J. Osterling
remodeled the house and was responsible for additions between 1912 and 1923. Gwinner died in 1949, and his widow, Adele, owned it until 1963, when the house was sold to Dr. Leo Harter. In 1987, a fire caused by a paint-stripping gun during renovation burned much of the third floor and damaged the roof. Harter died in 1988, and the house sat vacant for eight years, was boarded up, and had even been considered for demolition. Then in 1995, restoration contractor Joedda Sampson and her husband Ben, a builder and developer, purchased the property and restored it. The restoration took nine months. In 2002, the house was purchased by Kenneth Lehn and Marina Persic Lehn. According to the Allegheny County Pennsylvania Real Estate Assessment Page, the house's estimated previous year market value for 2010 was $1,110,800. This Second Empire style house was added to the List of Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation Historic Landmarks in 2000.
Shadyside (Pittsburgh)
Shadyside is a neighborhood in the East End of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It has zip codes of both 15232 and 15206, and has representation on Pittsburgh City Council by the council member for District 8...
neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, was built from 1870 to 1871 for William B. Negley (June 5, 1828 - January 16, 1894, a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
who attended Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, served as a Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
under General James S. Negley
James S. Negley
James Scott Negley was an American Civil War General, farmer, railroader, and U.S. Representative from the state of Pennsylvania. He played a key role in the Union victory at the Battle of Murfreesboro.-Early life:...
, and was the son of Jacob Negley and the nephew of Sarah Negley and Thomas Mellon
Thomas Mellon
Thomas Alexander Mellon was a Scotch-Irish American, entrepreneur, lawyer, and judge, best known as the founder of Mellon Bank and patriarch of the Mellon family of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.-Early life:...
). After Joanna Wilmerding (Bruce) Negley, the widow of William B. Negley, died in 1910, Edward Gwinner, a stone and railroad contractor, purchased the property in 1911. Gwinner had it remodeled and expanded. The original architect is unknown, but Frederick J. Osterling
Frederick J. Osterling
Frederick John Osterling was an American architect, practicing in Pittsburgh from 1888....
remodeled the house and was responsible for additions between 1912 and 1923. Gwinner died in 1949, and his widow, Adele, owned it until 1963, when the house was sold to Dr. Leo Harter. In 1987, a fire caused by a paint-stripping gun during renovation burned much of the third floor and damaged the roof. Harter died in 1988, and the house sat vacant for eight years, was boarded up, and had even been considered for demolition. Then in 1995, restoration contractor Joedda Sampson and her husband Ben, a builder and developer, purchased the property and restored it. The restoration took nine months. In 2002, the house was purchased by Kenneth Lehn and Marina Persic Lehn. According to the Allegheny County Pennsylvania Real Estate Assessment Page, the house's estimated previous year market value for 2010 was $1,110,800. This Second Empire style house was added to the List of Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation Historic Landmarks in 2000.