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Old 01-06-2011, 03:04 PM
 
Location: Kittanning
4,692 posts, read 9,041,015 times
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I was out exploring Pittsburgh today, and decided to explore the neighborhood of Allentown. I stumbled across this building at the corner of Climax and Curtin, and my jaw dropped! This has to be one of the oldest buildings in the city. Could it be 18th century? Let me know what you think.

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Old 01-06-2011, 03:16 PM
 
Location: Pennsylvania
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wow!

could be-but sure could have the improvements improved. sigh.

beautiful old place. sigh
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Old 01-06-2011, 03:19 PM
 
Location: Pittsburgh
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You could check the county assessment website--the records usually say when the building was built.
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Old 01-06-2011, 03:22 PM
 
Location: Kittanning
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I did check, but the county assessment site usually is inaccurate when it comes to houses over 100 years-old. For instance, the site says my house was built in 1920, but I found it in a photograph from 1909. Also, I have dated many houses using old city maps, and those that are 1870s and older are usually listed as "1900" on the county site.

The site says this building was built in 1920. There is no way (although that is probably the date the addition off the side was completed).
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Old 01-06-2011, 03:26 PM
 
Location: Kittanning
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PAhippo View Post
wow!

could be-but sure could have the improvements improved. sigh.

beautiful old place. sigh
I did chuckle a bit when I saw the Pittsburghesque aluminum awning attached to the early American colonial pediment above the front door. SIGH
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Old 01-06-2011, 03:33 PM
 
Location: Pittsburgh
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That building looks like 1820, not 1920. If it was 1920, it was surely meant too emulate an earlier time.

Here is the oldest building known within city limits.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45501032@N00/3539207683/ (broken link)
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Old 01-06-2011, 05:19 PM
 
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AA, do you have an Allentown photo tour in the works?
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Old 01-06-2011, 07:18 PM
 
Location: Tampa, FL
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Wow, that looks like it would be from the 1850's or older. There is a really cool website i look at sometimes that shows some really nice historic homes for sale and just to look at for fun.

OldHouses.com - Historic Real Estate Properties, Old Homes for Sale, and Old House Resources

I cannot really narrow down the style of architecture but i think it has potential. It probably has original wood beams on the ceilings and those really sharp-cornered staircases that wind up the corner of the home.
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Old 01-06-2011, 08:06 PM
 
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I'd go with late Georgian, so within a few decades before 1850, but I don't really know enough about that era to narrow it down further just to look at it.

18th is possible, but it doesn't have that frontier feel to me, and I believe people didn't really start settling in Allentown until after Allen purchased the land in 1827. So at a guess, 1830s or 1840s.

And there is a decent chance I am completely wrong.
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Old 01-06-2011, 08:53 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nuwaver88 View Post
That building looks like 1820, not 1920. If it was 1920, it was surely meant too emulate an earlier time.
i was thinking that, too, and would suggest that there could be SOMETHING about the structure that might give a clue - coal chute, or whatever other features? someone here might be an architect and would know better.

odd, though - notice the windows and a door along the height of the chimney.

nice find - but yea, that addition looks so baltimore.
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