86 Sumner Avenue

Mary Carroll and Lee Brigido have been busy making updates since moving in 4 years ago with their dogs Bill and Phoenix. Painting over 30 years of nicotine stained walls and ceilings was the first project, then a kitchen renovation opened up the space into the dining room where stained glass windows which had been dry walled over in years past were recently uncovered. Another stained glass window on the staircase landing is affectionately referred to as the “sweet potato” window. Their charming home may have been built about 1928 by William and Mary McPherson, or possibly a few years earlier by the family of George F. Wright. This house is an excellent example of a Craftsman bungalow, one of the most popular American house forms of the early 20th century. The form was especially well-suited for suburban settings and middle-class owners, and many examples can be found throughout Pittsburgh’s streetcar suburbs like Bellevue and the other North Boroughs. The form emphasizes interplay between the inside and the outside of the home, the use of natural materials, and an open floor plan that is airy, bright, and cozy. Design and materials were intended to make the house blend into its site. Hallmarks include: one-story or one-and-ahalf-story height; irregular massing; rectangular form; broad low-pitched roof with one or more prominent dormers; low horizontal lines; visually-dominant porch contained under the main roof; and an abundance of windows, often grouped in blocks of two or three. The landscaping on this property, conceived and executed by Mary Carroll and Lee Brigido, complements the house perfectly.