Frederick J. Osterling
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Frederick John Osterling (October 4, 1865 – July 5, 1934) was an American
architect An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...
, practicing in
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
from 1888.


Biography

Frederick J. Osterling was born to Philip and Bertha Osterling in
Dravosburg, Pennsylvania Dravosburg ( ) is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and is part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. The population was 1,612 at the 2020 census. Dravosburg is located along the Monongahela River. History A post office calle ...
, on October 4, 1865. The Osterling family moved to
Allegheny City Allegheny City was a municipality that existed in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania from 1788 until it was annexed by Pittsburgh in 1907. It was located north across the Allegheny River from downtown Pittsburgh, with its southwest border formed by ...
when Frederick was young. Following his schooling in Allegheny City, Osterling began work in the office of Joseph Stillburg, and was published in ''American Architect and Building News'' at age 18.Frederick J. Osterling Photographs, ca. 1889-c1910, DAR.2014.01
,
The Darlington Collection The Darlington Collection is extensive collection of rare documents, maps, and other historical material focusing on early American history, particularly that of Western Pennsylvania. The original material is housed by the Archives Services Center ...
, Special Collections Department, University of Pittsburgh
Following a period of European travel, he launched his own practice in 1888. During his career he designed many prominent Pittsburgh buildings, such as the Union Trust Building (1915–17). According to Martin Aurand, Architecture Librarian at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Osterling's practice faltered after controversy relating to his anticipated alteration to the landmark
H.H. Richardson Henry Hobson Richardson, FAIA (September 29, 1838 – April 27, 1886) was an American architect, best known for his work in a style that became known as Richardsonian Romanesque. Along with Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright, Richardson is one ...
Allegheny County Courthouse The Allegheny County Courthouse in Downtown Pittsburgh, is part of a complex (along with the old Allegheny County Jail) designed by H. H. Richardson. The buildings are considered among the finest examples of the Romanesque Revival style for ...
and a public lawsuit filed by the industrialist
Henry Clay Frick Henry Clay Frick (December 19, 1849 – December 2, 1919) was an American industrialist, financier, and art patron. He founded the H. C. Frick & Company coke manufacturing company, was chairman of the Carnegie Steel Company and played a major ...
. Osterling's studio was in a building he designed himself in 1917 at 228 Isabella Street in Pittsburgh's North Shore neighborhood. Some of Osterling's works are pictured in a book entitled, " F. J. Osterling Architect", Murdoch-Kerr Press, Pittsburg, 1904. The book contains about 40 plates (some lithos, some artists drawings) depicting Osterling's works. These plates include views of the Washington County, Pennsylvania Court House, its portico and law library; the entrance and smoking room of the Syria Temple (Pittsburgh); and the residences H.H. Westinghouse and other notable Western Pennsylvanians. He died on July 5, 1934, in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
.


Significant buildings designed by Osterling

''All buildings are in Pittsburgh unless otherwise stated; italics denote a registered Historic Landmark:'' * Charles Schwab House (541 Jones Avenue, North Braddock), 1889 * Heinz Company Factories, 1889 * Bellefield Presbyterian Church (Bellefield and 5th Ave) 1889; only the bell tower remains), * ''
Westinghouse Air Brake Company General Office Building The Westinghouse Air Brake Company General Office Building (known locally as the Castle or Library Hall) in Wilmerding, Pennsylvania is a building from 1890. It was listed on the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation in 1975, National Re ...
'' (
Wilmerding, Pennsylvania Wilmerding is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,781 at the 2020 census. It is located southeast of Pittsburgh. At the start of the twentieth century, it had extensive foundries and machine shops o ...
), 1889–1890 * Bell Telephone of Pennsylvania Building, now Verizon Building (416-420 Seventh Avenue), 1890 * Marine Bank Building, later known as Fort Pitt Federal Building (301 Smithfield Street), 1890 * Times Building (334-336 Fourth Avenue), 1892 * '' Byrnes & Kiefer Building''(1133 Penn Avenue), 1892 * Clayton, now the
Frick Art & Historical Center The Frick Pittsburgh is a cluster of museums and historical buildings located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, and formed around the Frick family's nineteenth-century residence known as "Clayton". It focuses on the interpretation o ...
, 1892 remodeling by Osterling of an 1870s house at 7200 Penn Avenue. This was the home of
Henry Clay Frick Henry Clay Frick (December 19, 1849 – December 2, 1919) was an American industrialist, financier, and art patron. He founded the H. C. Frick & Company coke manufacturing company, was chairman of the Carnegie Steel Company and played a major ...
, the industrialist. * First Methodist Church, now Shadyside Seventh Day Adventist Church (821 South Aiken Avenue), 1893 * Chautauqua Lake Ice Company Warehouse, now the
Heinz History Center The Senator John Heinz History Center, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, is the largest history museum in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. Named after U.S. Senator H. John Heinz III (1938–1991) from Pennsylvania, it i ...
(1212 Smallman Street), 1898 * '' Washington County Courthouse &
Jail A prison, also known as a jail, gaol, penitentiary, detention center, correction center, correctional facility, or remand center, is a facility where people are imprisoned under the authority of the state, usually as punishment for various cr ...
'' (Washington, Pennsylvania), 1899–1900 * Allegheny County Morgue (Originally on Forbes Avenue; the building was physically moved to 542 Fourth Avenue in 1929), built 1901 * ''Armstrong Cork Company Building'', now The Cork Factory Lofts (2349 Railroad Street at 23rd Street), 1901 * Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel in
Loretto, Pennsylvania Loretto is a borough in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, 2010 census it had a population of 1,302. Like the rest of Cambria County, it is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Johnstown Metropolita ...
, 1901 *
Hays Hall Hays Hall was a residence hall at Washington & Jefferson College. The architectural work was performed by Frederick J. Osterling and it was named after List of Presidents of Washington & Jefferson College, President George P. Hays (college presiden ...
, a residence hall at
Washington & Jefferson College Washington & Jefferson College (W&J College or W&J) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Washington, Pennsylvania, United States. The college traces its origin to three Presbyterian m ...
in
Washington, Pennsylvania Washington, also known as Little Washington to distinguish it from the District of Columbia, is a city in Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. The population was 13,176 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 censu ...
, built from 1901 to 1903 (demolished in 1994) * Washington Trust Building,
Washington, Pennsylvania Washington, also known as Little Washington to distinguish it from the District of Columbia, is a city in Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. The population was 13,176 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 censu ...
, 1902 * Arrott Building (401 Wood Street), 1902 * Colonial Trust Company Building, now part of the Bank Center of
Point Park University Point Park University is a private university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Formerly known as Point Park College, the school name was revised in 2004 to reflect the number of graduate programs being offered. In 2021, it had a total undergraduate ...
(Wood Street, between Forbes and Fourth Avenues), 1902. Also, Osterling designed a T-shaped lobby that was added to his original building in 1926. * ''
Carnegie Free Library of Beaver Falls The Carnegie Free Library of Beaver Falls is a historic Carnegie library in the city of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, United States. Erected as Beaver County's first library building, it was financed by Andrew Carnegie and designed by a leading ...
'' ( Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania), 1903 * Iroquois Apartments, now offices (3600 Forbes Avenue), 1903 * ''Allegheny County Jail'' (Ross Street), 1903-1905 additions by Osterling to the 1886 building by
Henry Hobson Richardson Henry Hobson Richardson, FAIA (September 29, 1838 – April 27, 1886) was an American architect, best known for his work in a style that became known as Richardsonian Romanesque. Along with Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright, Richardson is one ...
* ''
Allegheny High School Allegheny High School is a former high school in the Allegheny Center neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which operated from 1883 to 1983. The school's two surviving buildings were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 198 ...
'', now Allegheny Traditional Academy (810 Arch Street), 1904 * Commonwealth Trust Building (312 Fourth Avenue), 1907 * ''
Luzerne County Courthouse The Luzerne County Courthouse is a historic county courthouse located in Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania (along the Susquehanna River). The building houses the government of Luzerne County. In 2009, county officials celebrated the o ...
'' (
Wilkes-Barre Wilkes-Barre ( , alternatively or ) is a city in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. Located at the center of the Wyoming Valley in Northeastern Pennsylvania, it had a population of 44,328 in the 2020 census. ...
, Pennsylvania), 1909 * Parkvale Building (200 Meyran Ave), 1911 * '' Union Trust Building'' (501 Grant Street), 1917 * Gwinner-Harter House, also known as the William B. Negley House (5061 Fifth Avenue) was designed by an unknown architect and built 1870–1871. However, Osterling was responsible for additions between 1912 and 1923. * Osterling Flats, date unavailable. These are three houses at 3603-3607 California Avenue with Dutch design elements, which were converted into condos by the Brighton Heights Citizens' Federation in 2003.Post-Gazette, May 3, 2003
/ref>


Gallery

File:BellefieldTowersPitt.jpg, The 1889 bell tower from the former Bellefield Presbyterian Church is all that remains in front of the
University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The university is composed of seventeen undergraduate and graduate schools and colle ...
's Bellefield Towers building File:WestinghouseAirBrakeCompanyGeneralOfficeBuilding.jpg,
Westinghouse Air Brake Company General Office Building The Westinghouse Air Brake Company General Office Building (known locally as the Castle or Library Hall) in Wilmerding, Pennsylvania is a building from 1890. It was listed on the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation in 1975, National Re ...
in Wilmerding, PA. Built in 1889–1890. File:FrickMansionClayton.jpg, The Frick Mansion, or "Clayton", at 7200 Penn Avenue was built in the 1870s. Original architect: Unknown. Modifications by Andrew Peebles in 1883, and further remodeling done by Osterling in 1892. File:HistoryCener from Strip District.JPG, Chautauqua Lake Ice Company Warehouse (1898), now the
Heinz History Center The Senator John Heinz History Center, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, is the largest history museum in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. Named after U.S. Senator H. John Heinz III (1938–1991) from Pennsylvania, it i ...
. File:WashingtonCountyCourthouse.JPG, Washington County Courthouse (1900) File:Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel - Loretto, Pennsylvania 03.jpg, Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel in Loretto, Pennsylvania (1901) File:Hayes Hall.jpg,
Hays Hall Hays Hall was a residence hall at Washington & Jefferson College. The architectural work was performed by Frederick J. Osterling and it was named after List of Presidents of Washington & Jefferson College, President George P. Hays (college presiden ...
at
Washington & Jefferson College Washington & Jefferson College (W&J College or W&J) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Washington, Pennsylvania, United States. The college traces its origin to three Presbyterian m ...
, built from 1901 to 1903 (demolished in 1994). File:AlleghenyCountyMortuary.jpg, Allegheny County Mortuary, built between 1901 and 1903, in Downtown Pittsburgh. File:Pittsburgh's oldest skyscraper.jpg, Arrott Building in Downtown Pittsburgh (1902). File:FormerAlleghenyCountyJail.jpg, Additions to
Allegheny County Jail The current Allegheny County Jail opened on April 29, 1995 at 950 Second Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. This facility replaced the old jail that is located on Ross Street and Fifth Avenue in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Warden Orlando L. Har ...
. H. H. Richardson's Ross Street jail was completed in 1886. Additions were added by Osterling from 1903 to 1905. File:Allegheny High School.jpg,
Allegheny High School Allegheny High School is a former high school in the Allegheny Center neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which operated from 1883 to 1983. The school's two surviving buildings were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 198 ...
(1904). File:LuzerneCountyCourthouseRiverCommons.jpg, Luzerne County Courthouse in Wilkes-Barre, PA (1909). File:Negley-Gwinner-HarterHouse.jpg, Negley-Gwinner-Harter House, built in 1870 and 1871, at 5061 Fifth Avenue. Original architect: Unknown, but Osterling remodeled the house and was responsible for additions between 1912 and 1923. File:Elmhurst, National Road, Edgwood, Wheeling, WV - 53572052679.jpg, Elmhurst, built in 1902 for Samuel Bloch, National Road, Edgwood, Wheeling, WV


Notes


External links

* *


References

*J. Franklin Nelson, comp. Works of F. J. Osterling, Architect, Pittsburg. Pittsburgh: Murdoch-Kerr Press, 1904. *
Franklin Toker Franklin K. Toker (29 April 1944 – 19 April 2021) was a Canadian-American professor of the history of art and architecture at the University of Pittsburgh and the author of nine books on the history of art and architecture, ranging from the exc ...
, ''Buildings of Pittsburgh'', Charlottesville, Virginia: University of Virginia Press, 2007, . *
Franklin Toker Franklin K. Toker (29 April 1944 – 19 April 2021) was a Canadian-American professor of the history of art and architecture at the University of Pittsburgh and the author of nine books on the history of art and architecture, ranging from the exc ...
, ''Pittsburgh: An Urban Portrait'', Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1995, .. *James D. Van Trump & Arthur P. Ziegler, Jr., ''Landmark Architecture of Allegheny County Pennsylvania'', Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation, 1967, No ISBN. {{DEFAULTSORT:Osterling, Frederick J. 1865 births 1934 deaths People from Duquesne, Pennsylvania 19th-century American architects Architects from Pittsburgh Frederick J. Osterling buildings 20th-century American architects