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The Sheraden Homestead is located at 2803 Bergman Street in the
Sheraden Sheraden is a neighborhood that is located in the West End of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the United States. Nearby neighborhoods include Windgap, Chartiers City, Crafton Heights, Esplen, and Elliott. History This neighborhood was named fo ...
neighborhood of
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
,
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; (Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, Ma ...
. Built between 1875 and 1885 in the
Italianate The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style drew its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italia ...
architectural style, the building is most notable for two of its former residents, William Sheraden and William Sheraden Brockstoce.


History

The Sheraden Homestead was built on a tract of 122 acres that served as a farmland in what was at the time Chartiers Township. The land was owned by William Sheraden and his family, and they constructed the homestead during a period of prosperity. William Sheraden purchased the land in 1857 and by 1880 it was the third most valuable farm in the region. In the late 19th century William Sheraden began to subdivide parts of his farm property, selling lots for residential development. This created a new neighborhood which became known as Sheraden or Sheradenville, which was formally incorporated as a borough in 1894.''2803 Bergman Street House History'', Carol Peterson. 2017. Sheraden was later annexed into the city of
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
in 1907. William Sheraden died in August 1900 and left the homestead to two of his daughters. William S. Brockstoce, William Sheraden’s grandson, moved into the homestead in 1905. William S. Brockstoce was a secretary of the Sheraden Savings and Loan Association, a building contractor, and an amateur
horticulturist Horticulture is the branch of agriculture that deals with the art, science, technology, and business of plant cultivation. It includes the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, sprouts, mushrooms, algae, flowers, seaweeds and no ...
. He was responsible for constructing many more homes in the area. He became nationally known for his horticulture work because of his creation of new breeds of
peonies The peony or paeony is a flowering plant in the genus ''Paeonia'' , the only genus in the family Paeoniaceae . Peonies are native to Asia, Europe and Western North America. Scientists differ on the number of species that can be distinguished ...
. His work still lives on with several tulip/rose hybrids surviving on the property, and the famed twin sycamores which still exist in front of the homestead. Brockstoce died in 1963, and the estate was sold in 1967, ending the period of Sheraden/Brockstoce residency. The building was nominated in 2017 to become a City Historic Landmark b
Preservation Pittsburgh


Architecture

The Sheraden Homestead was built with
Italianate The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style drew its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italia ...
style influences. These influences can be seen with the centered front entrance, the full-width front porch with support posts, the projecting window hoods, and the paired brackets underneath the box gutter. The homestead’s exterior is made of wood clap board which has been painted white. Although other examples of Italianate style architecture are fairly common in Pittsburgh, it is unique because this architectural style is more commonly associated with agrarian settings. One of the most recognizable features which is well known throughout Pittsburgh is the twin sycamore trees that grow together to form an arch over the entrance walkway.“Twin sycamores carry history for Sheraden Community.” ''The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''. June 25, 2015.


Gallery

File:Sheraden Homestead 3.jpg, William Sheraden & Family in Front of the Original Farmhouse


References

1875 establishments in Pennsylvania