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42-824: During 1889 and 1890 twenty-six homes were built on Oakland Square, in the section known as Linden Grove. This was “the first big batch (of houses) to be put up in that district.” The houses were moderately priced ($ 6,500) and sold within a few months. These were attractive and comfortable urban homes with eight rooms and many conveniences. There were located close to the Fifth Avenue cable car connecting Oakland to downtown. In subsequent years more houses were built in phases, known as North Oakland Square and South Oakland Square. The whole development used about six acres (2.4 ha) of land and had one primary developer, Eugene M. O’Neill, and one builder, Charles H. Chance. Oakland Square North Oakland Square South Oakland Square for

84-558: A dense urban style of life. The open space, especially the park, relieves the monotony of walls of houses. In earlier times the City of Pittsburgh maintained beautiful gardens in the park. In 100 years there has been no major destruction, so the Square is still an intact unit, and every original house in the original development still stands, although many have been altered, some significantly. The location continues to be desirable, although today

126-692: A fortune, and lived in an elegant mansion at the same time that the Irish immigrants of Boston and New York were badly mistreated, the Molly Maguires in Eastern Pennsylvania were brutally suppressed, and anti-Catholicism was raging through much of the country. Who lived in Oakland Square? Over the one-hundred years, there have been many turnovers in the families living in the twenty-six houses. One generalization can be made: most of

168-559: A new eight-story building on the current site of the U.S. Steel Tower opened as home to the Chronicle Telegraph along with Oliver's merged and retitled morning paper, the Gazette Times . Upon the death of George T. Oliver in 1919, control of the Chronicle Telegraph and Gazette Times passed to his sons George S. and Augustus K. Oliver. The Pittsburgh Sun was an evening paper first issued on March 1, 1906 by

210-670: A remarkable life. Born in 1850 and educated in Ireland, he came to Pittsburgh in his early twenties where his brother Daniel was established as an editor and part-owner of the Pittsburgh Dispatch, the first successful penny newspaper west of the Alleghenies. Eugene first read law and was admitted to the Bar on 11 March 1876. His future looked bright in law but on his brother’s death, 30 January 1877, Eugene took over management of

252-498: A total of 67 housing units, all still standing although considerably modified. The design of Oakland Square is reminiscent of early Victorian squares in London and Dublin. The park is considered an outstanding urban open space. Each of the plans had slightly different designs, although all are three-story (or two-story plus mansard,) most have full bays and front porches (Oakland Square has both front and rear porches) and were modern for

294-693: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Pittsburgh Chronicle Telegraph The Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph was an evening daily newspaper published in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania from 1927 to 1960. Part of the Hearst newspaper chain, it competed with The Pittsburgh Press and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette until being purchased and absorbed by the latter paper. The Sun-Telegraph ' s history can be traced back through its 19th- and early 20th-century forebears:

336-726: The Brooklyn Superbas over the Pittsburgh Pirates . Held only once, the contest was a precursor to the current World Series . Iron and steel manufacturer George T. Oliver , later a U.S. senator, purchased the evening Chronicle Telegraph in November 1900 to complement the morning paper he had acquired earlier in the year, the Commercial Gazette . The papers were soon housed under the same roof and frequently exchanged or shared staff members. In 1915,

378-634: The Chronicle , Telegraph , Chronicle Telegraph , and Sun . The Morning Chronicle was established on June 26, 1841 by Richard George Berford. At first a semi-weekly paper, it became a daily on September 8 of the same year. The original editor was 19-year-old J. Heron Foster , who would later be the founding editor of the Spirit of the Age and the Pittsburgh Dispatch . A weekly edition of

420-821: The Pittsburgh Telegraph (founded in 1873 as the Pittsburgh Evening Telegraph ) to form the Pittsburgh Chronicle Telegraph . In 1892, the Chronicle Telegraph Building on Fifth Avenue gained brief notoriety as the site where anarchist Alexander Berkman attempted to assassinate industrialist Henry Clay Frick . In October 1900 the paper sponsored the Chronicle Telegraph Cup , a postseason baseball series won by

462-624: The "Sun-Telly" was losing subscribers and advertisers to its direct competitor in the evening and Sunday fields, the Pittsburgh Press , and to a lesser degree the Post-Gazette . The Post-Gazette ' s co-publisher William Block Sr. later recalled that "The Press , which had a great deal of newer equipment, was in a position to give later news, better distribution, and was killing [the Sun-Telegraph ] on Sunday." In 1960

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504-929: The 1940s (e.g. 3728-32 Dawson Street) and his estate was not completely settled until the mid-1950s. Eugene O’Neill died in New York City November 6, 1926, a widower and a very wealthy man. At that time his principal heir was one daughter. Eugene O’Neill was buried in Allegheny Cemetery, Pittsburgh, after services in the Point Breeze Presbyterian Church. Almost fifty year earlier, his brother, Daniel, has his funeral services in St. Paul’s Cathedral and burial in St. Mary’s Cemetery. It may be noteworthy that Daniel and Eugene O’Neill seemed to be accepted in Pittsburgh, amassed

546-590: The Civil War, a training camp, known first as Linden Grove and later Camp Howe. James Craft was selling lots in Linden Grove during much of the 19th Century: 320 land sales are recorded between 1822 and 1876. After 1846 Charley Taylor was distributing lots on what had been James Chadwick’s farm – the so-called Third Century Church Colony. Other lots were found on which to build large homes. The O’Hara or Schenley properties (Mr. Airy) were largely undivided during

588-525: The Dispatch and also maintained his real-estate interests. From 1994, when as executor of his brother’s estate he developed houses in Oakland, O’Neill invested heavily in real estate. His builder, Charles H. Chance, stated in 1904 that he had built 250 houses in Oakland, most of them for O’Neill. O’Neill formed partnerships with colleagues from the Dispatch. Harriet Rook, with whom he created Oakland Square,

630-431: The Dispatch. He built up the paper and continued for twenty-five years until retiring from full-time supervision in 1902 at the youthful age of fifty-two. Eugene also married his brother’s widow, Emma; adopted his family; lived in the family mansion, “Linden Hall” on Penn Avenue near Fifth Avenue; and developed some land Daniel had owned in Oakland. After his “retirement” in 1902, he continued as Vice-President and Director of

672-493: The Hearst organization sold its floundering Pittsburgh operation to the Post-Gazette , which in absorbing its rival gained a Sunday edition. The deal turned out badly for the purchaser: The Sunday edition proved unprofitable; the Sun-Telegraph building, which served as the new Post-Gazette headquarters, was uncomfortable and inefficient; and many former Sun-Telegraph subscribers, preferring to remain evening readers, switched to

714-524: The Linden Land Company had been formed and apparently purchased many acres of land in Linden Grove, land which had not previously been sold by Craft or by Leslie. In 1872 the Linden Land Company advertised: Choice lots for Suburban Residences: City Water and Gas. No Small Lots. Low Prices and Easy Payments. The Linden Land Company offers for sale a few choice lots varying in size from one-half acres upwards, situated in Linden Grove, Oakland –

756-525: The area as individuals. Some of the Craft land became the site of Oakland Square. Eugene O’Neill, who clearly was the mover behind the innovative Oakland Square plans, purchased 5.5 acres (2.2 ha) from Simon Beymer, who at one time was the president of the Linden Land Company, and contributed 2 acres (0.81 ha) to the initial phase. Harriet L. Rook, O’Neill’s partner in Oakland Square, had bought almost two acres from Sarah Morgan, who earlier had purchased

798-418: The area may have been named Linden Grove by Craft. At least, he prepared a plan, never recorded. An 1859 plot plan calls much of Middle and Lower Oakland “Linden Grove” and so it continued until into the 20th century. An 1876 Atlas shows “Linden Station” on the Pittsburgh and Connellsville Railroad, about at Bates and Second Avenue. There may have been a recreational area here before the Civil War, and then during

840-478: The block, with names like: Rosen, Blum, Levin, and Zakowitz. By 1929, there were thirteen families with Jewish names, ten with English or Irish. In the 1940s, the first Italian families moved onto Oakland Square. many of whom can still be found today. Today many older Italian immigrants still inhabit the historic district. In more recent years, Asian, Hispanic, and Middle Eastern immigrants, young professionals, families, and graduate and undergraduate students attending

882-487: The building of homes for workers crowding the valleys and river terraces. There were, according to maps, many homes between Bouquet Street and Atwood; a fair-sized community near the Dithridge Estate where Mellon Institute stands now. This latter area was called East Pittsburgh in an 1852 map. Other homes were scattered through Middle and Lower Oakland, with development along Ward Street as far as Frazier. By 1872

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924-673: The city of Pittsburgh in 1868. When Allegheny County was created in 1788, its territory extended to the north and west state lines. It was divided into seven townships, of which Pitt Township was by far the largest in area as it included all of the vast part of the county north of the Ohio River and west of the Allegheny River . The rest of Pitt Township lay between the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers, from their confluence at Pittsburgh (then an unincorporated village within

966-537: The creation of Allegheny County. Formed in 1771 as part of Bedford County , it was originally bounded on the north by the Ohio and Allegheny rivers and on the south by a line drawn due west from the mouth of Redstone Creek . 40°27′N 79°58′W  /  40.450°N 79.967°W  / 40.450; -79.967 This Allegheny County, Pennsylvania state location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This Pittsburgh -related article

1008-569: The families on Oakland Square were listed on the Social Register or Blue Book. Their names were similar to the early purchasers, and one, Mary J. Steel, was an original purchaser. By 1923 the composition of the residents had changed markedly. Herman Demmler and Margaret White, original purchasers, still lived on the square. John B. Moore, editor of the Pittsburgh Press, lived at #17. A fair number of Jewish families had moved onto

1050-472: The former's did not. The combined Sunday circulation that the Post-Gazette would have inherited was instead transferred to the Sunday Sun-Telegraph . The Sun-Telegraph was patterned after Hearst's other twenty-five newspapers in its use of screaming headlines, large type, sensational reporting, unconventional picture layouts, splashes of color, and front-page box scores. In the 1950s

1092-501: The houses is presently unknown as no architect was listed on the building permit. Possible Chance was his own architect. Chance later became president of the Oakland Board of Trade and after 1904, left building for real estate, with his office in Oakland. O’Neill likely played a major role in the layout and design because he would have been familiar with Dublin, Ireland, houses and squares, and there are many similarities. O’Neill

1134-507: The land from the Linden Land Company. These 4 acres (1.6 ha) constituted the site for the first twenty-six homes on Oakland Square. Another portion of his 5.5 acres of land was used by O’Neill to build the North Oakland development in 1891 and 1893, a total of 17 houses. Then O’Neill, together with C.A. Rook, son of Harriet Rook, and with H.G. Imhoff; and using two acres of land that previously had belonged to C.C. Mellor, and which

1176-459: The most beautiful and accessible suburb of this city. This property is eligibly located; can be reached by steam cars, street railways and by easy drive in 20 minutes on Fifth Avenue, soon to be paved with wooden pavement and destined, ere long, to be the most favorable and frequented drive in the city.” Principals in the Linden Land Company included Hill Burgwin, attorney; Charles L. Speer, John Scully and Simon Beymer, all of whom also owned land in

1218-491: The nearby universities have also taken up residence. The neighborhood distinguishes itself from much of Central Oakland for its relatively strong base of home ownership, reinvestment, and its orientation to families, retirees, and young professionals. Pitt Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Pitt Township was one of the original townships created with the formation of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania , in 1788. It repeatedly diminished in size until dissolving into

1260-401: The occupants are more likely to affiliated with the Oakland institutions than with downtown businesses. Probably as early as 1834, after James Craft has purchased most of the land of Senator James Ross in Oakland, the area became known as Linden Grove. Bounded by the lands of Chadwick on the north, O’Hara or Schenley on the east, the bluffs on the south, and present day Bates Street on the west,

1302-549: The paper first appeared in November 1841 with the title The Iron City and Pittsburgh Weekly Chronicle . On August 30, 1851, the daily paper started issuing later in the day, becoming the Evening Chronicle . Historian Leland D. Baldwin described the Chronicle ' s existence as "undistinguished for several decades". On January 2, 1884, the Pittsburgh Evening Chronicle merged with

Oakland Square Historic District - Misplaced Pages Continue

1344-475: The period. Leslie’s plan of Linden Grove was recorded in 1859 and several large lots were sold for homes. Still Oakland, part of Pitt Township until 1866, developed rather slowly, compared to the Southside, both before and after the Civil War. Two types of development were taking place: the building of prominent mansions, many along Pennsylvania Avenue (now Fifth Avenue), some of which were summer homes. And,

1386-465: The price was shown as reduced to $ 5,850, “IF SOLD AT ONCE – ONE of the best locations in Oakland.” The name Oakland Square was not mentioned in the ads, but the description is exact and there were no other development at the time which would match the description. Charles H. Chance was the builder of all 67 units of housing, a young man of thirty-two years when he began Oakland Square. Edeburg and Cooper, Civil Engineers, provided plot plans. The designer of

1428-467: The publisher of the morning Pittsburgh Post . On August 1, 1927, William Randolph Hearst completed a purchase of the two Oliver papers ( Gazette Times and Chronicle Telegraph ), including the building. He coordinated the transaction with publisher Paul Block , who at the same time became owner of Pittsburgh's other morning-evening combination: the Post and Sun . An immediately ensuing trade between

1470-463: The residents have been at least middle-income and many have been businessmen and professionals. The first residents (shown on the map) were probably representative of Pittsburgh of that day. The names are largely English, German, and Irish. Only one purchaser, Demmler, has a name that continues to appear in Oakland’s history, although the builder, Chance, did own #16 for a short period. By 1900 eight of

1512-539: The time (water closets, electric bells, and other amenities.) Several factors probably brought about this successful development one hundred years ago: the opening of the cable car line 12 September 1888; the burgeoning population of both Oakland and Pittsburgh; the economic climate, with its mood of expansionism and development; and the drive and creativity of the developer, Eugene M. O’Neill. Today Oakland Square continues to be appreciated and to attract praise. The well-designed and attractive homes are still comfortable for

1554-479: The township) to Turtle Creek on the Monongahela and Plum Creek on the Allegheny. Pitt Township lost Pittsburgh to the creation of Pittsburgh Township in 1792. In 1795 and 1796, the county reorganized the immense portion of Pitt Township north of the Ohio and Allegheny rivers into new townships. Thereafter, Pitt Township was confined to the wedge between the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers. Its territory

1596-580: The two buyers gave Hearst both evening dailies, which he merged to form the Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph , while Block created the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette from the two morning papers. The first issues of the new publications rolled off the presses the next day. The deal stipulated that the Sun-Telegraph , but not the Post-Gazette , would publish on Sundays, even though the latter paper's predecessors had Sunday editions and

1638-728: Was Lot #45 in the Linden Grove plan, created South Oakland Square, a total of 45 more houses. In March and early April, 1889, the following advertisement appeared in the Pittsburgh Chronicle Telegraph : For Sale $ 6,500 Oakland New Two story and mansard, brick dwelling 8 rooms, hall, bath, laundry, inside shutters and w.c., bay window, large front and rear porches, slate mantels, fine tile hearths, electric bells, etc. The entire house elegantly papered and decorated, very fashionable locality, shade trees, etc. 5 minutes walk from Fifth Avenue Cable line, easy terms. Samuel W. Black & Co. 99 Fourth Avenue On April 5,

1680-402: Was further dismembered by the creation of Wilkins Township (1821), Northern Liberties borough (1829), Peebles Township (1833), the sixth through ninth wards of Pittsburgh (1845–1846), and Oakland Township (1866). The final remnant of Pitt Township, bordering north of Oakland, was annexed by Pittsburgh in 1868. There had been an earlier Pitt Township in southwestern Pennsylvania prior to

1722-719: Was only 35 years old when he purchased the 5.5 acres of land from Beymer. The houses were all completed and sold by May 1, 1891, or in about two years. The actual sale prices, as recorded in the County Deed Books, are generally higher than the advertised price of $ 6,500, suggesting that most of the purchasers had additional construction done, such as adding one more room, finishing the basement, or specifying more expensive fittings. O’Neill’s success in this development may be implied by at least three facts: Eugene Murrough O’Neill, developer of Oakland Square, much of Parkview Avenue, and other areas of Oakland and Squirrel Hill, had

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1764-690: Was the widow of Daniel’s partner on the Dispatch, and also the mother of C.A. Rook with whom O’Neill planned South Oakland Square. Later in his life, O’Neill traveled and had homes in Palm Beach, Florida; New York City; the Hotel Schenley in Oakland; and possibly in West Virginia. He controlled much real estate in Pittsburgh until the 1920s, selling of eight houses on North Oakland Square and five houses on South Oakland Square between 1919 and 1922. Some of his holdings were not liquidated until

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