Shadyside ‘Babcock Mansion’ listed at $2.45 million housed U.S. presidents, lavish parties
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In the market for a fancy mansion known for hosting several U.S. presidents and celebrities?
The Beatty mansion at 5135 Ellsworth Ave., near Colonial Place, is listed by Howard Hanna Homes of Distinction with an asking price of $2.45 million. The original asking price was $2.99 million when it went on the market in June 2018.
One can’t help but notice the four massive pillars that adorn the front of the five-bedroom, three-story residence that boasts leaded glass built-in bookcases, quarter-sawn oak floors, custom mahogany woodwork and an expansive hand-painted ceiling mural in the formal dining room.
Information provided by Howard Hanna reference prior visits by seven U.S. presidents, including William Taft and Calvin Coolidge, and even royalty, such as Princess Grace of Monaco. Celebrity guests include aviator Charles Lindbergh and legendary film actress Mary Pickford, according to a 1958 article by the Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph. Some parties thrown at the house exceeded 1,000 guests, the article said.
“This home is absolutely amazing and reactions from prospective buyers are unanimous,” said Hanna listing agent Roz Neiman. “Breathtaking, exquisite and incredibly maintained are what people are saying.”
Neiman said she has fielded a few offers from prospective buyers, but the price offered wasn’t acceptable to the sellers.
Completed in 1900 for Pittsburgh steel and coal baron William Penn Snyder and later purchased by Pittsburgh mayor and Babcock Lumber Co. owner Edward Vose Babcock, the five bedroom residence was designed by architect George S. Orth and is an example of Classic Greek Revival style, according to the Sun-Telegraph.
Locals dubbed it the “Babcock Mansion” until interior decorator Herbert Beatty purchased the 22-room mansion in 1975, saving it from demolition.
The home is currently owned by Dr. John and Gayle Kirkwood, who bought it in 1988.
“We’re downsizing and our two sons are grown,” Gayle Kirkwood said of their decision to put the home on the market.
“I hope someone (that buys the home) really appreciates this irreplaceable house.”
The grand entry hall highlights a three-story meticulously wood-carved staircase.
A plaster Irish Cross pattern ceiling is a unique feature of the formal living room.
“It’s one of the finest examples of its kind in the country,” Gayle Kirkwood said of the Irish Cross design.
Home details include a gourmet kitchen, butler pantry, ornate chandeliers, brass doorknobs and an underground tunnel, rumored to have been a part of the Underground Railroad, that leads from the residence to nearby train tracks. The home has five full and two half bathrooms, a separately deeded carriage house with a three-car garage and a two-bedroom apartment for visiting guests on the upper level.
Taxes on the home are $35,000 annually, according to Allegheny County records.
Fourteen fireplaces are sprinkled throughout the 8,000-plus-square-foot home.
The Kirkwoods hosted Easter egg hunts in the residence and describe the home as “very livable.”
“It’s a large space that lends itself to cozy family events and large scale entertaining,” Gayle Kirkwood said.
A “Gone With The Wind” themed formal invitation issued by the late Mr. Beatty and saved by Ms. Kirkwood is a keepsake and reminder of the home’s socially significant history.
Beatty hosted annual fundraisers in the mansion and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on renovations and updates.
“This home is move-in ready and updated,” Gayle Kirkwood said.
Neiman said the Pittsburgh high-end luxury market is currently “rather stagnant” but not depreciating.
“It seems our younger buyers want something more manageable with less carrying costs,” Neiman said. “I’ve never had so few out-of-town buyers and another big reason is that all of sudden we have hundreds of upscale rentals in the East End, which we never had and where newcomers had to buy, now they are temporarily renting.”
But Neiman is confident the right buyer will come along.
“The home is absolutely amazing,” she said.