Leechburg mansion once home to steel, tin industrialist now great digs for family of 11
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A historic residence in Leechburg has new owners.
The three-story mansion at 701 First St. was purchased by Ashley and Quinto Martin in August.
According to Armstrong County records, the property was sold for $210,000. Money doesn’t stretch as far as it used to. It was built in 1866 — just after the Civil War — for $10,000.
The Martins relocated from Greensburg with their nine children about three months ago.
Ashley Martin, 39, said they were looking for a larger home and when they initially arrived in Leechburg to tour the home, something significant on the grounds caught their attention.
“We had a hard time finding a decent-sized home in our price range,” Ashley Martin said. “We’re Catholic … and pulling up and seeing that grotto in the middle (of the driveway) — it meant something to us to have that there.”
Joe Weltner, a Realtor at Coldwell Banker Real Estate Services of Fox Chapel, said he’s fielding more interest in historic homes from buyers in the Alle-Kiski Valley.
“Based on the popularity of television shows on HGTV and others, the allure to buy a historic home and fix it up is definitely there,” Weltner said. “Younger buyers are attracted to the homes instead of ‘cookie cutter’ homes.”
Information detailed in an article published by the Valley News Dispatch in 1980 provides specifics on the property.
Owned by the Siberian Iron Works Co., the house originally served as the residence for wealthy businessman William Rogers. He is credited with bringing the steel and tin industry to Leechburg when he founded American Sheet and Tin Co. Rogers had been a captain in the Civil War.
The 20-room home was constructed on seven acres high above downtown Leechburg. Interior and exterior photos of the home are available on Zillow.
It features 43 doors, 70 windows, seven fireplaces made from imported Italian marble and furnishings brought over from England, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy and Spain. It has English walnut woodwork and 12-foot ceilings.
”This house is a historical hidden gem,” said Leechburg Area Museum and Historical Society president Larry Boehm.
Boehm said until recently, the home had escaped serious modifications.
“The previous owners removed the original windows that had wavy glass and arched tops, and they also added forced heating and air conditioning and renovated the kitchen,” Boehm said.
Homeowners over the decades have included these families: McCracken, Welch, Boario, Bullock, Bonello and Yurjevich.
Maria Boario, 74, lives in Leechburg a few blocks from what was her childhood home for more than 20 years.
She’s pleased to hear that the home has new owners.
“I think it’s wonderful that there’s a family living there now, and I look forward to meeting the Martins,” Boario said.
Boario described her childhood spent in the home as magical.
“We never thought of that home as a mansion; it was just our home,” Boario said. “My parents were very welcoming and hosted many family reunions. My mother and her friends would make apple butter from the trees in the orchard and we’d have bonfires outside.”
Boario recalled pitching in with household chores.
“My job was to clean. There were beautiful tile floors,” Boario said. “… [T]here were marble fireplaces in almost every room, but we never used them.”
Boario said The Lions Club of Leechburg hosted their annual Easter Egg hunt on the grounds.
“That was a fun time,” Boario said.
“Welch is the most storied owner in current folklore,” Boehm said. Welch, a doctor, purchased the property after Rogers moved.
Dr. Welch practiced out of the home and provided house calls, common during that era.
“For this reason, many people believe that the home was once a hospital, but it was not,” Boehm said.
Former Leechburg resident Nancy Talley, 68, said she always longed to see the inside.
“My friend in high school lived next door but never went in farther than the front porch,” said Talley of Fredericksburg, Va.
For the Martins, the home offers plenty of room and home schooling areas for their children.
“It’s a piece of history, and that was a big thing for my husband. He loves history,” Ashley Martin said. “My favorite room is the living room. We spend so much time in there, and the woodwork has been so well preserved.”
Weltner said the selling price of the home is on point with other similar historic listings in the Alle-Kiski Valley.
“They bought it for a fair, if not good price for the size, condition and updates and significant history of the home,” Weltner said.
He offered advice for buyers looking to purchase old homes.
“Find a home renovation contractor that has experience with historic homes, one that can provide accurate quotes on how much it will cost to restore the property to your specifications,” Weltner said.