Scottdale house tour will offer peek at Greystone Manor renovation

Participants taking Scottdale’s Christmas House Tour will get a peek inside a landmark residence dating back to the early 20th century that is in the midst of an extensive restoration.

They’ll also have the chance to visit four other standout dwellings in the community as well as one of its churches between 2 and 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3.

“We’re glad to have the tour back,” said Tom Zwierzelewski, president of the Scottdale Historical Society, which organizes the annual holiday event. “The last in-person tour was in 2019” — before the covid-19 pandemic.

“Since the early 1900s, Scottdale has been known for the architecture in town and the great homes,” he said.

He noted that curb appeal was fueled by wealth associated with the local coal and coke industry and other booming enterprises at the turn of the 20th century.

A major draw on this year’s tour is a three-story Colonial Revival dwelling known as Greystone Manor, which is undergoing renovation on South Chestnut Street.

“It’s a beautiful part of the tour,” Zwierzelewski said. “Everyone is so curious and wants to see inside. It’s one of the most recognizable homes in town.”

Originally built beginning in 1905 for Scottdale department store owner E.H. Reid, it was purchased this year by North Huntingdon native and longtime fashion model Pat Hill. Her brother, contractor Jeff Hill, is restoring the home for use as a bed and breakfast and events site — a process that is expected to cost more than $2 million.

“We’re bringing it back to its original glory,” Jeff Hill said. “We’re in the beginning phase of a three-year project.”

During the tour, he said, tradesmen will be on hand to discuss the project, and visitors will be able to see some of the interior spaces that are being revived. Period furnishings expected to grace the house include a drafting table that was used at the former H.C. Frick Coke Co. office in Scottdale.

The project’s exterior work includes replacement of porch columns and restoration of the limestone walls. Thanks to the latter work, the home’s name is now something of a misnomer, according to Zwierzelewski.

“The stone has been redone and cleaned back to its original buff color,” he said. “With the soot from the industry in town, it had turned gray.”

House tour stops

The house tour will begin at the Loucks Homestead at 527 N. Chestnut St. that dates to 1835. It is home to the historical society, which has maintained the look of the home’s 1880s Victorian makeover.

Participants will be able to view a Christmas village and Santa collectibles on display and will have the opportunity to visit an associated spring house. Refreshments will be served, and maps will be provided to direct visitors on the remainder of the self-guided tour.

The tour also features:

• An 1897 Queen Anne-style home on Arthur Avenue that has new owners and a new color scheme.

• A large 200-year-old farmhouse on Dexter Road that has seven windows across the front facade, compared to the more usual five windows.

• A Colonial Revival home on Brown Street in nearby Everson where visitors will find more than 30 themed holiday trees and more than 500 Nativity sets.

• The Scottdale Mennonite Church, established in 1898, reconstructed in 1939 and enlarged in the 1970s. Visitors will learn about the congregation’s faith and about the history of the town’s Mennonite Publishing House. Handmade quilts destined for refugees overseas will be on view in the social hall.

Tour tickets cost $20 and will be sold online at scottdalehistoricalsociety.com or through Friday, Dec. 2, at Miss Martha’s Floral in Scottdale. Cash sales of remaining tickets will be offered on the day of the tour at the Loucks Homestead.