The Abrams House was an architecturally notable residence in the

Squirrel Hill Squirrel Hill is a residential neighborhood in the East End of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The city officially divides it into two neighborhoods, Squirrel Hill North and Squirrel Hill South, but it is almost universally treated a ...

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, ...

. It was built in 1979–82 and was considered Pittsburgh's earliest example of

Postmodern architecture Postmodern architecture is a style or movement which emerged in the 1960s as a reaction against the austerity, formality, and lack of variety of modern architecture, particularly in the international style advocated by Philip Johnson and Henry- ...

. The house was designed by postmodernist pioneer

Robert Venturi Robert Charles Venturi Jr. (June 25, 1925 – September 18, 2018) was an American architect, founding principal of the firm Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates, and one of the major architectural figures of the twentieth century. Together with h ...

, who called the design "one of the best that has come out of our office". The house was commissioned by retirees Betty and Irving Abrams, who were inspired by the nearby Frank House to commission an architecturally bold residence. It was constructed on a subdivided lot directly behind another notable house, the Giovannitti House, with which it shares a driveway. Construction of the Giovannitti House was partially funded by the sale of land for the Abrams House. The house sat on a private drive called Woodland Road which runs adjacent to

Chatham University Chatham University is a private university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Originally founded as a women's college, it began enrolling men in undergraduate programs in 2015. It enrolls about 2,110 students, including 1,002 undergraduate students an ...

and contains a number of notable residences. When Betty Abrams died in 2018, the house was purchased by the owners of the neighboring Giovannitti House, who planned to demolish it. In order to block the demolition, the Abrams House was nominated as a Pittsburgh historic landmark by the

Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation The Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation (PHLF) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1964 to support the preservation of historic buildings and neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. In 1966, PHLF established the Revolving Fund for ...

in December 2018, but the nomination was rejected by the

Pittsburgh City Council The Pittsburgh City Council serves as the legislative body in the City of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city ...

due to the poor condition of the house and its location in an area inaccessible to the general public. The house was of frame and masonry construction with a distinctive wavelike roof. The front elevation featured a large, irregular window wrapping around and over the main entrance which combined stepped rectangular forms with radiating spokes that continued in a painted green and white sunburst pattern over much of the wall surface. A high ribbon window wrapped around the other sides of the house. The interior was painted in white and primary colors and was decorated with a large mural by

Roy Lichtenstein Roy Fox Lichtenstein (; October 27, 1923 – September 29, 1997) was an American pop artist. During the 1960s, along with Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, and James Rosenquist among others, he became a leading figure in the new art movement. Hi ...

. As of late November 2022, the house had been demolished.

References

{{reflist Houses in Pittsburgh Houses completed in 1982 Robert Venturi buildings Postmodern architecture in Pennsylvania 1982 establishments in Pennsylvania