Wilkinsburg tour stretches beyond homes and gardens

It's called the Wilkinsburg House & Garden Tour, but the Sept. 24 event will be much more than that.

“Because of the nature of the neighborhood, this year's tour is a little different from our past home and garden tours,” says Marlee Gallagher, communications and outreach coordinator for the Wilkinsburg Community Development Corp. “Our emphasis is less on the houses and more on the culture of the neighborhood.”

Featured sites will include three historic homes, three historic churches, an urban farm, a community garden and residential gardens, the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation's Landmarks Preservation Center, an artist studio, a recently rehabilitated property and Garden View Manor, a personal-care home that is one of the oldest structures in Wilkinsburg.

The self-guided tour will be centered in Hamnett Place, a National Historic District and a neighborhood in transition, where much of the architecture is Queen Anne Victorian and Colonial revival.

“There are still many vacant homes in the area, and much of our Vacant Home Tour this past May took place in Hamnett Place. However, there is also a very strong and dedicated community that is growing in the area,” Gallagher says.

The landmarks foundation also will lead a guided neighborhood tour at 1 p.m., leaving from its preservation center at 744 Rebecca Ave., where a new documentary titled “Through the Place” will be shown at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Food will be available for purchase in the adjacent parking lot during the afternoon.

Penn State master gardeners will be available to answer questions during the tour at Garden View Manor.

Tour hours will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with check-in at the preservation center. Tickets are $18, $15 in advance. Proceeds benefit the Wilkinsburg Community Development Corp. revitalization efforts.

Details: 412-727-7855 or wilkinsburgcdc.org

Shirley McMarlin is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach her at 724-836-5750 or smcmarlin@tribweb.com.