Charles Ripley would have to see it to believe it and Guinness would probably have a place in his record book to include the endeavor. Jozsef and Lorraine Nemetz have named it The Eighth Wonder, and after touring it one has to wonder how it came to be pieced together to form this most unique structure. Learning of its origin simply adds to the wonderment. The couple takes pride in welcoming visitors to their grandiose setting that doubles as their residence and their restaurant. Seated in a dining room area fashioned out of marble, hand-hewn lumber, stained glass, wrought iron, brick and stone, and tastefully accented by a display of antiques, it’s astonishing to learn that the structure was originally a centuries-old wooden barn and in later years filled with manure and targeted for demolition. “It took us 28 years to put this together,” Lorraine said. Her husband added, “But I’ve been collecting practically all my life.” His “collections” stemmed from his job as a general and demolition contractor. “Practically everything you see here has been recycled,” he admitted. “The brick, stone, marble, timber, wrought iron and even some of the furniture — antiques — are from buildings I’ve worked on or demolished. And some of the buildings were the larger bank buildings in the Pittsburgh area as well as some 300 churches of all denominations.” Shaking his head, wrapped with a bandana he claims to be his trademark, Jozsef admitted, “I could never do this again. Before everything was left in the buildings, but today people have gotten smarter. Today, they take the fixtures, copper plumbing — everything — before giving salvage rights.” The couple, each in their second marriage, share a distinct pride in their Hungarian ancestral background. Both can trace their family ties to Budapest. “I was a little boy when I came to this country with my parents and three brothers and two sisters, locating in the Pittsburgh area,” Jozsef said. “My dad was an interpreter, who spoke 14 languages fluently. He worked for the courts in Europe and when he came here, he was a machinist for Westinghouse and also worked for Mellon Bank as an interpreter when needed.” After graduating from Braddock High School in 1951, Jozsef went on to Arizona State University, majoring in languages and health and hygiene. “I was a running back with the Sun Devils and later went on to play pro football with the Montreal Tiger Cats . ” He attributes a distinct limp in his walk to his “football days.” After a half-century in the construction and demolition businesses, he remains active in the trades. Lorraine is originally from Smithdale, with her parents, John and Julie Molnar, and grandparents immigrating from Hungary. She graduated from West Newton High School and then attended California State College where she majored in elementary education. She taught in the Yough School District. Her first husband, Robert Cochenour, was a math teacher and basketball coach at West Newton High. He suffered a fatal heart attack in 1971 while remodeling the family’s West Newton home. Sadly, their son, Steven, suffered the same fate, succumbing from a fatal heart attack three years ago. Their daughter, Suzanne Higgins, resides in Uniontown. Jozsef and Lorraine have been married 18 years, “but have been together going on 29 altogether,” she said. Looking for a place to call their own and with dreams swirling in their heads, the couple decided to build their own “palace.” They came upon the old barn that, too, had some deep roots. Located at 302 Madison Heights Road near the downtown crossroads area of Madison, Westmoreland County, it was originally built as a dairy barn in 1799 by T.B. Brown, a successful land owner and banker. The old wooden structure was bowed and looked ready to collapse. The floor was covered with manure, waist-high, along with a years-old collection of cobwebs and rubbish. With his skill and knowledge of construction, Jozsef saw beyond it all and pictured a “dream home.” He purchased the structure that included 2.2 acres of land in 1973 and immediately set out to refurbish the 115- by 85-foot barn that towered 75 feet. “It was ready for the wrecking ball when I bought it,” Jozsef offered. “I told the people I was going to make a showplace of it, but, I have to admit, most thought we were crazy. They looked at us as gypsies.” A year later, the determined contractor and his son, Steven, of Madison, began the restoration project. They were joined by Jozsef Nemetz’s fiancee, Lorraine Cochenour. Their first job was to remove the cow manure “that was up to our waists,” Jozsef offered with laughter. “There was only 42 inches of height on the first floor,” he explained. “You couldn’t even stand up (straight). It was a cow barn and that’s where the stalls were.” The second story went straight to the roof, some 70-feet of wide open space. The two completely gutted the structure and then began the work of strengthening the centuries-old barn. “It was bowed in the back and we pulled it in with cable, using an 8-foot monkey wrench. The cable is still in place, but it’s imbedded in the plaster and you can’t even see it,” Jozsef noted. The family restoration crew next went to work with jackhammers to lower the bottom floor to give that area “some standing room.” From there the project was all go, with the only blueprints printed in the heads of this determined couple. Jozsef completed an area on the bottom floor, which became his office complex for his contracting business. But for a time, he slept on an Army cot in the old milk house. A second floor was put into place, which created a third story the Nemetz couple now call home. A spiral staircase — recycled from a building in Jeannette — leads to their penthouse apartment, as fashionable as any in New York City. Enhanced by sky lights, it is tastefully laced throughout with antique pieces. There is even a unique gift and antique shop on the second floor. The family then set its sights on its restaurant facility, which would occupy the lower two floors. The first floor now features a dozen smaller rooms for individual, intimate dining, a larger dining area, bar area, and rest-room facilities. Included on the second floor are the kitchen and main dining area. Stained-glass windows, 318 in all and collected from banks and churches throughout the area, bring colorful sunlight to each floor. The able contractor takes pride in pointing out wall-to-wall stone fireplaces that enhance the dining areas. The fireplace in the main dining room contains 192 tons of stone alone and features a shadow-style grate built by a Hungarian blacksmith. According to Lorraine, the interior follows an Old Europe motif. “We had a million and a half tons of stone trucked in here over the years and Lorraine and I unloaded it all and placed it into place for the fireplaces and other decorative areas,” he emphasized. “The stone was from foundations of buildings we tore down.” The couple created arches to accent the doorways, and lattice, pulled from the old Greater Pittsburgh Airport, is decoratively in place throughout. “What we did when we brought in the material was sit down and think and try to work it in (our plans), Jozsef explained. “Nothing was on paper, just out of our heads,” Lorraine interjected. They list the main building materials as plaster and used brick, stone, marble, lumber wrought iron and the lattice, which all have been, in their words, recycled from Jozsef’s businesses. Much of the furniture, crystal chandeliers, paintings, and the antiques were collected from jobs as well. The list of treasured artifacts include a corble blu mirror from Italy; an 1626 hand-carved hutch from Madrid, Spain; an 1890 signature three-piece bronzed set from France; an 1865 sideboard from the Rockefeller estate; and an 1870s French server. There are more personal items that hit home. Lorraine points out a table similar to a library table that was brought to this country from Hungary by her grandmother. The satin wedding gown worn by Jozsef’s mother is displayed on a mannequin in a downstairs room. Singer Perry Como’s first barber’s chair is another timely attraction. A sign on the chair notes, “This chair was made in Chicago in 1914 and acquired by Jozsef Nemetz in the year of 1982 from the city of Canonsburg.” “It took us 28 years to put it all together,” Lorraine said, “and Jozsef has been collecting items used in this project practically all of his life. We’ve done most of it ourselves, but at times we would get skilled help such as a stone mason, brick layer or plasterer.” But the interior is just half of the Nemetzes’ building story. There was the exterior that needed brushed up as well. It, too, is another chapter in the story behind The Eighth Wonder. The driveway that circles the main structure is made of Belgian block, which in earlier days were used as a street base in Monessen. “Lorraine and I put that (driveway) in, brick by brick, some 65,000, working on our hands and knees,” Jozsef said. The driveway passes under a brick arch and massive gates that are marked with a Hungarian crest — the crown of St. Stefan, the first Christian martyr. Also on the grounds are nine water gardens, each dug by hand, and a number of sculptures and statues, collected from “jobs.” Jozsef takes special pride in pointing to an old car that is another outdoor feature. “It’s a 1930 Studebaker, my first car I purchased for $45.87, and it’s kept out of the weather by a covered bridge.” A uniquely designed grape arbor, which provides the fruit for his wine making, is situated in the same area. He credits Michael Yesko, of East Pittsburgh, for the design. He said the landscaping is the work of his wife. “She did it all, and all most by hand.” Speaking of the total project, he admitted, “Without her — her determination — I couldn’t have done this myself.” From the outside, balconies for outdoor dining, are another enhancement to the old barn. “We can seat 250 for dining, but currently prefer limiting ourselves to 35 or 40 because we want our food to be exquisite — the top of the line,” Jozsef emphasized. The restaurant features Hungarian, Italian and American cuisine, served between the hours of 4 and 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. According to Lorraine, seven courses are served European style, which can take up to three hours to thoroughly enjoy. “Some of our diners have been here up to five hours, just taking it all (the food as well as surroundings) in.” The menu favorite — a Hungarian dish, chicken paprikas. The couple introduces their main chef, Jason Detman, of West Newton. “We had a master chef instruct Jason,” Lorraine said. She hands the card of Andrew G. Iannacchione, consulting corporate chef, brands manager and culinary specialist for U.S. Foodservice, based in Altoona. “Chef Andy cooked for President Clinton and in the Kremlin,” Jozsef added. “There are only 24 master chefs in the world, and he’s one of them.” The couple describe their business as growing. “It’s mostly by word of mouth, but when you serve quality food, the word gets around.” Asked if the main selling point was the food or the building and grounds, Lorraine answered, “Really, I think it’s both, although the food is excellent and we describe it as a world-class restaurant. Joz and I go around to greet the people. I’m the hostess and he’s really a good PR man.” She emphasized that she is now the owner and manager of The Eighth Wonder. “I’m a retired teacher and like to be busy. I’ve always wanted to get the restaurant off to a flying start and I think I did.” Jozsef said his goal in life is to meet his daily challenges. “Life is a challenge. Anybody can take a 9-to-5 job, but I start my day at a quarter to four in the morning and begin to lay out my schedule. I leave home at 5:30 and am normally in bed at 10 o’clock at night, and that’s seven days a week.” Peering around his treasured setting, he said, “I love a challenge.” His philosophy is “an idle mind is the devil’s workshop.” Giving thought, he continued, “Man was put on this earth to create something in life and I’ve done that. I never had a drink in a bar in my life, and I traveled all over the world. I’ve been in 44 countries and 47 states, on my own and as a member of the U.S. Army, serving with the 7th Ranger Battalion in the Korean War. We’ve never stole anybody’s ideas.” His wife agreed and offered, “I have my own ideas as well. I’ve been schooled in art as well and I love to decorate.” “It looks almost impossible to have accomplished this ourselves, but we did,” Jozsef stated. “A lot counted us out, but I felt blessed every day I went on the road to work to support this project.” Asked to put a price tag on the place, Jozsef said, “How could one put a price tag on this• Twenty-eight years of labor and more than a half-century of collecting the priceless antiques, it’s impossible.” Lorraine continued, “We feel The Eighth Wonder an appropriate name. It is not the Eighth Wonder of the World, but The Eighth Wonder emblemized by the world globe.” In the little Westmoreland community of Madison, the Nemetz family and The Eighth Wonder have made believers out of many wonderers.

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