Shadyside house restored to its splendor

The decaying, soot-covered 19th-century stone house along Fifth Avenue was quite an eyesore when Scott Cavanaugh and Ron Graham saw it while driving through a ritzy area of Shadyside in 1998.

Yet, when they discovered a "For Sale by Owner" sign dangling in one of the dilapidated house's broken windows, Cavanaugh and Graham felt an inexplicable attraction to the place, much like the couple in the movie "Cold Creek Manor" felt about their mansion.

"I said, 'I have to have that home,'" says Cavanaugh, 36, who finally bought the three-story house with Graham in June 2000. They moved in a year-and-a-half later. "I don't know why. I just wanted this home in the worst way. We felt that way right away."

He continues joking, "It was an expensive, ugly-looking thing." The blackened house cost one-and-a-half times more to renovate than the purchase price.

The men have restored the 7,400-square-foot house to its original state of opulence as a spec mansion along Millionaire's Row in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The public can get a peek inside and tour several other neighborhood homes and buildings Sunday during the 25th annual Shadyside House Tour. The event is the major fund-raiser for the Shadyside Action Coalition, a nonprofit community activist group that aims to inform residents about government and safety issues affecting the community. This year, coalition officials will donate part of the proceeds to the United Cerebral Palsy Foundation.

The house tour, which displays a mix of design styles including Victorian, contemporary and traditional, draws visitors from all over Western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio, according to Carol McGinty, chairwoman of the Shadyside House Tour and president of the Shadyside Action Coalition. Guests gain decorating ideas as they stroll through the houses.

"The whole idea is to be able to see and share and enjoy the beautiful architecture that has been preserved in Shadyside," McGinty says. "Every year, people have a lot of fun."

Cavanaugh and Graham also have fun entertaining in their historic home, which first was home to W. Howard Nimick, chairman of the board of Keystone National Bank of Pittsburgh, his family and servants. Cavanaugh and Graham say they hope to go beyond the Shadyside tour and host future charity functions, possibly for Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh or Shepherd Wellness Community.

Restoring and beautifying their neoclassic-style home was a delight for the two men -- they jointly own Windo VanGo, an interior design firm with specialties that include window draping, bedspreads and shutters. The initial work of making the home functional was grueling, however: They had to install all utilities, such as plumbing, electricity and water; repair seven fireplaces; pressure-wash the sandstone and replace the mortar between the blocks; and reline the gutters.

"When my family saw it the first time, they thought it was crazy," says Graham, 32. "We saw the potential."

Now, a walk through the home -- decked out grandly with crystal chandeliers, Oriental rugs and refinished antique furniture -- brings a sense of awe and legacy, as if you are in a mansion museum.

When peering into the entryway parlor, the long dining room or one of the five distinctly decorated bedrooms -- each named after a wine, such as Merlot, Sake, Champagne and Zinfandel -- you glance around, almost expecting to see a waist-high door and push-button on the wall that sets off a recorded voice, saying, "This is where Mr. Nimick ..."

The hardwood-floor house has more than 20 rooms, including seven potential bedrooms, three bathrooms, two powder rooms and a greenhouse. Each bedroom has a different color scheme and window draping.

In some parts of the house, the wallpaper is an exact replica of the original, Cavanaugh says. Dana Lee King, a local faux finisher, crafted many wall designs and other materials by hand in the home.

"You can feel spirits here," Cavanaugh says.

But there are no cold shoulders in this one.

"Doesn't this have a warm feeling to it?" he beams, spreading out his arms in the Zinfandel bedroom.

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25th annual Shadyside House Tour