Rarely did a house reflect the passions of its owners as well as Skara Glen, the 26-room brick-and-stone mansion built in Greensburg in 1926 for avid equestrienne and huntswoman Margaret Coulter and her brother, William. Stained-glass windows and cast-iron door hardware depict knights, horses and hounds, while interior woodwork is carved with images of shields, gargoyles and acorns.
Now owned by the Sisters of Charity, Skara Glen has been renamed Regina House and is one of five Westmoreland County homes to be open Saturday for the Westmoreland County Historical Society Historic House Tour.
"These are houses that tell the history of their owners and of their area," says tour co-chairwoman Linda Austin. "Westmoreland County has a unique history that people are not aware of, and we hope we are helping to bring it to light."
A tour of Regina House reveals the wealth that came to Greensburg via the coal and coke industry. The front door of the slate-roofed Tudor-style building on Mt. Thor Road is 4 inches thick. Stone jambs have carved shields bearing the initials of the Coulter siblings. The interior is replete with wooden paneling, Gothic archways and silver sconces. "It's a fun house to live in," says resident Sister Louise Grundish, archivist for the Sisters of Charity. "Margaret Coulter must have had a great time with it."
Not far from Regina House, the Clarence Kline house sits along North Main Street in Greensburg's Academy Hill Historic District. The three-story red brick Colonial Revival home was designed in 1919 and completed in 1920. Many of its original conveniences remain intact, including closets with built-in shoe compartments and a third-floor bathroom with clawfoot tub.
Outside of Greensburg along Route 130, the John and James White house is now home to Springhill Country Furniture. The log portion of the stone, log and timber-frame house was built in the late 18th century.
The house sat vacant for 10 years before Charles and Aline Cunningham bought it in 1964. They built an addition with timbers from an abandoned barn, adding a kitchen, bath, bedrooms and a spacious living room.
The Walter home on Anna Goodman Road in Unity Township was built in 1928 as the summer home of Pleasant Unity National Bank officer J.B. Walter. Designed to make the most of warm-weather living, the two-story brick house had lots of windows, French doors between rooms and no fireplaces.
Current owners Richard and Eileen Stoner, who are both artists, have redecorated the house while preserving most of its original features, including the kitchen sink.
The George Hamilton Adams house on the hill in Latrobe is a brick Colonial Revival house dating from the mid-1920s. Adams was an employee of the Pennsylvania Railroad at Latrobe. He left no heirs, and proceeds from his estate were used to build Adams Memorial Library in 1954.
Subsequent owners expanded and updated the Adams house while retaining the hardwood floors, corner cupboards, mantels and marble entry floor. The original blueprints and early photographs of the house will be displayed during the tour.
In addition to the Saturday tour, the Historical Society will host a cocktail party Friday evening at the 1964 Coulter House in the Lindwood section of Greensburg. Lucia and John Coulter (a nephew of Margaret Coulter) hired architect John Pekruhn to design a one-story house that would nestle into its tree-filled site. The stone house is designed to make the most of its natural surroundings. A wooden footbridge crosses a small stream at the front entry, and a stone patio and outdoor hearth expand the living area.
Present owners Sean and Candace Cassidy made practical updates, such as converting the butler's pantry to a breakfast room, but kept the character of the house intact. Advance reservations are needed for the cocktail party because space is limited. Tickets, which are only available at the historical society, are $50.
Additional Information:Westmoreland County Historical Society Historic House Tour
When: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sept. 12
Admission: $25 in advance; $30 day of tour. Tickets can be purchased at the Westmoreland County Historical Society office and Earnest Gourmet in Greensburg; at Historic Hanna's Town Gift Shop in Hempfield , and at Adams Memorial Library in Latrobe. On the day of the tour, tickets will be available at each house. Tour participants will receive a map and souvenir booklet detailing the history of each house.
Where: Five houses in Greensburg, Unity Township and Latrobe
Details: 724-836-1800
