Pitt Students Help Unlock the Architectural Past Of a Bloomfield Mansion

PITTSBURGH—Students from the Architectural Studies Program at the University of Pittsburgh have investigated the history of the Henry J. Lynch House, formerly Victoria Hall, a magnificent mansion built in 1867. The building, at 201 S. Winebiddle St., Bloomfield, now houses the Waldorf School of Pittsburgh, whose administrators and staff partnered in the preservation project. The students, Pitt juniors and seniors, will present the results of their investigation at 10 a.m. July 31 in the chapel on the Waldorf School campus.

Based on 11 weeks of carefully directed research, the students have drafted a Historic Structure Report that will be used as part of a process to have the Lynch House added to the National Register of Historic Places.

The presentation will examine the construction history of the building, the life and career of Henry J. Lynch, and the transformation of the house into the Ursuline Academy. Students will explain the methods used to document the building's history and will have tips for the public on how they can research their own home.

Drew Armstrong, Architectural Studies Program director and assistant professor of architectural studies in the School of Arts and Sciences, sees tremendous potential for partnerships like this as part of a new, intensive program in historic preservation being developed at Pitt.

According to Pitt course instructor Jeff Slack, the presentation, which is open to the public, will reveal substantial new information about the Lynch House and provide community members with "compelling historical insight into their neighborhood."

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7/24/08/amm