Harvey Childs House
By TheZachMorrisExperience - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0
Location:
915 Ridge Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15212
Description:
The Harvey Childs House serves as the official residence of the University of Pittsburgh’s chancellor. Built in 1896 by the architectural firm Peabody & Stearns, the mansion is an excellent example of Colonial Revival architecture. It features a gambrel roof and design elements inspired by Philadelphia’s Georgian-style Mount Pleasant mansion. The house skillfully incorporates a side porch, balanced by a porte-cochère, to avoid obscuring the street-facing façade—a challenge common in similar historic homes. The porch was later enclosed to improve its usability.
The original owner, Harvey Childs, was a notable figure in Pittsburgh’s history and served as a trustee of the university, then known as the Western University of Pennsylvania, from 1863 to 1876. Childs played a key role in establishing the Allegheny Observatory and contributed significantly to the university’s Department of Astronomy and Physics. Following Childs, the home was occupied by John F. Casey, another university trustee, until his death in 1948.
In 1966, the mansion was generously donated to the University of Pittsburgh by Leon Falk Jr., vice chairman of the university’s board of trustees, to serve as the official residence of the university’s chancellor. Since then, it has been used to host university events, receptions, and visiting dignitaries. Recognizing its architectural and historical importance, the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation designated the house as a Historic Landmark in 1973.
Today, the Harvey Childs House continues to function as the chancellor’s residence and a venue for official university gatherings. Its enduring presence reflects both the rich history of the University of Pittsburgh and the architectural legacy of Pittsburgh’s Gilded Age.
