Course: HAA 1920 Introduction to Historic Preservation Student name: Wenfei LuoEast Carson Street Historical Narrative1805 on East Carson Street

The building located at 1805 East Carson Street, beginning on the northerly line of Carson

Street, 120 feet to the southerly line of Wrights Alley, was built by John Henry Sorg (1835-1910)

1 approximately in 1875 as an insurance agent office called Sorg & Henning owned by him and

his son-in-law William Henning Sorg. The building consists of three-story, being 40 feet high

from ground to eaves, located in a 20 feet wide, 120 feet long lot. 2The building was originally

built in High Victorian Italianate Style, which was one of the popular architectural styles in East

Carson Historic District. There are many row houses on East Carson Street, known as Victorian

Italianate houses, while 1805 East Carson Street is unique with its height, its central-

emphasized design and the cast-iron finials rising from its roof (one on the center and one on

each corner). The building was the last building in South Side built by John Henry Sorg, who was

called the “Squire of South Side,” one of the great people in the history of Pittsburgh in

insurance and real estate business. 34 Nowadays, 1805 East Carson Street still maintains good

integrity, with minimum alterations visible on the front facade.

John Henry Sorg is known for his business in real estate and insurance. He was active in

both politics and business; he was an orphan, and immigrated to the United States in 18525. He

was first employed at a tin and cooper works on Liberty Street, and was then apprenticed to a

contractor in Birmingham to learn carpentry. He attended evening school to learn English

1 1900 United Stated Federal Census, 1921 deed 2 1884 Sanborn map3 Notable Men of Pittsburgh and Vicinity, Pittsburgh History & Landmark Foundation4 “Spotlight on Main Street,” accessed March 20, 2014. http://www.phlf.org/spotlightonmainstreet/home.html5 City Directory 1877

reading and writing. He became a United States citizen in 1857. He was elected to the Select

Council of the City of Pittsburgh in 1875, worked as Notary Public since 1877, 6became the

president of Farmers and Mechanics Bank of East Birmingham, and owned his real estate and

insurance company since 1890. 7

For immigrants who came to the South Side in the nineteenth century like John Henry

Sorg, religion was central to their lives. Most left their native lands to escape political

oppression and to find opportunities in the expanding glass, steel, and coal industries, but they

still felt the need to nurture their faith. After arriving in Birmingham, one of their first orders of

business, even before buying houses, was to build a neighborhood church or synagogue and

form religious societies to nourish their spiritual well-being. John Henry Sorg, as a great

example, built certain amount of buildings in Birmingham/South Side—two German Churches

and two residential buildings on Jane Street and Sarah Street.8

According to city directories in 1887 and 1889, John Henry Sorg moved from 1813 Sarah

Street to 1805 East Carson Street between 1887 and 1889, and 1805 East Carson Street has

been John Henry Sorg’s real estate agent office in 1889. According to census in 1863, John

Henry worked as a carpenter at that time, living at 1813 Sarah Street. He bought the lot of 1805

East Carson Street from George L. Firscher in 1867 with 5,000 dollars. 9 The price of the same

lot jumped from 5,000 dollars to 15,000 dollars when John’s wife sold it to others, thus new

building was built by John Henry Sorg. The stone on the corner of the building also has script

“SORG.” A building marked John Henry Sorg at 1805 East Carson Street occurred on 1872 6 City Directory 18777 “Spotlight on Main Street,”8 1910 Will of John Henry Sorg9 1867 deed

Hopkins Map, with a different shape as later, thus it probably was under construction in 1872.

The map also shows that many iron and glass factories such as Jones & Laughlin Steel Company

and C.I hmsen & Sons Glass Works occurred on the south bank of the Monongahela River. Thus

iron and glass industry were popular in South Side in 1872. The certain lot of 1805 East Carson

Street was in the area of East Birmingham until 1872, when Birmingham was annexed to City of

Pittsburgh. 10 John moved to 1805 East Carson Street in 1888, and used the building as a real

estate and insurance agent office11. He and his family, including his wife, Louisa Sorg, his

daughters Alma, Adelia, and Marie, and his son-in-law William Henning Sorg, all lived on the

second and third floor of the building.

As shown on 1884 Sanborn Map, Most of the buildings on East Carson Street in 1890s

were marked as shops and stores. There were none street car roads on East Carson Street in

1880s. As showed on 1872 Hopkins Map, there were rail ways on Manor Street. By 1901,

electric roads for street car occurred on East Carson Street, making it easier to transport from

East Carson Street to other places.

John Henry lived at 1805 East Carson Street until his death in 191012. His last will in 1909

appointed his wife Louisa Sorg and his sons-in-law William Henning and Frederick G. Schenck of

his estate, including 1805 East Carson Street. 13Thus in 1921, John’s wife Louisa Sorg sold the

10 John Ormsby (1720-1805) is considered the “father of founder of the South Side.” Ormsby came to Pittsburgh in 1758 with General John Forbes’ conquering army. Over time, he acquired large amounts of property through judicious purchases and stakings in what is now the South Side. The Ormsby land was eventually subdivided into four boroughs—South Pittsburgh, Birmingham, East Birmingham, Ormsby) before they were annexed to the City of Pittsburgh in 1872. Some South Side places

and streets are named for descendants and relatives of John Ormsby: he named Birmingham after Birmingham, England.

11 1887, 1889 City Directory 12 City Directory 191013 John Henry Sorg’s Will, 1910

property at price 15,000 dollars to Severy Karwoski. Severy Karwoski sold 1805 East Carson

Street to Stanley Spara at price 11,750 dollars in 1945, who sold the same lot to Carson City Inc.

in 1973. In 1997, Carson City Inc. sold the same lot to Glenn R. Benigni and Michelle Benigni, his

wife.

Like most of the buildings in East Carson Street District, the building is originally

constructed of masonry—brick; its foundation is made of sandstone. Its walls, being 12 inches

thick on the first floor and 8 inches thick on upper levels, are made of red brick. Its

ornamentations, including moldings and brackets, are made of wood, painted. The roof is

wood covered with a composition roofing paper. 14 This high Victorian Italianate style building is

based on the style of Italian Renaissance villas; it has the projecting eave, with heavy brackets;

it has the arched window opening accented with decorative detailing and stone. Three cast-iron

finials rise from the roof, one on the center, and one on each corner. The design of the building

emphasizes on the center; each floor has three bays. The second floor has a projecting window

bay on the center, the third floor has double arched windows in the center bay, and the central

finial rises highest among the three. Different from most of the low-rise houses on the street,

1805 East Carson Street is 40 feet high. Most of the buildings from the same period (19th

century) were built by craftsman-builders. 1805 East Carson Street might also be one of them.

Although it was probably not built by architects, the ways to emphasize the central bay are very

effective. The central projecting window and double arched windows bay make it stand out

from the other buildings on the street.

14 1884 Sanborn map

As illustrated in the photo taken in 1970s, the first floor of 1805 East Carson Street was

used as a café by the owner Stanley Spara in 1970s. The stone rails on the bottom of the

window bays on the second and third floor, as showed in the photo taken in 1880s and 1890s,

were gone. Thus these decorative and stone work or rails on the bottom of the window bays

were altered between 1921 and 1970 (John Henry Sorg’s family had no reason to alter his

building after his death in 1910, alterations might occur since the building was sold to Severy

Karwoski, by Severy Karwoski or Stanley Spara). On the other hand, by 1970s, the central

balustrade on the third floor, which lay on the projecting window bay of the second floor, still

stood in the 1970’s photo.

The photo taken in 1970s also shows that alterations have been made to the store front

of 1805 East Carson Street. Although not the whole front façade is showed in the photo, the

recessed main central door with transom and the glass display windows on both sides were

altered. The new updated signboard of “Spara’s Café “ spanned over one third of the entire

height of the store front, which means that the original door and the glass windows had been

torn down and replaced by a new store front with a large signboard and lower glass display

windows and door.

As the current photo shows, the central-bay stone balustrade is gone and has been

replaced by metal rails. The records of Historic Review Commission since year 1991 don’t show

any alteration of the central-bay decorated stone balustrade by any owners. Thus the stone

balustrade was put off the building between 1970s and 1991.

Glenn Benigni started his business (he opened a restaurant) at 1805 East Carson Street

since 1992, when he was still a tenant of the building. He didn’t become the owner of the

building until 1997 when he bought the property from Carson City Inc. Glenn Benigni began to

use his rights and applied for construction work on the historic building at 1805 East Carson

Street since he became a tenant.

In August 1993, Historic Review Commission reviewed and approved an application by

Glenn Benigni, who was the tenant of 1805 East Carson Street, for installation of a neon sign on

the façade of 1805 East Carson Street.

In 1995, Benigni started the work of installing major new mechanical equipment—4-foot-

wide by 5-foot-long HVAC unit in the rear yard of the building, and large metal ducts into an

existing rear window opening. Local Review Committee recommended that by installing a tall

wooden fence around the air handling unit and ductwork, and by cleaning or repainting the

rear wall and making the ductwork the same color as the walls, the visual impact of them could

be minimized. In 1996, Certificate of Appropriateness was issued for the construction of a fence

and shelter in the rear of the property to shield the HVAC equipment.

In 2000, Benigni wanted to repaint façade and remove neon signage at 1805, and

addition of Handicapped/Disabled access ramp, addition of exterior decorative gooseneck

lighting, new glass and wood entry door with transom and addition of four brick piers with

metal fencing between at 1807. According to East Carson Historic District Design Guidelines,

Historic Review Commission recommended the façade of the building not be painted and the

signboard at 1805 be made smaller.

In 2000, Glenn Benigni requested to change the occupancy of the existing first floor

beauty shop at 1807 to bar/restaurant (expanding the restaurant at 1805), and to erect a 26’ x

54’ 1-story extension to the rear and to a portion of the easterly side, and to occupy a portion

of the easterly side yard as an outdoor dining area. Since then, the building at 1805 and 1807

East Carson Street were combined to the same parcel.

In 2007, Benigni Glenn R requested a building permit for such work to be constructed on

the property located at 1807 East Carson Street: “continued use of existing 2-story structure as

restaurant (general) with a new 19.25’ X 25’X 20’ high canopy over existing outdoor dining.” 15

In summary, the High Victorian Italianate style building located at 1805 East Carson

Street convey its significance in the history of the East Carson Street Historic District; the

building marks the history of the most significant period of a German immigrant’s life because

John Henry Sorg’s successful business in real estate and insurance took place in the building.

John Henry Sorg is a great example of the first wave of immigrants from Germany and French to

the United States; John Henry started to work for glass and iron industry, studied English,

became citizens, became a white collar, became a politician and businessman, bought lands,

and built buildings in the South Side neighborhood. His career in South Side shows the

development of immigrants and their businesses in South Side. The 1805 East Carson Street

was built near 1872 when Birmingham was annexed to City of Pittsburgh, thus it also marks this

change of the neighborhood. 1805 East Carson saw the electric roads for street cars were built

on the street in late 19th century. The owners of 1805 East Carson Street after John Henry Sorg

made alterations to the building for their commercial convenience; store front and paint are

15 Certificate of Appropriateness and letters by Historical Review Commission

altered the most often. The building has a good integrity, with minimum alterations—the

stonework on the bottom of the window bay and the stone balustrade on the central third floor

have been torn down. If the building doesn’t exist, we won’t know that the person who built

German churches, library, and houses on the adjacent streets, who had impact on the financial,

education, religion, and politics in the neighborhood in 19th century has his last building, and his

main office in real estate and insurance on East Carson Street. Thus 1805 is a good example

showing how a commercial building developed in the East Carson Street District.

Sorg & Henning (insurance, real estate, notary public), late 1880s

Credit: family photo from Louise Sturgess

Sorg & Henning, 1890s

Credit: family photo from Louise Sturgess

photo of 1805 East Carson Street dated 1970

Credit: Courtesy of Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation

Bibliography

Atlas of the cities of Pittsburgh, Allegheny: and the adjoining boroughs, from actual surveys & official records, Philadelphia, G.M. Hopkins & Company, 1872,

Atlas of the cities of Pittsburgh, Allegheny: and the adjoining boroughs, from actual surveys & official records, Philadelphia, G.M. Hopkins & Company, 1882,

Atlas of the city of Pittsburgh: from official records, private plans and actual surveys, G.M. Hopkins & Company, 1890, Volume 5, plate 4

Real estate plat-book of the city of Allegheny: from official records, private plans and actual surveys, Philadelphia, G.M. Hopkins & Company, 1901, Volume 4

Insurance Map of Business and Manufactories of Pittsburgh, Allegheny and Birmingham New York City. Sanborn, 1884.

Insurance Map of Business and Manufactories of Pittsburgh, Allegheny and Birmingham New York City. Sanborn, 1893.

Insurance Map of Business and Manufactories of Pittsburgh, Allegheny and Birmingham New York City. Sanborn, 1924-27.

1885 City of Pittsburgh, City Directory, microfilm, Carnegie Library

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1880 United Stated Federal Census, Microfilm, Carnegie Library.

1900 United States Federal Census,Twelfth Census of the United States, Microfilm, Carnegie Library.

1930 United Stated Federal Census, Microfilm, Carnegie Library.

Deed of Sale from Ansley C. Smith to George L. Fischer, 6 September, 1865, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Deed Book Volume 189, page 472. County Recorder’s Office, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Deed of Sale from George L. Fischer to J. H. Sorg, 28 May 1867, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Deed Book Volume 218, page 67. County Recorder’s Office, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Deed of Sale from Louisa Sorg to Severy Karwoski, 3 November 1920, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Deed Book Volume 2110, page 257. County Recorder’s Office, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Deed of Sale from Louisa Sorg to Severy Karwoski, 3 November 1920, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Deed Book Volume 2110, page 257. County Recorder’s Office, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Deed of Sale from Severy Karwoski to Stanley S. Spara, 15 December 1945, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Deed Book Volume 2856, page 631. County Recorder’s Office, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Deed of Sale from Stanley S. Spara to Carson City, 9 November 1973, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Deed Book Volume 4671, page 107. County Recorder’s Office, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Deed of Sale from Carson City to Glenn R. Benigni and Michelle Benigni, his wife, 7 February 1997, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

Certificate of Appropriateness, 7 March, 2007, Historic Review Commission of Pittsburgh.

Certificate of Appropriateness, 8 February, 2001, Historic Review Commission of Pittsburgh.

Certificate of Appropriateness, 7 March, 2007, Historic Review Commission of Pittsburgh.

Certificate of Appropriateness, 24 May, 1996, Historic Review Commission of Pittsburgh.

Certificate of Appropriateness, 27 August, 1993, Historic Review Commission of Pittsburgh.

“About the South Side”, South Side Local Development Company, Main Street on East Carson, James D. Van Trump Library

Notable Men of Pittsburgh and Vicinity, Pittsburgh History & Landmark Foundation

“Spotlight on Main Street,” accessed March 20, 2014. http://www.phlf.org/spotlightonmainstreet/home.html

John Henry Sorg’s Will, 1910, Allegheny County Office

Louise Sturgess, “Sorg & Henning (insurance, real estate, notary public)” 1880s. jpg.

Louise Sturgess, “Sorg & Henning” 1890s. jpg.

photo of 1805 East Carson Street, 1970, Courtesy of Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation,jpg