Lifestyles

Ed and Mary Ann Graf bought their Victorian row house in Pittsburgh's historic Deutschtown neighborhood in 1993 for only $45,000.

Since then, they estimate that they've sunk well over $500,000 into the home.

Known as the Frater House, it was built in 1888 to house the Marianist brothers who came from Dayton, Ohio, to teach at St. Mary's German Catholic Church school. The 4,500-square-foot home now serves as the primary residence for the Grafs. They used to run The Priory, a European-style hotel with 25 rooms in Deutschtown, on the North Side, but sold the business three years ago to their son, John. The couple also own Pittsburgh's Grand Hall at The Priory and Priory Fine Pastries in Deutschtown.

The couple didn't mean to spend so much on the row house. They wanted the renovations just for themselves and not for resale, Ed Graf says. They needed a garage to house his red sports car and five motorcycles, so they bought a vacant old house next door and tore it down. They also wanted a hot tub room, as well as first- and second-floor porches.

They hired architect Michael Eversmeyer, of Highland Park, to design the renovation and Sota Construction, of Bellevue, to do the actual work

Ron Ziegler, vice president of Sota Construction, says the company ripped out walls, installed an elevator and built a new garage with a room above it to house a hot tub. They built the two porches and a courtyard. They also updated the house with new plumbing and electricity, a new roof and hardwood floors, new windows and lighting fixtures.

"Any time you do renovations, you'll have unforeseen things crop up, but we plan for those," Ziegler says. "It took six to eight months to complete."

Eversmeyer, who is chairman of the city's Historic Review Commission, says the renovation was a major project. The house looks like a large building from the outside but is no more than one room wide on the inside, he says.

"I had to adjust my perspective and try to figure out how best to use that space," says Eversmeyer, 53. "The original kitchen had been in the basement. There were holes in the roof that you could see the sky through. Ed and Mary Ann were quite brave to take that building on."

The row house had been separated into seven apartments and two boarding rooms for several decades, until the Grafs bought the place.

"The house was vacant from 1993 to 1999 until we decided what to do with it," says Mary Ann Graf, who's in her mid-60s.

Ed Graf, 67, adds, "The history of this house was incorporated into St. Mary's German Catholic Church. This was built along with The Priory."

When visitors step inside the Graf home, the first thing they notice is Pal, the mixed border collie who's happy to see anyone. Then they see the soaring 14-foot-high ceilings, the 8-foot-high windows and the 12-foot-high pocket door that separates the living room and dining room. A fireplace surrounded by marble, which they added, accentuates the living room. The custom-made leather furniture is burgundy in color. A black mah jong table with matching black stools sits in the middle of the living room. The hardwood floors and woodwork are cherry-stained pine.

"We wanted a clubby kind of feeling to it," Mary Ann Graf says. "I bought the mah jong table at a house sale in Avalon. It comes from the early 1900s."

A small room is now a charming sitting area between the living room and dining room. The Grafs took out a wall and opened it up.

"This is where we have our high teas," Ed Graf says with a smile. His wife laughs out loud.

"We're more of a beer and bourbon family," she says.

The eat-in kitchen features black granite countertops, black appliances and cherry cabinets. Mary Ann Graf's sister, the late Arlene Spiegel, designed the stained glass window that hangs above the sink. The depiction tells the story of Irish immigrants coming to America on a ship, with a pick and shovel, a book and gold coins. The mother is in the middle holding a loaf of bread.

"The mother held the family together by feeding them and nurturing them," Mary Ann Graf explains.

A 12-foot by 14-foot porch with a courtyard was added in the renovation. The powder room downstairs, as well as the guest bathroom upstairs, has a built-in footstool and low light switches because two of their grandsons are still little.

A guest bedroom is at the landing of the stairs to the second floor. A surprisingly large covered porch sits on top of the new garage, next to the hot tub room. The stunning master suite takes up the rest of the area. It features a king-size, four-poster bed and a sitting area complete with German schnapps and pewter shot glasses. The master bath has an etched-glass shower door and white quarry tile that can be cleaned only with vinegar.

The expansive hot tub room, adjacent to the master bedroom, has white ceramic tile and is used quite often.

"This ended up being more than we thought," admits Ed Graf. "They put ceramic over steel. This is a 7,000-pound article."

The home office is on the third floor, along with another bedroom and an airy playroom for the grandchildren. The playroom, with green plaid carpeting and toys made especially for little people, had been a three-bedroom apartment. The Grafs have three sons: John, Stephen and Tim; and six grandchildren: Laura, Will, Max, Charlie, Josh and Garrett.

"The grandkids get me in here and think I won't know that I'll be hit by ping-pong balls," says Mary Ann Graf, smiling.

An unfinished basement and a one-and-a-half car garage complete the house. The Grafs were on the Deutschtown house tour last year but won't be on the one in September. Once is enough, they say. They are very happy with the way their house renovation turned out and wouldn't change a thing. They love the neighborhood and don't want to live anywhere else.

"We know more neighbors here than in Ben Avon, where we used to live," Mary Ann Graf says. "And this isn't really like an old house, because everything is new. I think we've added to the neighborhood."

• Most Read
• Most E-mailed
• Latest News