Rosemarie Perla's home has had many visitors in its 150 or so years. It's been a tobacco merchant's home, a conestoga wagon stop on the Pittsburgh-Greensburg turnpike and a tavern, but its doubtful that the house has ever had 600 visitors in one day.
Perla might see that day come on Oct. 1 when she opens her doors, along with eight other homeowners, for the Lawrenceville Hospitality House Tour.
The tour will feature everything from contemporary decor to renovations rooted in the Second Empire style, as well as goodies supplied by local businesses, such as Divertido and Sugar Boutique. Starting at the Allegheny Cemetery, the self-guided tour will provide tourists with transportation, if they choose to use it, from Molly's Trolleys.
Organizers had about 600 visitors last year and hope the event will draw even more this year. The ultimate goal, though, is to get people interested in supporting Lawrenceville.
"We want people to be so inspired by the houses they see and the people they meet on the tour that they'll consider moving to the neighborhood," says Kitty Julian, co-chair of the event and Lawrenceville resident. "Or, at the very least, come back and enjoy the hospitality of our neighborhood, restaurants and shops."
It was the hospitality and potential in her future home that originally attracted Perla to the area.
When Perla decided to move from her Oakland home, she knew what she needed and wanted. She had a strict budget. She needed a fantastic kitchen and room for her kids to come visit. And she refused to leave the city. That's when a friend tipped her off to Lawrenceville's affordable, but needy, homes and friendly atmosphere.
It was an easy sell to Perla.
"I think Lawrenceville is so Pittsburgh," says Perla, who moved into her home in January. "It's blue collar, it's good solid people. I look around here and I see white people, black people, yellow people, people in stripes, people in colors. There's this amazing cross-section of people, and that's the kind of area I want to live in."
So Perla settled in for some hard work. Her home, which was gutted when she bought it, now has an atrium in the kitchen, French doors that open onto her deck, a view of St. Augustine's church and updated ironwork. Loyal to her community, Perla had as much work as possible done by local merchants, including supplies from Artemis and ironwork by Gerald's Forge.
Julian understands the draw of Lawrenceville, having moved there in 2000.
"Some people buy for investment, financial investment," she says. "We bought for a quality of life investment."
Sandy DeTemple, Lawrenceville Realtor and co-chair of the event, hopes that a sense of community will be evident during the home tour. To welcome visitors, each tour home will have a potted pineapple, a sign of hospitality.
If the community vibe isn't felt, at least visitors will get a good idea of what diverse homes are available.
"The selection of homes is a cross-section of properties in Lawrenceville," DeTemple says. "What makes them more special is the fact that they've been reclaimed and saved. The properties that are on the tour truly reflect labors of love."
DeTemple has lived in Lawrenceville since the 1970s. She says she could live anywhere, but she wouldn't live anywhere but Lawrenceville. Organizers hope tour visitors will feel the same.
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