THE NEILL LOG HOUSE IN SCHENLEY PARK. | PHOTO BY VIRGINIA LINN

The Neill Log House, considered the oldest existing residential structure in Pittsburgh, has been restored and is reopening Saturday, Nov. 9, with a ribbon-cutting and other festivities.

The house was designated a historic landmark in 1977. The Neill family — Robert Neill, his wife Elizabeth and their five daughters — lived in the house from 1774 to 1795 on land that is now part of Schenley Park, according to Squirrel Hill Historical Society. The property is four miles from where Fort Pitt stood at the confluence of the Monongahela, Ohio and Allegheny rivers. This is where the family could go for protection in case of an Indian attack or to get supplies from merchants and traders who gathered around the fort.

The house is made of oak logs. According to the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition — which along with the historical society formed the nonprofit Friends of the Neill Log House to restore the dwelling and open it for educational purposes — most of the oak logs are not original because the house collapsed in 1967. The Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation carefully restored the house in 1969. 

The dwelling has a single room with a loft above. It originally had a ladder, which was replaced by stairs in 1969. It also has two fireplaces. The larger fireplace was used for cooking, and a smaller fireplace to its left was probably used for heating to save firewood. 

It’s listed by the National Park Service as being part of the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail because it is believed that Meriwether Lewis stopped to water his horses at a stream near the house when he traveled to Pittsburgh on the Nemacolin Trail to launch his keelboat and begin his historic journey.

Planning for the restoration began in October 2021, when the Friends group was officially formed. Donations for the latest restoration were provided by the state and individual donors. 

“We raised 300,000 dollars in total,” says Mardi Isler, board president of the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition. 

UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH’S CATHEDRAL OF LEARNING CAN BE SEEN IN THE BACKGROUND OF THE NEILL LOG HOUSE ON EAST CIRCUIT DRIVE. | PHOTO BY VIRGINIA LINN

Among the improvements, the house was reconstructed to historical standards, the property was regraded, a wrought-iron fence was built around it and trees were planted along the back of the house, which borders the Bob O’Connor Golf Course.

 Scheduled visits will be offered to schools in the area starting next year to teach students about the history of The Neill Log House, Isler said. All tours will be free to the public. 

The section of East Circuit Road in front of the Neill Log House will be closed on Saturday to allow people to gather for the noon ribbon-cutting ceremony. This will be followed by activities and refreshments from 1 to 3 p.m.