PHOTOS BY EXPOSURE IT

Over the course of 19 years in their Point Breeze North home, Jon Scalzitti and Richard Clark made a ton of changes — and even more memories.

The couple admits 6909 Meade St. wasn’t much to look at when they first crossed the threshold of the turn-of-the-20th-century home. Disrepair, decades of neglect and time had hidden the grandeur of the estate, which was built in 1908.

They saw clues, though, of what it had once been.

“I remember walking into the house and seeing the tiger oak, the pocket doors and the hardware,” says Scalzitti. “Just the bones of the house…the quality of it was evident.”

While Clark fell in love with the home’s architectural details, he realized right away that making the rest of the space livable would take some work.

“We were able to look past all of the deferred maintenance and see what the house could become,” he says. “We tried to be good stewards and respect the home by making timeless design choices in our fixtures and finishes.”

The end result is a Pittsburgh architectural gem.

With five bedrooms and four bathrooms spread over 4,300 square feet, the home had projects at every turn, the couple says. However, Scalzitti and Clark add they enjoyed the renovation journey just as much as they enjoyed living in the completed space.

One of their first projects was the property’s third-floor apartment, which they’ve rented to only four tenants over two decades of landlordship. After that project was completed, the couple turned a careful eye to other areas of the home, bringing the property back to life.

Now looking to downsize, Scalzitti and Clark have listed the property with The Czapor | Chaussinand Group at Piatt Sotheby’s International Realty for $1.3 million.

Realtor Brian Czapor says this home is unlike any other their team has listed. While he sees many homes, particularly in the East End, updated to modern taste — this one was different.

“It was a restoration rather than a renovation,” he says.

Realtor Blake Chaussinand adds he was blown away by the hidden treasures the couple unearthed during the construction phase.

“The owners dug out and discovered an original basement door underneath mounds of concrete,” he says. “It now leads out to the custom-built pool, providing easy access to the powder room in the basement for guests using the pool or enjoying the backyard gardens, which are landscaped like no other in the city.”

Czapor notes that while there are many who undertake tasteful renovations that keep some integrity of a historical home’s original character, the Meade Street estate takes it to another level.

“This home was thoughtfully restored to its original character down to custom new stained-glass windows, as much original woodwork as possible, leaded glass, and hardware that were preserved or meticulously matched by our sellers,” he says.

The first floor, which encompasses a large living room, dining room, breakfast nook and renovated kitchen, was designed with entertaining in mind; the kitchen’s workable layout and updated appliances also don’t detract from the historical details.

Rather than blow out the walls for an open-concept design, the owners decided to keep the American Foursquare-style home’s classic footprint in place.

During warmer months, the couple’s frequent gatherings for family and friends often spilled out into their meandering, oasis-like garden space, which includes an in-ground pool surrounded by greenery.

For the holidays, the property’s timeless character served as a backdrop to many happy gatherings. The couple even got married at their 2014 Christmas party following the passage of the marriage equality bill in Pennsylvania that same year.

The couple also completed drastic updates to the exterior landscaping, porch, patio and garage.

When restoring the second floor, the couple styled a luxurious primary bathroom that looks as though it has always been part of the home. There’s also another bedroom with an ensuite bathroom, as well as two additional bedrooms that share a hallway bathroom.

The third floor apartment has separate access for the tenant. A finished basement has space for a home gym, guest room, office or powder room, plus plentiful storage.

The couple’s significant memories there make it hard to leave their home, but both owners say they will carry those moments with them once they pass the baton to new residents. Honoring the history of the home also took time and careful attention to detail, but Scalzitti says it was worth it.

“There were a few pieces of stained glass that were missing from the home,” he recalls. “But as we did our renovations, we tried to restore those and choose finishes that were not trendy, but in the classic style of the home.”

About: Point Breeze North
Population: 2,306
Planes, Trains, & Automobiles: With ample public transportation and easy access to Interstate 376, Point Breeze North residents are perfectly situated for transportation by car, bike, bus or foot. The airport is a 25-minute drive, or hop on a bus to Downtown and catch the Airport Flyer to save on long-term parking.
Schools: Pittsburgh Public Schools (pghschools.org)
Neighborhood: Home to Westinghouse Park, once the site of entrepreneur George Westinghouse’s grand estate, “Solitude,”Point Breeze North, which is located at the intersection of Fifth and Penn avenues, is bordered by the nearby Bakery Square development and Mellon Park on its western end. Other amenities in the area include the East End Food Co-Op, Construction Junction, Ascend climbing gym and the newly refurbished Rockwell Park, home to Pennsylvania’s first Enson Market. The neighborhood’s diverse architectural styles range from Civil War-era row houses to 1920s villas and Victorian gingerbread homes.