PHOTOS BY BRYAN REID AT REID REALTY IMAGING

When Mark Edelmann was looking for a home in the 1990s, he had a certain criteria in mind.

“I was an architect looking for a fixer-upper,” he says with a laugh.

He found it at 821 Lake Road in Bradford Woods. Built in 1945 by prominent architect Dahlen Ritchey, who designed Pittsburgh’s Civic Arena and Three Rivers Stadium, the secluded home had a contemporary architecture that belied its age.

“This house had a lot of potential,” Edelmann says.

He also appreciated the woodsy North Hills community — and the chance to make a historically significant home shine once more.

“I went at it for 30 years, and it was a lot of fun,” he says. “It was a great home to raise our family in.”

Edelmann, who worked on both the Bicentennial Tower and Maritime Museum in Erie, was drawn to the Lake Road home’s history as much as its design. A longtime fan of Ritchey’s work, which also includes the Towers at the University of Pittsburgh and Mellon Square, he says was excited at the prospect of returning the home to its original design.

Ritchey himself lived in Bradford Woods until his death in 2002 at the age of 91, although in another home he designed nearby. Edelmann says regrets that he never got to meet Ritchey, but he’s proud of the work he did to honor his legacy.

“I re-contemporized it,” says Edelmann. “It is a post-war modern house. There was a period in the 1940s and ‘50s, inspired by the Bauhaus movement in Germany.”

These homes focused on both simplicity and function and often included geometric patterns and bright colors. Edelmann says the Bradford Woods home had a lot of “Swiss Chalet” detail added by a previous owner, which he removed.

“We also added another floor to the home,” he says.

Edelmann also designed an addition that blends seamlessly with the original architecture while providing valuable living space. Today, the home has four bedrooms and four bathrooms spread over three levels.

Now listed by the Pierre Khoury Team at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices for $820,000, the home hit the market with a flurry of interest and activity.

“Over 50 people showed up to the open house,” says Edelmann.

Now that his kids are grown, Edelmann says he rarely goes upstairs — and he has always felt his home was built for family life. His hope is a new crew will fill the space with love and laughter, just as he and his family did.

Realtor Cindy Harnish, who lives in the area herself, was excited to highlight such a unique house in a storied community. Once a stop on the former Harmony Short Line rail and bus system, Bradford Woods originally was a popular summer retreat for wealthy Pittsburghers.

“Having lived near Bradford Woods and built lasting friendships with so many wonderful residents over the past 25 years, I’m always amazed at the tight-knit community spirit that defines this neighborhood,” Harnish says. “From local events to friendly gatherings, Bradford Woods isn’t just a place to live, it’s a place to belong.”

Cortney Gregory, branding manager for Berkshire Hathaway calls the house artistic and eclectic.

“I just fell in love,” she says. “It’s rare to have such a big piece of land; It is on 1.37 acres, deep in the woods.”

Gregory also was drawn to the home’s plentiful windows that bring in the outdoors from every angle; she notes that the house has been well-maintained and updated throughout the years.

The main floor of the home features a large, updated kitchen with a home office station, a dining room lined with windows and a cozy living room with fireplace. The primary suite is also on the main level, as is another bedroom.

The second story addition brought two bedrooms and a full bathroom to the home. There’s also a loft, which can be used as an office, lounge space or studio. The lower level of the home is finished, with a game room, laundry, workshop, full bathroom and access to the patio.

While working over the years to remove various details that did not fit the design of the home, Edelmann added a deck that mimics the trellis work of the original home.

“It made someone happy at the time, so it’s all good, but we wanted to re-contemporize it,” he says.

Strategically placed outdoor lighting shows off the distinctive architecture and frequent visits from wildlife add to the home’s storybook feel.

While Edelmann knew he was buying a special house, one thing he did not expect to find on Lake Road was community.

“The day that we moved into the house in the ‘90s, I was ripping cabinets off the wall when a neighbor stopped by,” he recalls.

The neighbors turned friends invited them to a dinner club at the local fire hall that has been occurring in Bradford Woods for 75 years — even putting on plays to raise money for charities. That neighborly spirit is not uncommon in the community.

“This is why a lot of people want to live here,” Edelmann says. it’s a very unique place.”

Meg St-Esprit is a Bellevue-based freelance journalist who covers real estate, lifestyle, education, parenting and travel for a variety of local outlets including Pittsburgh Magazine, PublicSource, Kidsburgh, Pittsburgh City Paper, and City Cast Pittsburgh. Meg offers Hot Property, an inside look into unique and historic homes on the market. Each week, Hot Property goes behind the For Sale sign to share the story of a special Pittsburgh-area home.

About: Bradford Woods
Population: 1,204
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: Bradford Woods first gained popularity as a summer retreat for wealthy Pittsburghers, but thanks to advances in travel it’s now just a short commute from Downtown. With easy access to Interstate 79 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike, Bradford Woods is well-situated to access all areas of the city. There is limited public transportation in the community and a wooded, rural feel, so most residents own cars.
Schools: North Allegheny School District (northallegheny.org)
Neighborhood: Bradford Woods offers the best of both worlds — unique homes are nestled into large wooded lots for a country feel, but the shopping districts of Cranberry Township and Wexford are just minutes away. Bradford Woods has a strong sense of community and most neighbors help one another out. Frequent community events bring everyone together while nearby Knob Hill Community Park is a favorite gathering spot for residents of all ages.