Colonial Place

Colonial Place Historic District lies off Ellsworth Avenue, between South Aiken and Amberson avenues, in Shadyside. It consists of homes designed by architect George Orth and built in 1898. They sit in a green, leafy setting originally designed by landscape artist E.H.  Bachman.

If you walk down Colonial Place, which is a dead-end street between Ellsworth and the busway/railroad tracks, you’ll find comfortable homes that are built on the same basic plan but that have been individualized so there is no cookie-cutter  effect modern housing developments often display.

There are  two huge houses, also designed Orth, flanking the entrance of Colonial Place. I’m not sure if they are part of the historic district recognized by the Pittsburgh History and Landmark Foundation – I found little information about the place -- but it’s obvious they are way out of scale from the others.

More than 100 years later, these homes are still sheltering families and adding to the beauty of Shadyside.