Reference library — books for maintaining the house
A small library of period reference books that previous stewards collected to document and maintain the structure. All available as PDFs in the house's documents archive.
- Weatherbest Thatched Roofs (1928)
- The Construction of Thatch Straw Effect Roofs with WEATHERBEST Thatched Stained Shingles. Weatherbest Stained Shingle Co., Inc., North Tonawanda, NY. This is the playbook for the Garden House's roof. Full installation manual with rafter geometry, shingle radii (10", 14", 20"), exposure pattern, nailing schedule, and color specs. Essential reading before any major roof work. 26 pages.
- Certigrade Handbook of Red Cedar Shingles (1957)
- Bror L. Grondal, Red Cedar Shingle Bureau (10th edition). Standard professional reference for red cedar shingle roofing. Useful for sourcing and grading replacement material. 102 pages.
- Architectural Graphic Standards (1941)
- Ramsey & Sleeper. The classic American reference for architects and builders. 352 pages of standard details for almost every building system of the period. Useful when interpreting any of the original 1913 framing, finishes, or hardware. 352 pages.
Publications & press
- "The Two Pittsburghs"
- PHLF News (Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation), Spring 1991, page 11. Essay on the two cultures of early-twentieth-century Pittsburgh — industrial vs. residential. 704 Amberson is featured as a photographic exemplar of the "second" Pittsburgh. View full spread → Also embedded on the History page.
- Carnegie Tech cornerstone programme, 1912
- Printed programme for the Corner Stone Laying for the School of Applied Design of the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University), Pittsburgh, April 25, 1912. Designed by Edward J. Weber (signed at lower right) — the architect of the Garden House, one year before he designed the house. View full size → Also embedded on the History page.
- Weber gift sketches
- Page of nine small architectural pencil sketches by Edward J. Weber, each in its own hand-drawn frame, each dedicated to a different recipient (Mrs. Weber, Miss Porter, Mrs. Palmer, Lillian, Mabel, Mr. Walker, Mrs. Colburn, Mr. Unger), depicting European architectural subjects he loved: Avignon, Toledo, Cahors, Saint-Chamond, Venice, the Pont Neuf, the Rialto. View full size → Also embedded on the History page.
Plans & drawings
- Levine master plan (2 sheets)
- "Home & Garden Concept Diagram" by Harry Levine, Architect (5301 Walnut St., Suite 201, Pittsburgh PA 15232; tel. 412-621-8730). Two-sheet drawing set: the concept sheet shows the site with labeled garden zones plus an overall floor plan of the house [view →]; the detailed sheet shows the Second Floor Plan, a detailed site plan with right-of-way dimensions and neighbor parcels, and the First Floor Plan [view →]. Both also embedded on History and House.
- Architectural drawings
- Additional floor plans, elevations — what exists, where
- Planting plan (hand-drawn)
- Hand-drawn 1" = 10' planting plan with every rose, shrub, and clematis identified by species and cultivar. View full size → Also embedded on the Garden page.
- Electrical circuit maps
- Hand-drawn floor-by-floor maps of every outlet, switch, and fixture, each labeled with its panel and breaker. 1st floor, 2nd floor, and basement embedded on the Maintenance page; 3rd floor pending scan.
- Mechanical schematics
- HVAC layout, plumbing diagrams if available
- Photos archive
- Where the historical and ongoing photo archive lives
