Take a peek inside historic Bellevue homes on upcoming house tour
A wooden examination table from the early 1900s sits on the back patio of a historic Bellevue home that was once filled with medical supplies. The space where patients sat during appointments is now being used to store gardening tools.
The piece of memorabilia is one of several that Mary Holleran and Dave Bollenbacher incorporated into the décor of the Lincoln Avenue home they’ve owned since 2015 that was previously lived in by two doctors. The house will be one of nine featured residences for Bellevue’s Live Worship Shop tour from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 19.
“We have done a lot of work on this house but we also have tried to keep the character of the house,” Bollenbacher said as he opened one of the doors on the bottom of the exam table that belonged to Dr. Arthur Gross.
Gross was born on the North Side in 1884 and attended the Pittsburgh Academy and Western Pennsylvania Medical College, now the University of Pittsburgh. He did graduate work at Harvard and London universities and was on staff at Suburban General Hospital in Bellevue. He had a private practice in his home.
He used half of the first floor of the Georgian Colonial built in 1922 as a waiting room and office for his medical practice. His wife, Adele, used a wheelchair, so the house was built with an elevator using a pulley system that still works.
After Gross died in 1948, his wife sold the property to Bellevue natives Dr. Charles W. and Frances D. Metzger, who owned the house until Frances’ passing 2012. They left behind a fully furnished home, including the physicians’ equipment with two exam tables — one on the patio and another in the solarium.
“This is a very unique home,” said Theresa Gallick, chair of the tour. “It is a time capsule of small-town doctors. Mary and Dave have definitely treated the home with care.”
Also part of the tour are walk-through tours of the 100-year-old Bellevue Elementary, access to Bellevue’s community garden and an art show at The John A. Hermann Jr. Memorial Art Museum.
Restaurants Thai Tamarind, 202 Hometown Taco, Revival on Lincoln, and Wunderbar Coffee and Crepes will be offering specials. Other businesses in Bellevue will also be participating.
“Across America, people choose to live, work and play in historic, well-established, walkable neighborhoods,” Susan Stabnau, executive chair of tour sponsor Bona Fide Bellevue, said in a statement. “Residents move to places like Bellevue because they desire to live somewhere distinctive and unique with an authentic sense of place.”
“We have some wonderful history to share this year,” Gallick said.
They installed a tiled compass on the front stoop that points true north and added a portico on the front, and replaced 39 windows.
In the back, there is a greenhouse, a fairy-house garden with gnomes, a solar irrigation system and two waterfalls. This is Holleran’s favorite area because she said she loves connecting with nature.
“Mary is the gardener I want to be someday,” Gallick said.
The home is close to bus routes and the shopping district. They’ve made it so they can live on one floor.
“It is fun to see other people’s houses on these house tours and it’s a chance to meet other people in the community,” Holleran said. “These tours are always a good time. It’s a friendly neighborhood.”
Tickets for the self-guided tour are $45. VIP tickets are $100. Tickets are available at bonafidebellevue.org and on tour day at Bellevue United Presbyterian Church, 457 Lincoln Ave.
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region’s diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of “A Daughter’s Promise.” She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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