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When Chris and Tony Vitale first set foot in the Victorian home at 198 Noll Ave. in Ingram, it was love at first sight – but only for one of them.
Chris recalls the time during their engagement when the property caught their eye: “We were looking for a home for about a year, and we knew we wanted a Victorian. We actually lived in Ingram but weren’t looking in Ingram. We drove past this house, and it was it was in very bad shape. Our thoughts were ‘This really is too bad that this beautiful house is in such disrepair,’ but it was for sale. We shook our heads and drove on.
“Time passed and we thought, ‘You know we should just go inside.’”
The Vitales — married in 1988 — knew the home had great bones and at least one of them could see the potential immediately — minus the green siding, collapsing porch and all. Ravaged by time, neglect and several attempts to modernize, the Noll property was calling out for the right people to return the historically significant home to its former glory.
“We were on the front doorstep leaving and my husband was like ‘Wow, it’s in bad shape.’ And my comment was: ‘This is our house.’”
They put in what they considered to be a low offer and it was accepted. Soon, the Vitales were on their way to becoming self-taught experts in Victorian architecture and interior design — and are now the home’s longest residents.
Steeped in history tied to the formation of Ingram, the house was built in 1898 by George and Sophia Kemp on land purchased from the street’s namesake, Charles Noll. Many stories have circulated via Chris and Tony’s painstaking research to uncover its provenance. One of Ingram’s first inhabitants, George Kemp built the grand Victorian home with a full wraparound porch, expansive kitchen and pantry, 12 stained glass windows, and the newest modern conveniences … electricity and a telephone. The Vitales discovered that Noll was even a boarder there at one point.
After a remarkable transformation led by Tony, the 2,292-square-foot home retains the majority of its original woodwork, 11 of the original 12 stained glass windows and authentic Victorian character throughout.
Fast-forward 33 years, three kids and three grandchildren later, and Chris and Tony are ready — reluctantly — to share their dream home with its next owners. Listed at $400,000 the four-bedroom, two-bathroom home includes almost all of the furniture and decor.
Learning from the house
For the Vitales, the road to get to the imminent “For Sale” sign is paved with physical labor (and plenty of love) — the vast majority of it executed by Tony.
Juggling his schedule as a respiratory therapist at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh — where Chris also works as injury prevention manager — Tony carved out countless days, nights and many years to focus on every detail, from the big picture to the minutiae.
“I feel like he can do anything and I’m telling you he did,” says Christine. Tony, who is now retired, chimes in: “I would do one room a year.”
The intensive process required a mix of restoration, preservation and rebuilding.
With assistance from his father, sculptor and welder A.R. Vitale, who often worked alongside him, Tony rebuilt the kitchen to be both functional for contemporary living and also adorned with Victorian-era pieces. They removed the dropped ceiling and installed a period-appropriate tin ceiling reminiscent of original ones found in homes of the era. The light-filled kitchen ties in with the rest of the first-floor layout and opens onto a spacious back deck.
The Vitales note that the first floor was in solid shape when they bought the home. A wood refinisher was hired to restore the exquisite stairwell, which is a striking foyer centerpiece.
The second floor was a different story and required a complete overhaul — it was filled with dropped ceilings and “paneling everywhere,” says Tony. Christine says it resembled a “1960s apartment.”
For inspiration, the Vitales subscribed to Victorian Homes magazines and frequented antique shops, auctions and estate sales.
“When we started this project, there was no internet. We were sending away for catalogs,” says Tony.
The restored rooms showcase Lincrusta textured wallpapers, which have been manufactured in England since 1877. The exquisitely embossed wallcoverings are still made using many of the original rollers and craftsmanship methods in the company’s factory located in the seaside town of Morecambe in Lancashire. Here in Pittsburgh, original Lincrusta can be found in Clayton, the Frick family’s 19th-century home at The Frick Pittsburgh.
Other rooms spotlight wallpaper — such as the ceiling stars in the blue bedroom and the dining room — from Bradbury & Bradbury, based in Benicia, California, which specializes in reproducing 19th– and 20th-century patterns.
When asked about their favorite details, Chris speaks lovingly about the living room fireplace with a large mirror above it, where the family loves gathering and taking photos. Tony is particularly fond of the luminous stained-glass windows — all but two are original — and the fact that it’s rare for a private home to contain 12 of them.
Their personal lives are entwined with the home and its contents. A pink loveseat in the master bedroom was bought at The Inn of Cape May and transported in the back seat of the couple’s Chevy Lumina while Christine was eight months pregnant.
Creative repurposing is also highlighted throughout the home.
“Tony buys things that are broken or in pieces and repairs them in the basement,” says Christine.
The intricate spindles on the front porch were sourced from an antique shop on the North Side and came from a nearby house that was demolished. So, what did Tony do? Buy ($1 each), strip, refinish and install all 120 of them to preserve a stunning focal point at the home’s entrance, surrounded by exterior shades of purple, mauve and teal.
The ornate fretwork between rooms on the first floor — which matches the home’s woodwork perfectly — was found in a Shadyside shop. Tony removed and cleaned the brass window pulls and installed them as kitchen cabinet handles.
Creating the full Victorian experience extends beyond the architectural elements to the thoughtfully curated artwork and antiques.
In the living room hangs a painting of a girl holding flowers which was bought at the Sunnyledge mansion auction on Fifth Avenue. The dining room houses “The Castle of Maidens” by American artist Edwin Austin Abbey — who painted the murals in Pennsylvania’s Capitol building in Harrisburg — found at Antiques on Ohio River in Bellevue. Chris has collected Bessie Pease Gutmann prints for years and many adorn the walls.
The one-of-a-kind home even holds unexpected secrets, some found in the surrounding woods — from remnants of an original clawfoot bathtub to toy soldier figurines.
“Anything he finds in the home or outside in the woods, he incorporates back into the house,” says Christine.
“The house is on a dead-end street and the back of our property is wooded. There was no garbage collection back then; people would burn garbage. There are pieces of things from everyone who has lived here in the 125 years,” says Tony, who has also created areas for gardens within the .29 acre-lot.
A new era
When discussing their bittersweet decision to sell, Chris is quick to point out that the home is welcoming, well-loved and a great place to raise a family.
“All of the furniture is built to last. It’s a cozy family-friendly place. Ingram has a great community feel, with sidewalks, brick streets, people walking dogs, children riding bikes. My kids loved growing up here.”
Next up for these self-made preservationists? “We are moving on to a different era — mid-century modern — but staying in the area,” says Christine.
Along with a fully-furnished home, they’re leaving a gift for the new owners in the form of the next rehab: “There are three rooms in the attic that we entertained redoing for our kids when they were teenagers. That can be a project for the next owners.”
Parting words? “We have loved living here. We hope to find people who love the house and everything about it just like the two of us do. We love it enough to give it up to give to someone else to love. If I were writing a letter to the house, I would say ‘Thank you,’” says Christine.
Seeing the home
Listing agents Catalina Pagnotta and Eli LaBelle with RE/MAX Select Realty are hosting an Open House on Friday, Oct. 13., from 4 to 7 p.m.
Four miles west of Downtown Pittsburgh, the Allegheny County borough of Ingram is .46 square miles and located in the Montour School District.
Pagnotta says that while consumers became accustomed to rates of approximately 3-4% during the pandemic, “the reality is that current rates are on par with the national historic average. It’s also worth remembering that if you purchase a home now and rates go down in the future, then you could have the option to refinance to a lower rate. However, if rates only go up from here, then theoretically right now is the best time to buy.”
Pagnotta encourages anyone looking for a house “to take greater consideration of their personal life circumstances and needs rather than a projected market condition, which may or may not be accurate in the end. Do what’s best for you and your family, and work with a professional that can guide you through the process.”
She also points out that if the Noll house were located in the East End, “comparable sales would push it to be priced twice as high. Pair that with the fact that the homeowners are including almost all of the furniture and decor, and you have an incredible opportunity to own a piece of history for an amazing value.”
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