Jen Shumar and Joe Rubenstein’s large Queen Anne sits high up on a corner in Brighton Heights. The couple, who have lived in the home for five years, have once again allowed their residence to be part of the Brighton Heights House Tour. This year’s has a Halloween theme and takes place Saturday, Oct. 4, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The couple are originally from the Midwest and have also lived in Colorado, but Shumar’s large extended family hails from Merritstown, Fayette County, so she was familiar with Western Pennsylvania.
“We wanted to move east to be closer to our families in Indiana and Pennsylvania and in an Eastern time zone for my job,” Jen says. “I think we looked at about every city that had a performing arts high school — like Madison, Indianapolis and Cleveland — and quickly settled on Pittsburgh. We had never really been here except to fly in and drive south! We liked the look of the city and the variety of neighborhoods and had a great tour of CAPA, where our daughter ended up going to high school.”
Once they relocated, they resided in several neighborhoods around the city. During their house hunt, Joe says that they always ended up coming back to Brighton Heights before finally settling on their current residence.
Like most ladies of a certain age, the house has some mysteries that the couple are trying to unravel. Age, for one. They have been told the house was built after the turn of the century, but it seems older. They are also unclear if there was an addition to the back of the building. What they do know is that they are the fourth owners of the property according to the former owner, a librarian. Jen hopes to connect with a local architectural historian who may help provide some answers.
What drew them to the house was the condition of the interior. Most of the architectural bells and whistles have remained untouched, allowing them to lean into putting their own whimsical decorating touches on the place. Jen has an eye for interesting mirrors as well as unusual chairs. She decided to flop the living room and dining room, and points to a gas burner in the dining room fireplace that is quite ornate and interesting. There are seven fireplaces in the home (perhaps eight, if there’s one behind what they believe is a false wall), and each is unique. The stained glass windows remain, and the home also has seven bedrooms. Not needing that many bedrooms, the couple repurposed one as a den and another as a music room housing Joe’s guitar collection. Another room is used as an office, as Jen works from home. The third floor was claimed by their daughter, Magdelena, who is now off to college.
The lot is not large, but because it is elevated it lends a privacy to the residence that it otherwise would not have. The backyard has a generous porch and is fenced, making the yard secluded and cozy — a place to chill out on a hot summer day. The couple have chosen landscaping that is easy to maintain, with no grass to cut.
As with most older homes, the house is very much a work in progress. There are lots of projects they have planned for the future. Jen is particularly adamant that whatever they do will be dictated by the house. Clearly, they both love the old place.
“We are glad we are here,” she says. “Brighton Heights fits us.”
This year the self-guided tour will feature six homes, two businesses and one garden. Tickets are $28.52 and are available on Eventbrite. The Brighton Heights Summer Series will be taking place the same day at Legion Park. Food trucks, an artists market, live music and children’s activities are on the agenda. That event runs from noon to 8 p.m.
Susan Banks was a copy editor at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette who was on strike from October 2022 until she retired at the end of 2023. Email her at klebergardens@gmail.com.