Houses at 838-862 Brightridge Street
Why it's listed
Two rows of brick houses face each other along Brightridge Street, formerly Brighton Place, in the Pleasant Valley section of Pittsburgh's Northside. Built in 1885 by developer William Alexis Stone, the houses are two stories with a mansard or gable roof, arched brick openings, and identical floor plans. Each has two rooms per floor and four bedrooms, and the houses were among the first in the city of Allegheny to offer indoor plumbing. The rows were built beside the horse-drawn Federal Street and Pleasant Valley Street Railway and were marketed to tenants who could reach the mills and downtown by that line. Together they formed the largest concentration of rental housing under common ownership in Allegheny. They are regarded as good local examples of 19th-century speculative row housing that came before apartment construction. Stone later served as a congressman and as governor of Pennsylvania.
Significance in brief: The rows are presented as good local examples of 19th-century speculative rental row housing that preceded apartment construction. They are tied to the Federal Street and Pleasant Valley Street Railway, and to developer William Alexis Stone, who later launched a statewide political career. At the time they were built, they formed the largest concentration of rental housing under common ownership in Allegheny.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 84003081, listed March 1, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 838-862 Brightridge St., Pittsburgh |
|---|---|
| County | Allegheny County |
| Listed | March 1, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84003081 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1885 |
| Architect / builder | William A. Stone, Developer |
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Rehabilitated in the early 1970s, largely cosmetically; some deteriorated doors and windows were replaced. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 40.46667, -80.01745 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 84003081.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5915951
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.