Scott, James, House
Also known as: Altholl
Why it's listed
Built in 1900 for steel executive James Scott, this large brick house on Stanton Avenue in Pittsburgh's Highland Park neighborhood is a red brick, almost cubical Colonial Revival building with slate hip roof, sandstone foundation and a reconstructed Ionic porch. A carriage house followed in 1902 at the rear of the lot. Scott, a native of Scotland, rose from machinist to general superintendent of Carnegie Steel's blast furnaces over a career of about thirty-five years. The house is regarded as one of the most prominent Colonial Revival houses in the neighborhood, and the buildings are listed for their architecture and for their association with Scott. The house was also the setting for a 1906 elopement of Scott's daughter with the son of Vice President Charles W. Fairbanks, which drew wide national press coverage. Later the building served as a Jewish children's home and then as apartments.
Significance in brief: The house and carriage house are argued to be prominent high-style examples of Colonial Revival architecture in Highland Park. They are also associated with James Scott, a Scottish-born superintendent of Carnegie Steel blast furnaces whose technical work in the steel industry is described as a significant contribution.
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 97000515, listed May 30, 1997. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 5635 Stanton Ave., Pittsburgh |
|---|---|
| County | Allegheny County |
| Listed | May 30, 1997 |
| Reference number | 97000515 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900-1923 |
| Architect / builder | Rose and Fisher, Inc. (builder); architect unknown |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Industry |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The buildings were rehabilitated in 1996 and remain in use as apartments, with eleven apartments in the main house and three units in the carriage house at the time of purchase in 1995. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Highland Park Residential Historic District |
| Coordinates | 40.47144, -79.92561 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
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 97000515.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6142869
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.