A 1900s estate sold for $28,000 in 1949 now hosts weddings
The McCook mansion in Shadyside, once seized for back taxes, operates as a hotel and event venue with a surviving wine cellar.
By Andres Paredes ·
Fifth Avenue in Shadyside retains several large residences from the early 20th century. One of these structures, built for Willis McCook, is now known as Mansions on Fifth. The property serves as both a hotel and a location for private events.
Willis McCook served as legal counsel to Henry Clay Frick before the family constructed the home in the early 1900s. The McCooks raised ten children in the house. The design included a billiards room, separate lounges for men and women, and a personal chapel for weekend Mass. Before the main structure was completed, the family built a smaller house on the property as a wedding gift for their daughter, Bessie.
By the 1930s, the cost of maintaining the large estate became difficult for the McCook family. The Allegheny County Sheriff’s Department seized the property due to back taxes. In 1949, the Bonavita family purchased the house at a sheriff’s sale for $28,000. They rented several rooms to students from Carnegie Institute of Technology to help cover maintenance costs. Marissa Musico, the director of event sales at Mansions on Fifth, notes that rumors suggest Andy Warhol, Albert Brooks, and Shirley Jones lived in the house during that period.
The original stone foundation remains visible in the basement. Musico has searched for secret underground tunnels but has not located any. She did identify the original wine cellar, which is still stocked. The men’s smoking lounge has been repainted in brighter colors and now serves as a preparation area for brides.
A fire broke out on the upper floors in 2004, causing serious damage. Workers rebuilt those floors, though one triangular closet survived the blaze. The building reopened as a hotel and event space in January 2010. The venue allows guests to book rooms or plan weddings on site.
The property’s history includes a period of seizure and a low-cost sale that changed its ownership. It has since transitioned from a private family estate to a commercial hospitality business.
Source: NEXTpittsburgh
