6 W. Pa. subjects selected for markers
Activist, filmmaker to be honored for work
What started as a simple Google search so Matthew Falcone could learn more about the history of his house ended up unearthing an unusual bond with a woman he never met — and never will.
Ten years ago, Mr. Falcone moved into a house in the Deutschtown section of Pittsburgh’s North Side, just down the street from the historic Priory Hotel. At first, he thought it resembled any typical house in Pittsburgh — a threestory brick house with a raised basement. It wasn’t until speaking with architectural historian Carol Peterson that he found out that the house’s former owner — the late Pauline Hanauer Rosenberg — was a legend.
Rosenberg, who died in 1940, was one of the founders of the National Council of Jewish Women and served as the president of its Pittsburgh chapter. She also took part in founding the Irene Kaufmann Settlement House in the Hill District and was the president of the Women’s Club of Pittsburgh. She fought many causes, including women’s, children’s and immigrant rights.
Born on the North Side in what was then Allegheny City, Rosenberg and her family were prominent members of the local Jewish community in Pittsburgh as members of Rodef Shalom Congregation.
This year, Rosenberg was one of the 24 subjects selected by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission to become a historical marker. In addition to Rosenberg, five other historical marker winners are located in Western Pennsylvania.
Learning about Rosenberg’s legacy deeply moved Mr. Falcone.
“The more I read into it, the more I respected the work that she did and how much she really used her position in society to really help others. I thought that was really noble and admirable and something that I think I strive to do, but pale in comparison to what she was able to accomplish,” he said. “But we all do our part in our own way, I think.”
The more he researched Rosenberg’s life, the more Mr. Falcone realized her accomplishments were not well recognized and documented. As a result, he felt compelled to permanently memorialize her legacy by nominating her for this year’s Pennsylvania Historical Marker Program.
“I screamed,” Mr. Falcone said of finding out about the marker. “I really was just overjoyed and hopeful that the marker will call attention to her and that the marker might foster more of a dialogue and inspire someone to explore her story further.”
Other selections included:
• Charles “Chuck” Cooper, Pittsburgh, the first African American basketball player drafted in the National Basketball Association.
• Frances Dorrance, Pittsburgh, the founder of the Society for Pennsylvania Archaeologists in the 1920s.
• George A. Romero, Pittsburgh, horror film director of the legendary 1968 “Night of the Living Dead,” who based his production studio in Pittsburgh.
• Laurel Hill State Park, Somerset, a recreational area that was constructed between 1935 and 1941 as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration.
• Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Westmoreland County, a community of Catholic nuns who established Seton Hill University in 1918.
Howard Pollman, spokesman for the PHMC, said the 24 selections were chosen out of 48 nominations during a commissioners meeting in the beginning of March.
In order to be selected, a person or organization can send in a nomination that meets the criteria. According to Mr. Pollman, the historical marker has to be of a person, place or thing that ties into the statewide and national theme. Then, a “marker committee” made up of commissioners and historians from across the state reviews the nominations and recommends its choices to the PHMC to be officially approved.
Now that the winners have been chosen, commissioners will work on the technical parts of creating the historical marker: from the brief description engraved on the marker to where the marker should be located.
At the markers’ unveiling ceremonies, local officials, residents and a representative from the PHMC usually are present, Mr. Pollman said. Applications for the annual historical marker program can be submitted by Dec. 1 each year.
Mr. Falcone said he hopes to place the Rosenberg historical marker in front of his house.
As some parts of the original Kaufmann Settlement have been demolished and replaced, Mr. Falcone wants to make sure the marker is placed in a spot that still stands.
Based off his reading through old articles, Mr. Falcone said Rosenberg used her house as a place to promote her progressive causes. She would often invite prominent speakers to her house and hire quartet bands as
entertainment.
Mr. Falcone said he sometimes thinks about all the work Rosenberg created within the walls of his house.
“Every once in a while, I’ll look in my dining room or at the parlor and think to myself, ‘Where would they put the quartet?’ It’s not like a lecture hall; it’s a house,” Mr. Falcone said. “They’re not ghosts, in that kind of way, but more like the memory of the people that were here just stays.”
‘A humble guy’
Romero, who died in 2017, was also chosen to be memorialized with a historical marker in Pittsburgh. Regarded as the “Father of Zombie Film,” he became famous for “Night of the Living Dead” and his 1985 film “Day of the Dead.”
Originally from New York City, Romero moved to Pittsburgh to attend Carnegie Tech (now Carnegie Mellon University) for filmmaking. After graduating, he filmed several movies around Pittsburgh — mostly famously at Evans City Cemetery and the Monroeville Mall for “Night of the Living Dead.”
Suzanne DesrocherRomero, Romero’s wife of 12 years and founder of the George A. Romero Foundation, said she could not be more pleased with the news.
“Part of George’s personality was that he was such a humble guy. He always sort of dismissed his work, his career — and of course, I disagree. I just think that it’s a wonderful thing,” Ms. Desrocher-Romero said. “It’s another concrete, legitimate recognition of his work.”
Adam Hart, a visiting assistant professor of film and media studies at the University of Pittsburgh, said Romero plays an important role for the history of filmmaking in Pittsburgh.
“Even though he made fantastical horror films, they were all grounded in a Pittsburgh approach. They’re very working-class, very unpretentious, even though they’re incredibly smart and well-made. He was always concerned with telling stories about normal folks — even if those folks are the undead,” Mr. Hart said with a laugh.
By far, Romero’s favorite film to produce was “Martin,” which was filmed in Braddock, Ms. Desrocher-Romero said. It was one of the films in which Romero was able to have total creative control.
“As a director, it was so rare to get full, 100% sovereignty, and he got it with that film,” she said. “George was all about independence. He was all about control of his art and that’s why he was famous for being an independent filmmaker.”
Ms. Desrocher-Romero said she hopes the historical marker will be placed at his first production studio known as Image Ten, located at 247 Fort Pitt Blvd. in Downtown.
Mr. Hart hopes visitors and fans alike will be inspired to check out his earlier films and appreciate Pittsburgh filmmakers.
“For people who like horror and for people who like George Romero, Pittsburgh is just the best place to be,” Mr. Hart said.