CRAFTON CHARACTER
Couple’s home a vintage beauty that still has a few needs
Last November, Cindy and Bruce Berringer were living in Shaler and looking for a home in Crafton.
“Everything we saw got scooped up or was under contract,” Mr. Berringer said.
Then the couple toured a five-bedroom, 3½-bath house with a wraparound porch, stained glass, oak woodwork and four fireplaces.
“We had it before it even was on the market,” he said.
The couple’s three-story home on Dinsmore Avenue is one of eight properties decorated for the holidays and open to the public on Dec. 11 for the Christmas in Crafton House Tour. Proceeds support the borough’s recreational facilities and programs.
In the large foyer, visitors will see a tall, elegantly decorated Christmas tree, a large window seat, a staircase and plenty of quarter-sawn oak paneling.
“We really wanted a house with character,” said Mr. Berringer, who grew up in nearby Carnegie.
Crafton always appealed to him.“It’s just one of the friendliest places I’ve ever been.”
He enjoys walking its sidewalks, greeting neighbors and visiting Crafton Park. The couple had a blast handing out candy to nearly 300 children who visited on Halloween.
“We met a lot of neighbors that night,” Mr. Berringer said.
After tracing the property’s deeds, he believes the home was built between 1924 and 1930 on a former orchard that belonged to the McMunn family. Between 1995 and 2011, the home was vacant. During that time, the slate roof leaked and the third floor housed raccoons, squirrels and an owl. Thieves removed copper plumbing and a large stainedglass window on the landing.
A previous owner updated all three bathrooms, installed a first-floor powder room, and put in new wiring, plumbing and central air-conditioning. The new kitchen, which includes granite counter tops, new appliances and a wine cooler, leads to a large wooden deck.
When the Berringers arrived in February, the backyard, was a mud pit, so they began to transform it with the help of a landscaper. An old inground pool had collapsed and was filled in.
Like many old houses, this one had an unpleasant surprise. One weekend last summer, Mrs. Berringer heard a loud crash and telephoned her husband to say that the ceiling in the second-floor guest bedroom had fallen.
But the ceiling has been repaired, and that guest room is filled with attractive Eastlakestyle furniture. A second-floor closet holds a washer and dryer. The master bedroom has a walk-in closet and an updated bathroom with a spacious shower. A third bedroom is now an office.
There were pleasant discoveries, too. Another previous owner saved all the home’s original hardware, 10inch baseboards, oak doors and a set of pocket doors. The Berringers found it in the basement and used it to restore, as much as possible, the home’s original architectural details.
Mr. Berringer loves the home’s imperfections and is eager to replace the missing stained-glass window and continue the landscaping.
“We made grass grow in July,” Mrs. Berringer said.
In addition to planting shrubs and other plants, Mr. Berringer and his son, Brandon, built a circular brick fire pit. In August, they hosted family and friends for a party that concluded with a gathering on the wraparound porch.
“This will keep him busy forever,” Mrs. Berringer said.