Music to live by
Aspinwall house with its own auditorium priced at $758,400
Starting in 1926, genteel women would gather for afternoon tea at the Women’s Club of Aspinwall. Seventy years later, that same building began a new life as a home, auditorium and recording studio where musical legends filled the air with wondrous tones. That is the story of the red-brick Colonial at 201 Center Ave. in Aspinwall.
But it’s time for the story to continue, maybe in a new direction. That all depends on the next person who will callit home, workplace, or both.
It’s last owner was the late George E. Heid, a jazz drummer, sound engineer and founder of Heid Pro Audio who turned the large basement into an auditorium and sound studio.
He also was co-founder of Lighthouse Arts, Inc. with Dr. Harry D. Clark. The nonprofit organization held concerts in the basement.
The Georgian-style building with an impressive entrance flanked by Tuscan columns and a hipped roof sits comfortably in a neighborhood of older homes with varying architectural styles and leafy green trees and gardens.
But what you see on the outside gives you little clue of what you will find on the inside. In addition to its five bedrooms, 3½ baths and one-bedroom apartment tucked away under the sloping roof, there is a studio with sound booths, built-ins for musical equipment and a formal stage that is currently home to a Steinway & Sons Model B Classic Grand piano. Sorry, it will not remain after the sale.
The 5,001-square-foot home is listed for $758,400 with Berkshire Hathaway agent Donna Natale (www.thepreferredrealty. or 724-816-4294). The seller is Heid’s son, George Heid III, also a jazz drummer.
“It’s a situation where it’s my dad’s legacy. I’m married, and I’m more of a performer, I don’t want to run a commercial studio,” he said.
This was the home where his father grew his studio and created a magical and musical home for his son.
Imagine growing up around the music of such masters as Benny Benack III, Thomas Wendt and Roger Humphries, to name just a few. They were “safe people, good natured people who were great musicians,” he said.
Music in the Heid house was more than an occupation; it was the lifeblood of the home for the generations.
The lower level is flooded with natural light from high windows. The studio elements are at one end of the spacious, open auditorium, garnished by six elegant chandeliers. And on the top floor, there is a separate attic apartment where the younger Heid lived when he was older.
“I come from a split family, so when my dad would have custody of me every other weekend,” he said. “Before the downstairs [living area] was finished, there were dividers. My bedroom was in that big room. Oftentimes, I would go to bed, and musicians would be there cutting records. It was the cool house.”
The main floor features hardwood floors and a large gas fireplace. It’s not
everyone’s idea of a living room, but with the amazing amount of space, it could be whatever the new owner wanted it to be.
“My dad, over time, built a house within a house,” said Heid. “With hard work and toil over the years, my dad made it quite an elegant space with the best recording studio in the tri-state area.”
There is a large kitchen equipped with good storage and a pass-through to the dining room. A tray ceiling, chandelier, and concrete floor combine for a sophisticated feel, making it a great room for entertaining.
A large gas fireplace is the main focus of the L-shaped, spacious living room, the center of the main residence. It is surrounded by five bedrooms ranging in size from 11-by-9-feet to 11-by-17-feet, a den and a separate laundry room.
The upper floor “attic” apartment is charming, with a living space, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom with shower and laundry. Sun spills into the rooms through side windows, the ornate half moon window at the front and a series of strategically placed skylights.
It’s a short walk to several restaurants, the Cornerstone and Spice Affairs, and shopping, including Labrioli’s Italian Market. For recreation, there is Aspinwall Riverfront Park with its fishing pier, dog park, playground more.
There is a newer asphalt roof, three HVAC units, two gas fireplaces, forced-air heating and a security system. Appliances included two dishwashers, a disposal, an electric range, a gas range, a microwave, two refrigerators andtwo washer dryer pairs.
Theassessment is $132,000 and annual taxes are $4,226. No houses have sold in the 200 block of Center Avenue for the last five years.