Doors Open Pittsburgh: Featuring Boggs Mansion, Now the Inn on the Mexican War Streets

Boggs Mansion

As part of DOORS OPEN Pittsburgh, an annual two-day event that provides unprecedented access to buildings around the city, we are featuring 20 of the many buildings participating.

Today’s building is Boggs Mansion, now known as the Inn on the Mexican War Streets.

Boggs Mansion

A Brief History of Boggs Mansion, now the Inn on the Mexican War Streets

The former Boggs Mansion has been turned to a local inn. For around $160 per night, guests can stay in a master bedroom overlooking West Park. The current owners are also open to anyone that falls in love with the entire house and wants to buy the Inn at Mexican War Streets for their own private use as a home.

Department store owner Russell Boggs of Boggs and Buhl built the home in 1888. Boggs was originally a resident of Zelienople and desired a home closer to his department store, which stood on the North Side for 89 years. Boggs and Buhl was eventually torn down for the Allegheny Center Mall.

Two retired teachers, Karl Kargle and Jeff Stasko, bought the once-majestic Boggs mansion in 1998 for just $100,000. It was crumbling—so bad water leaks formed icicles on the main staircase and termites ate most of the wood. The partners for decades put almost one million dollars into the restoration and almost 20 years ago opened the Inn on the Mexican War Streets.

Those stopping by the mansion for Doors Open Pittsburgh will see preserved items from the old Boggs department store like a wind-up victrola.

 

For tickets to this outstanding event, you can visit Doors Open Pittsburgh here.

Buildings already featured here on Pittsburgh Beautiful:

Byers Hall

Boggs Manion : The Inn on the Mexican War Streets

Alphabet City Building

David L. Lawrence Convention Center

The Oliver Building

EQT Plaza

The Pennsylvanian

The Priory Hotel

First Presbyterian Church

William Penn Snyder House

Union Trust Building

Koppers Building

Dollar Bank on Fourth Avenue

Speakeasy at the Omni William Penn

The Grant Building

PPG Place

Penn Brewery

*information compiled from this article

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