PHOTOS COURTESY STEVE ROBERTS

Barbara Cox wasn’t your average buyer when she first walked into the house she now calls home 20 years ago. 

While many were looking for shiny new kitchens and updated fixtures, she fell in love with the entirely untouched nature of a four-bedroom, two-bathroom Victorian nestled between commerce and nature in Sewickley. 

“It is in the middle of a village, and in the woods,” says Cox. “I wake up in the morning with a family of deer in the backyard.” 

She says one of her favorite features of 555 Hill St. has always been the expansive front porch. 

“You don’t even need to turn on a light inside except at night. It is very peaceful sitting above the street below,” she says. 

The home is now listed for $320,000 — a price well below most other homes of its size for sale in Sewickley. Before Cox bought it, the Victorian was vacant for almost a decade. 

It has been full of life ever since. 

At Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, Realtor Steve Roberts says he was intrigued by the home from the moment he first laid eyes on it — before he even climbed the 41 steps to the front door. 

He adds that he’s also since grown comfortable with the home’s well-known bold exterior color.

“Notably, it’s painted lilac with lime green trim,” he says. 

As to the stairs and parking situation, Roberts admits it’s a climb, but says that street parking is always readily available. The owner told him the stairs are what provide the quiet setting she has come to love. 

“Once up the steps, you are near the center of the Sewickley Village, but in a quiet zone overlooking the Ohio River Valley and Sewickley Bridge,” says Roberts. 

Cox is a collector, and her home is filled with beautiful works of art, tchotchkes and one-of-a-kind finds. Each piece has a story, including a Nancy Drew mystery, “The Clue of the Broken Locket.”

“Of all my things, my favorite are my books,” she says. “It was one of my happiest days when I found out there were more in the series.” 

Her second favorite possession is the front porch swing hanging next to the back parlor’s fireplace. 

“It came from my family, and for 40 years it has hung in any house I have lived in,” she says. 

Dubbed “The Lego Room,” the front room was decorated for Cox’s nephew, Logan, who often visited and walked into the village with her for stops at the various shops and to grab a bowl of wedding soup at Pizza Roma. He loved to tell the locals, “I’m famous here.”  

Beyond the collections, this home is in good repair and has been largely untouched for more than 100 years. The house has had many needed mechanical updates such as a new furnace, updated electric, the addition of an interior French drain system and repairs to the roof and gutter.  

“For most people there will be updates required, but it is also totally turnkey,” Roberts says. 

Measuring at just under 2,000 square feet, the first floor of the home features two parlors, a dining room and a kitchen with a butler’s pantry. The fixtures in the kitchen hearken back to a different era, with a standalone cast iron sink, antique range and a checkerboard floor. 

The second floor contains four spacious bedrooms and two full bathrooms. The third floor is currently unfinished but has been used as a lounge space and getaway for many years. It could easily be converted into more bedrooms, a home office space or a large primary suite. 

As Cox prepares to move, she’s pensive about leaving the space she has loved for two decades. 

“As I downsize, I will miss living here more than I thought,” she says. “It is a home, not a house.” 

She finds comfort in knowing someone will enjoy it after she has moved on, and hopes they find their place in the village she’s come to love.  

“My many collections were items I bought because I liked them and they always found a place in the lilac house — as did I.” 

Meg St-Esprit is a Bellevue-based freelance journalist who covers real estate, lifestyle, education, parenting and travel for a variety of local outlets including Pittsburgh Magazine, PublicSource, Kidsburgh, Pittsburgh City Paper, and City Cast Pittsburgh. Meg offers Hot Property, an inside look into unique and historic homes on the market. Each week, Hot Property goes behind the For Sale sign to share the story of a special Pittsburgh-area home.

About: Sewickley
Population: 3,889
Planes, Trains, & Automobiles: Few communities in Pittsburgh are positioned as conveniently as Sewickley. A short drive from the airport, a straight shot down Ohio River Boulevard to Downtown and easy access to Interstates 79 and 376 make this home a prime spot for commuting to just about anywhere.
Schools: Quaker Valley School District (qvsd.org)
Neighborhood: A charming village along the Ohio River situated at the edge of Allegheny County, Sewickley is known for being a close knit and walkable community. The bustling business district is packed with retail shops and dining establishments as well as a full-service hospital, Heritage Valley Sewickley. War Memorial Park features large, updated climbing structures, a creek for wading and hiking trails. Sewickley also is known for its plethora of community events from night markets to holiday blowouts. 

Neighborhood data provided by Niche.com