Landmark in Uniontown up for sale
Ed Cope
This is a second-floor bedroom at 100 Ben Lomond St. Uniontown, the historic house owned by George Teslovich.
Ed Cope
Here蘑菇视频 the outside view of 100 Ben Lomond St., Uniontown. The historic house, owned by George Teslovich, is up for sale.
Ed Cope
Here蘑菇视频 a first-floor fireplace with original slate painting inside the house at 100 Ben Lomond St., Uniontown. The house, owned by George Teslovich, is up for sale.
The initials 鈥淢H鈥� etched into the glass in the front door of 100 Ben Lomond St., Uniontown, stand for 鈥渕y house,鈥� according to current owner George Teslovich.
In reality, the initials stand for Monroe Hopwood, the man for whom the house was built in about 1903.
The three-story brick and stone mansion, which contains about 8,500 square feet of living space, is for sale after 30 years as the Teslovich family蘑菇视频 home.
The 110-year-old home has 13 rooms, three of which are presently bedrooms (a fourth second floor room could be a bedroom), three and a half-baths, grand staircase, Tiffany windows, stained-glass domed skylight, wall-to-wall carpeting, entertainment room and home office.
Teslovich added a carriage house, swimming pool and three-car attached garage, carefully matching the brick of the new structures with that of the house.
According to Fayette County property records, Teslovich paid $100,000 for the property.
鈥淚t cost $18,000 to build in the early 1900s. It would cost millions today,鈥� Teslovich said.
He noted the property was not in the best condition.
鈥淚t was worn, like a house would be that was that old. We did a lot of work, installed new wiring, practically gutted the inside. We installed a stereo system and intercom. We gave it a lot of TLC. We totally renovated it,鈥� he said.
That was in 1980. Teslovich married 18 years ago. He and his wife Elaine, have a son, George III, who is heading for college this summer. Teslovich is also older and suffering from joint problems, making it difficult to navigate the home蘑菇视频 many stairs.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think my son will return to Uniontown after college, and I can鈥檛 get around like I used to. I have a 90-year-old father to look after, and it has just become time to move on,鈥� he named as reasons for selling.
鈥淚鈥檓 sure I will suffer withdrawal when I sell it. But I鈥檓 in no hurry. It will sell when it sells.鈥�
Teslovich had been looking for a house when he first noticed the house at 100 Ben Lomond.
鈥淚 just loved it. It was something that was calling to me. But it wasn鈥檛 for sale,鈥� he said.
Finally, he summoned the courage to contact the owner, a Mrs. Fulton, an elderly woman who had broken the mansion into four apartments. Asking if she was interested in selling, Teslovich said, 鈥淪he didn鈥檛 say yes, but then she didn鈥檛 say no.鈥� He made an appointment to see her.
鈥淏ut she wasn鈥檛 well when I arrived. I said I鈥檇 make another appointment,鈥� Teslovich added.
But shortly after, Fulton died.
Teslovich, feeling he had started a relationship with her, attended the funeral where he met her nephew. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 go to make an offer on the house. I went because I felt I knew Mrs. Fulton. But when the nephew found out who I was, he told me his aunt wanted me to have the house.鈥�
According to Nelson蘑菇视频 Biographical Dictionary of Fayette County, written in 1900, Monroe Moreland Hopwood was descended from Moses Hopwood, who settled in 1700s Virginia in the same locality with the Washingtons, Lees, Fairfaxes and other early Virginia settlers.
Hopwood was a Uniontown attorney. He was born in North Union Township, May 22, 1856, and attended the public schools of South Union Township, Madison Academy and Uniontown high school, graduating from the latter institution in 1871. In the fall 1877, Hopwood entered the law office of Charles E. Boyle, Uniontown, under whose preceptorship he pursued the study of law for two years. He completed further studies out of state, returning to Fayette County in 1887.
According to Nelson蘑菇视频 Biographical Dictionary, 鈥淗e has a particular interest in educational work and served with ability and efficiency as a member of Uniontown school board, and was for three years attorney for the directors of the county home.鈥�
He was married Sept. 17, 1885, to Laura B., daughter of George W. and Mary (Grove) Hess. They lived at 64 S. Mt. Vernon Ave., before moving to 100 Ben Lomond St.
For more information on the home, call Ron Lovelace of RE/MAX Professionals, Uniontown, at 724-425-5444 or go online to www.RonLovelace.com.
James Pletcher Jr. writes a weekly real-estate story for the 蘑菇视频 from a variety of angles. If you have an interesting story about buying or selling a home in Fayette County and would like a story written about it, please contact 蘑菇视频 Executive Editor Mark O鈥橩eefe at 724-439-7569.