Pittsburgh Mansion Rebuilt After 2004 Fire
The former McCook estate on Fifth Avenue reopened in 2010 as a hotel and event venue after a fire forced reconstruction of its upper floors.
By Jonathan Ramirez ·
A historic mansion on Fifth Avenue in Pittsburgh reopened in January 2010 as a hotel and event space after a 2004 fire destroyed its upper floors. The structure originally housed the McCook family, a household of twelve that occupied the grand estate in the early 1900s.
Willis McCook, legal counsel to Henry Clay Frick, built the home for himself and his wife, Mary. The couple raised ten children inside the expansive property. The design included separate lounges for men and women, a billiards room, and a personal chapel where the family attended Mass every weekend. When their daughter Bessie engaged before construction ended, the family added a smaller house on the land as a wedding gift.
Maintenance costs became unmanageable for the McCook family by the 1930s. The Allegheny County Sheriff’s Department seized the property for unpaid taxes. In 1949, the Bonavita family purchased the estate at a sheriff’s sale for $28,000. To cover upkeep, they rented several rooms to students from Carnegie Institute of Technology. Marissa Musico, director of event sales at the venue, noted rumors that Andy Warhol, Albert Brooks, and Shirley Jones lived among those tenants.
The building’s original stone foundation remains visible in the basement. Musico said she has heard rumors of secret underground tunnels but has not found any. She showed visitors the original wine cellar, which is still stocked with wine. The men’s smoking lounge, now painted in brighter colors, serves as a preparation area for brides hosting on-site weddings.
A fire started on the upper floors in 2004 and caused serious damage. Workers rebuilt those levels, preserving a unique triangular closet that survived the blaze. The property operates as Mansions on Fifth, offering rooms for guests and space for events.
