Vitous homes sketches
On October 1, 1901, over 650 acres of land were officially transferred to the East Pittsburgh Improvement Company and recorded in both the Westmoreland and Allegheny County recorder of deeds offices. Eight months later, the great land rush in Trafford City took place, the Pittsburgh Post reporting the “Magic Change of Farm Land” where at least 4,500 prospective buyers converged on the area for an opportunity to purchase a lot in the new town that was to be built by the Westinghouse interests. The Post reported in June 1902 that some of the more eager buyers who were anxious to be on the ground camped all night on the town site while others came into the place at early dawn. By the end of the day, 722 lots were sold in a single day.
One of the lucky buyers was Westinghouse machinist Charles Vitous (1881-1968) a familiar name to many of our followers as he was one of the few residents to own a camera and document the early days of Trafford. Vitous was able to purchase lots 865 & 867 on Eighth Street, one parcel being a corner lot that overlooked the Blackburn wye (present-day B.Y. Park).
In 1914, Vitous sought permission from the Borough to approve his plans to build a new home on the property. His son, the late Donald Vitous, shared these photos of his father standing in front of the home in 1941 and another looking down Eighth Street. As we continue to research items for our #Westmoreland250 Trafford map project, the following pencil sketches of the Vitous home were shared with us by his great-granddaughter. This is an interesting glimpse into the early planning and history of our community and the ancestors who first settled in Trafford. The home was later razed in the early 1970s following the death of Mr. Vitous. We have included photos of the property in our map project under the heading “Buildings that are gone.”
