Clayton in Pittsburgh is a Historically Significant Home

Clayton is the name given to an Italianate style home in Pittsburgh that was once the family home of Henry Clay Frick (1849-1919), an industrialist and art collector who was a native of West Overton, Pennsylvania, a rural village about 40 miles from the city. The home was purchased by Frick and his wife Adelaide in 1883. The eleven-room home, originally dubbed Homewood, was situated in the East End neighborhood of the city and would be modified by the Fricks with the help of architect Andrew Peebles and renamed "Clayton.'' The four Frick children would be born at the house within the next 10 years and the family would outgrow the home, later transforming it to a 23-room chateau-style mansion that visitors can tour today.

Clayton would serve as the Frick family's primary residence until 1902, and today, the home functions as a museum and part of the Frick Art and Historical Center. It was given to the city of Pittsburgh upon the death of daughter Helen in 1984. Helen had founded the Frick Art Museum in 1970 in order to display her vast collection of art work and left provisions for the family home to be restored and opened to the public when she died. The city undertook four years worth of renovations and opened Clayton as a museum in 1990.

A tour of Clayton provides a good look at late 19th century life, specifically for the privileged families of the era. Notable parts of the home include the Playhouse, which is now the Visitors Center. Built in 1897 for the Frick children, it was designed by architectural firm Alden and Harlow. The "playhouse'' was more than just a room or two; it was the center of life for Childs, Martha, and Helen Frick. Childs used the upstairs as a dark room and Helen entertained friends in the drawing room. Old photos show large parties full of young people taking place there, and Childs, who went to a nearby private school, held military practice drills inside the playhouse. There was also a bowling alley on the first floor, which is still partially visible beneath the floor in the Museum Shop.

Around the same time, a new greenhouse was added to Clayton. It would serve to satisfy Mrs. Frick's love of plants and flowers and provide fresh arrangements for the home on a regular basis.

Guests can also visit the Car and Carriage Museum, once the Frick family's carriage house. Here, visitors can view the family's vast collection of carriages and cars, spanning several decades. The exhibits inside the museum also profile Pittsburgh's role in the growth of the American automobile industry.

Visitors can also view plenty of period furnishings and other decorative arts, most of which were part of the home while the Fricks lived there. A high chair remains in the breakfast room and children's toys of the era are scattered throughout the house.

Docent-led tours of Clayton are available every Tuesday through Sunday for a small fee. There is a gift shop and caf, on site.