An unusual style Father Pitt might call “Deco Romanesque.” The shape and tasteful restraint of the design are more in line with the Renaissance style, but the arch is trimmed with Romanesque details.
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McKinney Mausoleum, Homewood Cemetery
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Benedum Mausoleum, Homewood Cemetery
Michael Late Benedum, the oil baron, and his wife Sarah built this Renaissance palazzo in 1919 after their only son Claude died of the Spanish flu in 1918. Michael himself didn’t move in until 1959. There are three gorgeous stained-glass windows inside, of which only one can be easily photographed without gaining access to the interior.
This mausoleum is the only one in the cemetery that is wired for electricity. For all Father Pitt knows, it may have Internet and cable as well. The power is needed to run a heating system that prevents condensation.The pictures in this article have been donated to the public under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication, so no permission is needed to use them for any purpose whatsoever.
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Ward-Hindman-White Mausoleum, Homewood Cemetery
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Elliott Mausoleum, Homewood Cemetery
The exquisite polished granite sets this mausoleum apart even from all the tasteful and expensive mausoleums that surround it.
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McCune Mausoleum, Allegheny Cemetery
This extraordinarily tasteful Renaissance octagon (built in 1925) is so unusual that Father Pitt suspects it may be based on a historical model. He would be delighted if one of his readers could find the original and point it out to him. John Robison McCune III was a banker, head of one of the biggest banks in the city (Union National, which after being devoured by Integra and National City is now part of PNC).
The interior is as elegant as the exterior. McCune took nothing of his private life with him to the grave—no Masonic or even religious symbols. His mausoleum, including the exceptionally fine window, is dedicated solely to beauty.
