The Little Cottage in the Woods
By Scott Heberling, Historian 
The one-story brick cottage owned by Walter Daughenbaugh and Jennifer McIntyre occupies a large lot at the end of Crawford Avenue. Dating to the late 1920s, its present address is 85 Crawford Avenue but for most of its history it was designated 85 Hilke Street, the only house on a paper street that was laid out but never fully constructed. It lies at the edge of a now-vanished neighborhood with a rich history that distinguishes it from the rest of Bellevue. Until the very end of the 19th century, this hillside area was unusable and vacant due to the steep slopes. In fact, there were very few houses anywhere south of California Avenue (formerly Beaver Road) and east of Grant Avenue (Figure 1). That would change rapidly and dramatically during Bellevue’s turn-of-the-century building boom.
1867
In 1867, James Graham acquired much of the area east of Kendall Avenue and laid out a dozen large lots in what he called “Grahamville” (Allegheny County Plan Book 3, p. 190). By the late 1890s Dr. J.S. Rankin optimistically sought to develop part of this very steep hillside, subdividing it into small building lots and laying out paper streets: Hilke Street, Staunton Avenue, Watson Street, Frank Street, Melrose Street, and Shady Street. Of these, only part of Staunton and Hilke streets were ever actually constructed (Figure 2). Most of those lots were undevelopable due to slope; only lots along Staunton Avenue and Jacks Run Road (now Farragut Street) could be developed, and by 1906 there were a number of small frame houses along both streets (Figure 3). Federal census records shed light on the identities of the residents of those houses.
Today, Bellevue is a very ethnically diverse community, so we sometimes forget that through much of its history it exhibited a high degree of residential and social segregation based on race, just as in most other towns and cities throughout the United States. Until the late 19th century, Bellevue had only a very small African American community, most of whom were employed as servants in private homes. The 1880 federal census lists only 23 African American residents in 7 different households. By 1900, their numbers had increased to over 100, and they were concentrated overwhelmingly in two sections of town: the blocks around the intersections of Madison, Meade, and Monroe avenues; and the east end of town around Staunton, Roseridge, Center, and Farragut avenues/streets. The latter would have been considered an undesirable neighborhood due to the steep slopes and lack of utilities. As African Americans sought to escape repression and poor living conditions in the South during the 1900-1930s period, they moved North and settled in cities and small towns, including Bellevue. Bellevue’s African American population increased substantially through the 1910s, 1920s, and 1930s, with the newcomers squeezed into the same two neighborhoods already established. Most of their homes were clustered along Staunton Avenue and Farragut Street, at the top and bottom of the steep hillside overlooking Jacks Run (Figure 4). Very few of those small frame homes still survive today.
Louis Hilke, Interesting Characters, and ‘alleged fortune tellers’
As early as 1876, Louis Hilke owned a block of lots and 5 houses on Center Street (Gay Alley) between what are now Woodlawn and Crawford (Figure 1). In 1897, the 85 Crawford/Hilke lot was vacant and part of a large tract owned by Dr. J.S. Rankin (Figure 2). In 1900, Hilke purchased the vacant lot from A.S. Martin for $300 (Pittsburgh Press, April 11, 1900), and he is depicted as the owner on the 1906 map (Figure 3). Hilke apparently never developed the lot. After his death in 1907, the property passed to his widow Charlotte and daughter Annie. In 1925, they sold the vacant parcel to William and Edna Sloan (Allegheny County Deeds 2265-510, 2218-711).
The 1920 federal census lists William and Edna Sloan as living at 189 Kendall Avenue in Bellevue, with their young sons William and Grant; an infant daughter died that year. William Sr., age 33, worked in the structural iron industry while Edna, age 31, was a sales clerk for ladies’ suits. William previously had been a street railway conductor. They rented their home (U.S. Census 1910, 1920). The Sloans owned the property on Hilke Avenue for a little more than one year before selling it to Alois L. Kropf for $1.00 in July 1926 (Allegheny County Deed 2306-30). We do not know whether it was Sloan or Kropf who built the house. Although the property was at the edge of an exclusively African American neighborhood, both Sloan and Kropf were white.
Alois Kropf (1883-1972) was an interesting character. He was a diminutive man, only 5 feet 3 inches in height and weighing 140 pounds. Born in Austria on June 14, 1883, he emigrated to the United States in 1909 when he was 26 years old, arriving at Ellis Island in New York City. His first wife was Louise Miller, who died in 1913; the couple had two sons, Louis and Edward, who were born in 1910 and 1911. Alois’ 1918 draft card reveals that he was then living at 531 East Ohio Street on the North Side, and he listed his occupation as “Spiritualist,” working at the Spiritualist Church of Truth at 202 Federal Street. He became a naturalized American citizen the following year (1918 draft card and naturalization papers, ancestry.com). In 1921, he and 9 other “alleged fortune tellers” were arrested by Pittsburgh police and indicted: the newspapers reported that “the indictments charge that the defendants for a fee endeavored to predict future events. Most of them, it is said, were holding themselves out as spiritualists when arrested” (Pittsburgh Post, December 1, 1921). Alois Kropf, described as a “Spiritualist preacher,” was acquitted due to insufficient evidence, but other defendants were convicted for “hiding their fortune telling behind an alleged church service.” Spiritualist churches were not illegal, but fortune telling was (Pittsburgh Post, February 10, 1922). Kropf was not deterred by the indictment and trial, for he continued to be listed in city directories as “Rev. A.L. Kropf, Church of Truth” located on Union Avenue in 1931 and 1933 (ancestry.com). However, the 1930 federal census lists the 46-year old Alois as a “physician.” He lived at 607 East Ohio Street with his son Edward, sister Caroline Vlay, and several boarders (U.S. Census 1930).
The 1940’s & Salacious stories
By 1940, Alois Kropf had given up spiritualism as a career and was working as a chiropractor. By this time, he had remarried, and he now headed a household consisting of his wife Margaret (or Marguerite), age 32, and their son Ronald, age 7. The family resided at 607 Union Avenue on the North Side. His 1942 draft card also lists him as a chiropractor (U.S. Census 1940; 1942 draft card, ancestry.com). The same three individuals are listed in the 1950 census, but they were now living at 7135 Thomas Street on the North Side (U.S. Census 1950).
Alois Kropf owned the house at 85 Hilke/Crawford Avenue from 1926 to 1957, but he never lived there. The house appears on the 1940 Hopkins map, with Kropf listed as the owner (Figure 4). He rented out the house to a succession of tenants, most of them unknown. The 1940 census lists the residents as Irving W. Huch, the 31-year old owner of a gas station, and his wide Janice. All that we know about the Huch family is that Irving and Janice were married in January 1936 and Irving was inducted into the Army in 1944; the little house at 85 Hilke Avenue may have been a starter home for them. Like Kropf, Huch was white (U.S. Census 1940; Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph, March 10, 1936; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, January 11, 1944).
In 1950, the tenants were Frances A. McKrell, age 43, and her daughters Arlene and Sally; no occupation is listed for Frances, but Arlene worked as a stenographer for a collection agency (U.S. Census 1950). Frances had married her husband, Avalon chiropractor Dr. Harvey H. McKrell, in 1925. They were separated in 1942. In 1944, the State Superior Court awarded Harvey a “bill of rights” divorce from Frances after “he claimed that his wife nagged him over his professional association with women.” The specific issue was Harvey’s association with his young female assistant, with whom he kept “unnecessarily late hours,” including on walks and in taxis.” The salacious story kept the public’s attention for over a year. In awarding the divorce, one of the Superior Court judges agreed that Mrs. McKrell was “a jealous, nagging wife, telling the plaintiff’s counsel that “You wouldn’t come home either if you had a wife who was constantly nagging. I don’t blame Mr. McKrell” (Pittsburgh Press, September 27, 1944 and March 21, 1945; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, August 29, 1944).
Interestingly, Dr. McKrell’s address in 1943, after the separation, was given as 607 Union Avenue on the North Side, the same address as Alois Kropf. Both men were chiropractors. Ultimately the State Supreme Court reversed the Superior Court’s decision, and the McKrells remained legally married (Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph, May 22, 1945).
In June 1957, Alois and Margaret Kropf conveyed the property to Carl F. and Anna C. Kress for $8,650 (Allegheny County Deed 3611-615). Alois Kropf died in 1972, reportedly after 55 years as a chiropractor on the North Side (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 30, 1972). That would put the start of his practice in the year 1917, so perhaps he provided chiropractic services as part of his “spiritualist ministry” in the 1920s and 1930s.
In 1950, the Carl and Anna Kress were living at 1105 Jonesta Street on the North Side. The household consisted of Carl, age 51; Anna, age 43; and daughters Lorraine and Delores, ages 18 and 14. Carl worked as a truck driver for a retail auto parts company (U.S. Census 1950). His 1942 draft card notes that he worked for Genuine Auto Parts on Baum Boulevard, Oakland (1942 draft card, ancestry.com). The Kresses would own the property for the next 41 years, though we do not know if they lived there or rented it out. After Carl died in 1975, Anna continued to own it until August 1998 when she conveyed the property to Andrea R. Rebholz for $54,000 (Allegheny County Deed 10267-16).
Andrea Rebholz was the owner until April 2005 when she sold it to Elaine R. Imhoff (Allegheny County Deed 12398-412). In February 2007, Imhoff conveyed it to Walter L. Daughenbaugh, the present owner (Allegheny County Deeds 13148-151, 14749-100) served from 1996 to end of 2003 on active duty in the United States Army. He continued to serve in the West Virginia Army National Guard from 2005.
2000’s to Present
In fall of 2005, Walter was seeking a rental home in the Pittsburgh area. He was recently employed by the Allegheny County Police and looking for a place to rent as he was starting the police academy in January 2006 and returning to his Pittsburgh roots. He found a ‘for rent’ advertisement in the newspaper and decided to drive his Harley motorcycle from Edinboro to Bellevue to see the home. Walter fell in love with the property seeing the potential of what it could become and it was perfect size for a starter home with no family. Elaine Imhoff agreed to rent the property to Walter from 2006 to 2007 when he then convinced Mrs. Emhoff to sell him the property. Early into his ownership, Walter had difficulty with deliveries and people finding the 85 Hilke Ave home due to the home appearing to be located on Crawford Avenue as the Hilke Avenue signs were physically located on Woodland and Staunton Avenues. Walter worked with the Bellevue Borough to formally and legally change the address of the home to 85 Crawford Ave. In 2012-2013, working with the Northgate School District, Walter secured the vacant lot adjacent to his property through a Sheriff sale which had liens dating to the early 1900s. This expanded the property to give privacy and a feeling of being in the woods.
During the same time period, Walter was recently married with two children and needed more space. Walter renovated the exiting kitchen and basement in which he created a new stairway to the basement and converted the single car port originally located in the basement to a sliding glass door entry and finished the new basement with a full bathroom and separate utility room.
Walter used the property as his primary residence until approximately 2016 when he moved his family to Erie, PA following 2 1/2 years on active duty in which he became an Army Physician Assistant.
Walter rented it to long-term tenants from late 2013 until February 2021 when he decided to renovate the home and began spending more time there himself. He and his current wife, Jennifer McIntyre, now both retired military veterans, have been working very hard on renovating the house starting with a full kitchen renovation in 2021 giving the home a feeling of spaciousness. Walt and Jennifer moved on to renovate the surrounding landscape with the vision of creating outdoor spaces to enjoy the feeling of being in the woods, while merely 10 minutes from downtown Pittsburgh. Walt and Jennifer have invested heavily in developing the adjacent vacant lot into an outdoor patio space complete with a future sauna pad, a hammock, beautiful landscape design, tree removal for safety reasons, and regrading of the driveway to create a Pittsburgh retreat like no other.