The picture of house as it appeared in September 1939. This picture was taken by the City of Pittsburgh official photographer to document work being done to the side walks, likely caused by water line or sewer work. This is the oldest known photo of the house.

Taken in 1917 on S Negley looking west up Friendship Ave. 

Notice the side of the house in the upper right of the image and the streetcar tracks in the center of S Negley Ave. 

These streetcar tracks still exist on S Negley Ave and can be seen when the road is milled to be repaved.

Taken in 1908 from Coral Street looking southwest toward Friendship Ave.

This photo shows the 200 block of S Negley and what the street looked like when the house was first built. The front steps are barely visible through the trees in the center of the photo.

Van was the second owner of the house having bought it in 1921. He, his wife Mae, daughter Lucile, and son Van Jr. all lived in the house until Van's death in 1959.

Van was born on Sept. 20, 1874 on a farm in Cassville, Monongalia county, West Virginia. He married Mae Fletcher Jenkins on January 2nd, 1902 in Pittsburgh.

His oldest child, Lucile, was born on December 2nd, 1906 and died February 5th, 1990. His youngest child, Van Jr., was born on March 17th 1911. 

He is best known for being an assistant U.S. attorney in the Wilson Administration. After the Wilson Administrator, he continued to practice law in Pittsburgh and did so until his death at the age of 85.