184 38th Street
| 184 38th Street | |
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 Location of the building in Pittsburgh
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| General information | |
| Type | log home |
| Architectural style | Vernacular architecture |
| Location | 38th and Charlotte Streets Lawrenceville, Pittsburgh |
| Coordinates | 40°28′1.9″N 79°57′54.0″W / 40.467194°N 79.965000°W |
| Cost | $43,000 (2011) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 2 |
| Floor area | 3,740 square feet (347 m2) |
184 38th Street, also known as McBride Log House, was a historic log house in the Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Before its demolition, it was thought to be the oldest log house in any major American city to be used as a residence.
Dating to the 1820s, it was one of the original buildings in Lawrenceville. Several attempts have been made by historical groups to restore the building, but such efforts are cost prohibitive. The building continued to be used as a residence until the early 21st century, when it was purchased by a real estate developer. In 2011, the building was demolished.
The building was constructed in the 1820s by Henry McBride, who purchased the property directly from Lawrenceville founder William Foster for $250 in 1822. At that time, Lawrenceville consisted of little more than several buildings centered around the Allegheny Arsenal. On September 17, 1862, Catherine Burkhart, a 15-year-old girl who lived in the home with her mother, was killed in an explosion at the Allegheny Arsenal, where she worked assembling munitions for the Union Army.
In May 2007, the building was cited for rotting window frames, deteriorating exterior walls, and crumbling wood under the roof; by December 2007, the building had passed inspection. It was boarded up in 2008 to prevent vandalism and squatters. In April 2011, a real estate agent from the North Hills of Pittsburgh purchased the building for $43,000.
The two story, two family building contains 12 rooms and roughly 3,740 square feet (347 m2) of space. It was constructed using a framing technique. The logs are squared-off, rather than the stereotypical Lincoln Logs-style.
A fire in 2004 exposed the original logs; the extent of the historical significance of the building was not widely known until then. The asphalt siding was then removed from the outside of the building. As of 2011, the clapboards were peeling and showing the original logs underneath.
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