BRINGING PORCH LIFE TO SEWICKLEY

The History of the Front Porch

Did you know that the first front porch in Sewickley, was built by the first owner of Reviving Chestnut? The owner, John McMillen had relocated to Sewickley and quickly developed an aptitude for carpentry, going into business for himself as a lumber dealer with offices on the corner of what is now Boundary and Bank Streets. 

In 1873, a client asked John to design and build a home for him on Frederick Avenue with a unique feature: a fully integrated 8’x30’ front porch that would be the first of its kind in the Sewickley Valley. 

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John would be responsible for building hundreds more homes in the Valley with stately, handsome front porches, including one he built in 1876 for himself, his wife Cecilia and their 4 children at what is now 335 Chestnut Street.