This ensemble of buff-grey Freeport and Massillon, Ohio sandstone maintains an architectural harmony that transcends its varied construction dates and designers. The only slight departure from aesthetic unity is the mansard roof atop the Lodge—a later addition that stands in contrast to the original composition. Into the early 20th century, the Lodge featured a delicately framed wooden Gothic porch, adding a picturesque layer to its silhouette.
The 1926 extension to the Office Building is notable for its thoughtful homage to the 1870 detailing. Both externally and internally, it embodies the Mid-Victorian architectural language—an unusually respectful choice for its era, when modernist approaches were beginning to gain traction. Just east of this structure lies the Funeral Entrance, which bypasses the historic Chislett gateway and offers improved vehicular clearance. Facing this entrance from an elevated site once stood the Bayard "Mansion House," marking a significant residential landmark within the grounds.
Perhaps most intimately tied to the built landscape is the Penn Avenue Gatehouse—a structure not merely architectural, but deeply personal to the Held family, whose multi-generational stewardship began in the early 1940s. John Held, a retired Pittsburgh police officer, and his wife Agnes took residence here, cultivating a tradition of care and public service. While John oversaw funeral escorts and safeguarded the grounds, Agnes served as secretary in the office nestled within the Gatehouse's walls. Their granddaughter, Barbara Held, spent her early childhood cleaning the complex under her grandfather's guidance—a space she later called her professional home for over 40 years in roles that ranged from Receptionist to Assistant to the President.
Following Barbara's retirement in 2010, her niece Nancy E. Craigo—a Flagler College graduate and third-generation Held family member—stepped into the same role, continuing a lineage steeped in dedication. The Gatehouse, once a cornerstone of domestic routine, became the backdrop to Allegheny Cemetery's evolving administrative heritage, its walls bearing witness to both architectural and familial legacies.
