Luke Desmone Oral History Interview, May 6, 2021
- Repository
- ULS Archives & Special Collections
- Title
- Luke Desmone Oral History Interview
- Creator
- Desmone, Luke, 1935-
- Collection Number
- AIS.2021.10
- Extent
- 2 items
- Date
- May 6, 2021
- Abstract
- Luke Desmone is an architect and principal of Desmone Architects, an architectural firm headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Mr. Desmone's firm has contributed to the historic preservation of the city of Pittsburgh through several renovation projects. Some of these include: The Vicary House History Center (originally built 1826); The Industrialist Hotel (originally built 1902); The Pennsylvania National Bank Building (originally built 1903); and The Second United Presbyterian Church now the Union Project Building (originally built 1903). In his interview, Luke Desmone discusses his early life in Springdale, Pennsylvania, his training to become an architect, and the establishment of his architectural firm, Desmone Architects.
- Language
- The material in this collection is in English.
- Publisher
- ULS Archives & Special Collections
- Address
- University of Pittsburgh Library System
Archives & Special Collections
Website: library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections
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URL: http://library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections
Processing Information
This collection was processed by Kayla Heslin in September 2021.
Acquisition Information
Gift of Jon Williams on May 6, 2021.
Biography
Charles L. "Luke" Desmone (1935-) is the son of Charles and Doris Desmone and a graduate of Springdale High School (Class of 1953), Springdale, Pennsylvania. In 1961, he married Eugenia "Jeannie" Zohorchak, and they have three children: Chip (1962), Francie (1965), and Alexis (1978). Chip is also an architect working at Desome Architects in the Pittsburgh Office.
Luke Desmone is an architect and founder of Desmone Architects, an architectural firm headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is a native of Springdale, Pennsylvania. Desmone graduated from the Pennsylvania State University in 1959 with a B.S. in Architecture, and pursued additional education at Harvard, Carnegie Mellon, and Tufts Universities, and the University of Pittsburgh.
In 1958, He joined his uncle, John Desmone, and Emery Szalai as a third partner of Desmone & Szalai Architects. When John Desmone died in 1965, Luke inherited his uncle's position within the firm and recruited his son, Charles Desmone, to join. Eventually, Emery Szalai left the partnership and went on to found his own firm. At this point, Desmone & Szalai Architects became Desmone Architects. Desmone Architects specializes in the areas of residential housing and adaptive resuse of historic structures.
Desmone Architects has contributed to the historic preservation of the city of Pittsburgh through several renovation projects. Some of these include: The Vicary House History Center (originally built 1826); The Industrialist Hotel (originally built 1902); The Pennsylvania National Bank Building (originally built 1903); and The Second United Presbyterian Church now the Union Project Building (originally built 1903).
In 2013, Desmone received the James Kling Fellowship Award from the Pittsburgh chapter of the American Institute of Architects Master Builders' Association of Western PA Joint Committee for exemplary collaboration between designers and constructors. Since then, his architectural firm has received a number of awards, including:
-Certificate of Merit for Interior Architecture-Warhol Museum Renovation
-Identified as top architecture firm by Pittsburgh Business Times in 2016
-Best multi-story new construction curb appeal by the Apartment Association of Metropolitan Pittsburgh in 2018
-WELL Gold Certification for 2 Doughboy Square in 2020.
Desmone Architects has offices located both in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Morgantown, West Virginia. The Pittsburgh Office is located at 300 Butler Street in the Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh and at Doughboy Square, in the historic Pittsburgh National Bank Building.
Scope and Contents
This collection contains one oral history interview of Luke Desmone, conducted by Jon Williams on May 6, 2021 and an accompanying transcript.
In the interview, Desmone discusses his family's emigration from Italy to western Pennsylvania in the early part of the 20th century, and developing their roots in in the Pittsburgh area. He talks about his early days growing in Springdale, Pennsylvania.
Desmone also touches on his architectural training from his uncle, John Desmone, and his formal education that prepared him for his career as an architect.
He discusses how he inherited his uncle's firm, now Desmone Architects, and recruited his son, Chip, to join. This interview also has a discussion of principal projects of the firm in the Pittsburgh area, many of which have contributed to historic preservation of the city.
The expansion of the firm into West Virginia and Maryland is briefly addressed.
Finally, Desmone offers his views on changes in architectural practice through the years.
Preferred Citation
Luke Desmone Oral History Interview, May 6, 2021, AIS.2021.10, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System
Copyright
The University of Pittsburgh holds the property rights to the material in this collection, but the copyright may still be held by the original creator/author. Researchers are therefore advised to follow the regulations set forth in the U.S. Copyright Code when publishing, quoting, or reproducing material from this collection without the consent of the creator/author or that go beyond what is allowed by fair use.
Access Restrictions
No restrictions.
Subjects
- Desmone, Luke, 1935-
- Italy -- Emigration and immigration
- Springdale (Pa.)
- Oral histories (Document genres)
- Interviews
- Architects -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
- Architecture -- Practice
- Italian Americans -- Interviews