Marcia Davenport brought Pittsburgh’s North Side to literary life, featuring the one-time glory of the Victorian residences, without quite completing the architectural or social cycle. Bob carries the whole movement to its realistic conclusion in the song “The Queen Anne Front and the Mary Ann Behind” - a complete commentary on the housing problem. He probably remembered an experience he had had when we were seeking a building to rent for permanent quarters of the Pittsburgh Architectural Club. Bob applied at a pretentious building on the North Side that displayed a “for sale” sign. The door was answered by a rather over-decorated middle-aged woman who showed him up the old circular marble stair and through lavishly upholstered bed rooms. She was uncertain of what Bob was after and Bob gradually became aware that this was not exactly what he was looking for. Years later this, like so many events of his life, blossomed into song.
Charles M. Stotz 1949
THE QUEEN ANNE FRONT (AND THE MARY ANN BEHIND)
(Robert Schmertz)
When Great Grandfather was a gay young blade
And great Grandmother was his bride,
They found a lot, a very pretty spot,
‘Twas over on the old North Side.
It sloped down to the river
From River Avenue.
Great Grandma said that it would give her
Such a lovely view.
They took a look in “Godey’s Ladies’ Book”
To see what they could find.
And they found a house, a jolly little house,
With a Queen Anne front and a Mary Ann behind.
Great Grandfather was a handy man
Who never wasted any time -
He found a crew who knew just what to do
With white pine, common brick and lime -
He said “We’ll build a big veranda
Where Aunt Amanda can perch,
And I’ll sit there on Sunday morning
When everybody else has gone to church” -
The neighbors said, “He’s crazy in the head,
He’s surely lost his mind!”
But he built that house, that jolly little house
With a Queen Anne front and a Mary Ann behind.
When Great Grandpaw at last was laid away
With Great Grandmother by his side
Dear Aunt Amanda said “My land,
A vacant house I can’t abide
I’ll start a lady’s seminary
Make it very select
It will be very necessary
That all my girls be circumspect!”
As you may guess it was a great success
And her girls were so refined
In that self-same house, that jolly little house
With the Queen Anne front and the Mary Ann behind.
When Aunt Amanda’s work at last was done
And she had gone to her reward
Appeared a sign which bore the line
Announcing simply “Room and Board”
The old house soon was filled with roomers
Of every degree,
Red flannel underwear and bloomers
Were hanging out for everyone to see -
The old front stoop had started in to droop
And the house looked so resigned
That self-same house, that jolly little house
With the Queen Anne front and the Mary Ann behind.
The poor old house got looking worse and worse
And so did River Avenue
And wooden shacks across the tracks
Spoiled Great Grandma’s lovely view.
When several very pretty ladies
Moved in there one day
They were such charming Sues and Sadies
But a wagon came and took them all away -
There was one old dame said, “It’s a dirty shame,
My girls are so refined!”
But they closed that house, that jolly little house,
With the Queen Anne Front and the Mary Ann behind!