The Craftsmen of Crafton

It was one of the most poignant days of my husband’s life when he packed the last of his grandfather’s ten foot long tool bench. Over three thousand pieces, each with its own place on twenty-six specially cut wooden shelves and a handcrafted tool board that stretch the length of the cinder block wall. His grandfather, Harold Burrows or Hally as he liked to be called, was the last in a line of home builders that made Crafton, PA the quaint friendly town it is today. The Burrows family spent much of their lives giving to their much loved community. They were home builders, firemen, veterans and devoted church members at The Crafton Untied Presbyterian Church.

My husband’s great grandfather, David Burrows Sr., emigrated from County Down in Ireland where he worked in the booming shipyards of Belfast. He honed his craft as a master carpenter on the elegant ships that sailed the Atlantic during the turn of the century. David Sr. came to America in 1906 sponsored by his future contracting partner William John Stouppe who emigrated four years earlier. Together they formed Stouppe and Burrows- Building Contractors in 1910 on Noble Avenue in Crafton. They remained business partners until 1935 when Mr. Stouppe left the business to work at H.J. Heinz Company. It was in that year that David Sr. started the family business.

David Burrows Sr. and Sons Builders consisted of my husband’s great uncle David Jr. and his grandfather Hally. Two years later David Jr. left the business. The name was changed again to David Sr. and Harold Burrows Building Contractors until 1942 when David Sr. decided to retire. Soon after Hally was called to serve in the United States Army Air Corps as an airplane mechanic in WWII. As a family they built some of the most well constructed homes that line the streets of the town today.

In 1947, upon returning from the war, Hally and his brother Jack, an independent electrician, built several more homes in the area. But, it was Hally’s house on Bell Avenue that was his pride and joy. The Bell Avenue house is a beautifully constructed Cape Cod with an arched oak front door. It was a gift to his new wife and baby son in 1949. Hally also worked as a finishing carpenter for the University of Pittsburgh in Oakland, and several other schools and businesses throughout the area. Hally remained in his home until his death at age 99 in June of last year.

Now, as the house changes ownership and we watch the auctioneers hastily remove its last contents, we take comfort in the thought that they can never take away the home that he built.

These Crafton homes are my husband’s family legacy. So if you ever have a chance to drive on the avenues of Bell, McMunn, Noble, Willard, Craftmont, Barr, Lyons Street or Baldwick Road, to name just a few, chances are you will see one of the homes built by our family, the Craftsmen of Crafton.