Fox Chapel estate built to house late owner's art collection lists for $4.5M
The late Charles G. Pauli was an art, furniture and antique collector who amassed such an extensive collection in his 50 years of traversing the globe that he designed an English-inspired manor residence in Fox Chapel large enough to showcase his collection.
Pauli died in 2016 at the age of 73. He was known as Charlie or Chuck by friends and family.
His former estate, located at 418 Fox Chapel Road, is listed for $4.5 million. It went on the market earlier this month, following the death of his wife, Marsha Lee (Tatrn) Pauli, in November.
“Everything that is in this house was his idea,” said Cheryl Gearhart, Marsha’s sister. “He was meticulous and a hard worker.”
Armed with pickup trucks and a hankering for visiting flea markets, Pauli’s brother-in-law, Daniel Gearheart, would go with him to pick up furniture, so that Pauli could refinish each piece and resell it.
“Within six months, he was dealing in thousand-dollar pieces of furniture,” Daniel Gearhart said. “It was his hobby.”
A self-made man who grew up in New Kensington, Pauli was an industrialist and investment manager with a keen interest in English and European furniture and paintings, architecture and African sculptures.
Pauli was the former CEO and president of Kop-Coat Industrial Products, one of the leading global suppliers of wood preservatives and treatments. He would later merge Kop-Coat into RPM International.
Pauli began seriously collecting in 1965, often shopping while traveling on business and personal trips to Canada, New Zealand, China, France, Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Hong Kong, England, Germany, Belgium and more.
The Gearharts, of Indiana Township, both expressed mixed emotions as they packed up, auctioned off, organized and handled all of the remaining furnishings and details of selling the home. Completed in 2012, the Fox Chapel road house took three years to build.
The Paulis, who had no children, were known for their love of animals, charity and family, and for hosting lavish, fun gatherings.
The home’s floor plan naturally lends itself to entertaining, with soaring ceilings, marble and wooden floors, expansive grounds, multiple patios and a pool.
Nine gas fireplaces — none of them ever used for fear of harming Pauli’s collection — feature marble accents and intricate hand-carved woodwork throughout the over 8,000-square-foot home.
An elevator servicing all three levels of the house makes for mobility ease, particularly for seniors, said listing agents Trudy Ward and Meredith Ward Ley, a mother/daughter real estate duo.
Ward previously worked with Pauli when she sold his former home in Fox Chapel before his move to 418 Fox Chapel Road.
“His previous home was beautiful, but it wasn’t big enough to hold his art collection,” Trudy Ward said. “He was the most down-to-earth person and they were both lovely. Charlie had me come visit the new home when it was almost done. It’s just a special house.”
A four-car garage and heated driveway keep the ice and snow at bay during winter.
“I think this home lends itself to a large family. It’s a sophisticated home. I could also see another collector or couple buying this. Every room has custom track lighting for artwork,” Trudy Ward said.
The kitchen is awash in white marble and features a separate breakfast room, wet bar, butler’s pantry and chef’s kitchen.
There are seven bathrooms. Each of the five bedrooms has a full bathroom and a fireplace.
A floating — the appearance of having no visible support — spiral staircase winds gracefully and features intricate woodwork.
“He had this house in his mind for about 30 years,” Daniel Gearhart said. “He had three or four warehouses holding all of his collections. And in the ‘70s and ‘80s, when they were tearing down mansions on Fifth Avenue, he would go down there and get all that beautiful wood from the dumpster.”
One such woodwork salvage is two large doors that once hung in the Mellon mansion.
Pauli had them cut down to size. They are the entry doors to one of the family’s favorite rooms, the library.
“Charlie always said he had $5 million in a house and $5 million in antiques,” Daniel Gearhart said.
The family sold most of the antiques to Sotheby’s.
Nicknamed “The Mansion” by the Gearharts, the couple recalled enjoying many festive parties hosted by Cheryl’s sister, Marsha.
“She loved Christmas and had several trees here, including a teddy bear tree. Marsha was a true guardian angel to a lot of children in need. She loved the flowers on the grounds and the library,” Cheryl Gearhart said. “She loved to relax in there and loved having family over to swim, and she loved children, although they didn’t have any of their own.”
“Charlie was a perfectionist and the house reflects that,” Daniel Gearhart said.
The home was originally designed to be even larger, but after getting the initial construction quote, Charlie downsized the home by a third.
“From the day Marsha died, we have been here every day, just about, trying to clean up and get everything — it was all packed full of things and we wanted to make sure we weren’t throwing anything away that’s important,” Daniel Gearhart said.
“I just hope that someone buys it who can really appreciate Chuck’s thought and energy that went into this house,” Cheryl Gearhart said.
Meredith Ward Ley said potential buyers touring the property have been overwhelmed by the beauty of the estate.
“You come in here and it’s an oasis. It’s truly special,” Ley said.
“The beauty of the home, the woodwork, it’s just outstanding, so I think anyone buying the home would appreciate the craftsmanship,” Trudy Ward said.
Joyce Hanz is a native of Charleston, S.C. and is a features reporter covering the Pittsburgh region. She majored in media arts and graduated from the University of South Carolina. She can be reached at jhanz@triblive.com
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