Mister Rogers fans who dreamed of living in his neighborhood now have the opportunity for something even better. They can live in his house. The home Fred Rogers once lived at in Pittsburgh is now on sale for almost $900,000. Rogers and his wife Joanne Rogers lived in the home in the early 1960s. Rogers died in 2003, and Joanne died in January.
The five-bedroom, three-bathroom home is listed at $850,000 by Coldwell Banker. It is located in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh’s East End and covers 3,693 square feet. Listing agent Linda Corcoran told Nexstar there have already been “multiple offers,” which she credited to a hot market and desirable location. The offers have not been accepted yet, she said.
Videos by PopCulture.com
The seller gave Corcoran a clipping to prove that Fred and Joanne Rogers once lived at the home, and it was included in the listing. The evidence is a clipping from the 1961 Rollins College alumni magazine announcing the birth of the Rogers’ second son, John, and included the home’s address. Some of the residents in the area recalled Rogers living there and claimed he would stage puppet shows for the neighborhood children. One neighbor told the seller Rogers once called the home “his favorite house” and said one of Rogers’ biographers once interviewed them.
The listing notes that the home is “drenched in shimmering sunlight” due to its many windows. “Two sets of French doors adorn the spacious living room that opens onto the front porch,” the listing reads. “The calming wall colors and painted molding offer an ideal place to relax, entertain and the high ceilings and large openings on the first floor create space and flow. Off the large dining room is a unique library of shelves for your favorite books or memorabilia. Large renovated EIK has a wall of counters, storage, and desk space perfect for a home office while preparing meals.” The listing also includes detailed photos of the home.
Rogers was born in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh, and graduated from Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida in 1951. After he started working in television in New York, he returned to Pittsburgh to help launch children’s television programs on WQED. He is best known for creating and hosting Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, which ran nationally from 1968 to 2001. He died in 2003 at age 74, following a battle with stomach cancer. Joanne, who oversaw the use of his image after his death, died in January at 92. The two were married for over 50 years and had two sons, James and John.
Rogers’ legacy continues to live on. In 2019, Tom Hanks earned an Oscar nomination for playing him in the acclaimed A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. Rogers was also the subject of the 2018 documentary Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, one of the highest-grossing documentaries ever made.
