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PETER CHARLES RENIERS. sculptor, post-office Turtle Creek, a native of
Antwerp, Belgium, is a son of Cornelius Joseph and Mary Reniers, and was born
March 28, 1825. He was educated in is native city, Brussels and Paris,
where he gave special attention to art. In 1848 he contracted to execute some
sculpture for Bishop Purcell, of Cincinnati, and set out for America. He was so
pleased with the scenery about New York harbor that he resolved never to return
to his native land, and has kept the resolution. In 1850, having finished his
work in Cincinnati, he came to Pittsburgh, where he has since remained in
business. In addition to monumental work he gives attention to interior
decoration and furnishing, and is now engaged in fitting up the magnificent
Westinghouse building on Pennsylvania avenue.
In 1868 Mr Reniers purchased
ground at Turtle Creek, on which he erected his present home, in which are some
superior frescoes. Part of these decorations were destroyed by a meteoric ball
which burst in the hallway one summer afternoon. Mrs Reniers and her youngest
son were in the hall at the time, but escaped unhurt. In religious ideas Mr.
Reniers is very liberal. He married Hannah Armitage, a native of
Huddersfield, England, who has borne him the following-named children: Cornelius
(a resident of New York City), Mary, Fanny (deceased), Alice (Mrs William
Bentley, Pittsburgh), Thomas and William. The last two are assisting their
father in business. Mr Reniers is a democrat.
source : History of Allegheny county, Pennsylvania,
Chicago : A. Warner & Co., 1889, p. 569-570
obit for P.C. Reniers Pittsburgh Leader, Oct 28, 1894.
links :
Known Tombstone Carvers of Pennsylvania :
https://sites.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/pa/1pa/tscarvers/reniers-peter/reniers-peter.htm
Soldier's Monument, by Peter C. Reniers :
http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~jw3u/round/monuments.htm
Allegheny County PA Archives Wills.....Reniers, Peter Charles December 8, 1892 :
http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/pa/allegheny/wills/reniers-p.txt