A black and white portrait of a man with a long beard and a stern expression, wearing a suit, with a handwritten signature 'Casper Piel Sr.' at the bottom.
Historical plaque about Casper Reel, a Revolutionary War soldier born in 1742 and died in 1824, first settler in Ross Township, recognized by descendants of Daniel John Neville Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution in 1915.

20th Century

Under construction porch with wooden framing next to an old brick house, a scaffold in the background, and neighboring houses visible in a suburban neighborhood, under a clear blue sky.

18th Century

THE CABIN THROUGH TIME

A WORK IN PROGRESS TIMELINE of THE CABIN’S STORY

May 11, 1742
Casper Reel is born in Frankfurt, Germany 

March 2, 1784
Reel marries Elizabeth Wise
(1760-1843) in Lancaster, PA

~1795
Reel completes his second cabin and settles permanently in what is now 148 Georgetown Avenue, West View.

“So gathering all their belongings together, they packed them in a heavy wagon - precious bits of china and rare old pewter, the fine old four-poster and dresser, the carved parlor table and chairs, the spinning wheel and reel - for Elizabeth spun all her linen - all these things were securely packed for a long journey. Last of all, tucked in Elizabeth’s saddlebags were two brass candle sticks and some roots of her loved roses and peonies, to be planted in the home in the wilderness.” How Caspar Reel Pushed His Way Across the Mountains (The Pittsburgh Dispatch, April 24, 1910)

October 10, 1824
Reel dies

March 20, 1905
West View Borough is incorporated

1920
Almatia Reel sells Reel Hall to the Highland Country Club, which featured a golf course designed by Emil Loeffler. It was converted into a clubhouse.

1995
The Post-Gazette features the Waterson family who share their intention to sell the cabin.

Spring 2022
Our family purchases the Casper Reel cabin & established West View Urban Farm

1774
Reel settles at Fort Pitt and worked as a fur trader and store keeper.

A black and white photograph of a log house surrounded by trees, with a caption at the bottom that reads, "The Log House Built by Caspar Reel."

1792
Reel purchases 727 acres of land after the passage of state legislation allowing for the sale land, specifically the “Depreciation Lands,” to compensate Revolutionary War soldiers. Reel built his first cabin (near 1701 Center Avenue; near Cornell & Center Avenues) in what was then considered Pine Township. He is the first known European settler in the West View/Ross area.

1813
The Reel family builds Reel Hall. According to the Borough website, the Reel family occupies the home for over 100 years.

August 20, 1843 Elizabeth dies

1917
Highland Country Club is formed.

1949
Albert and Laverne Waterson unknowingly buy the Reel cabin. “I didn’t even know it was historic. We had it all remodeled inside and outside.”

A black and white photograph of a large, two-story house surrounded by leafless trees. The house has multiple windows, some with shutters, and a front staircase leading to a porch. The scene appears to be from an earlier time period.
Black and white photo of a house on a hill with stairs leading up to the front door.
A historical black-and-white drawing showing a large estate with multiple buildings, trees, and figures walking and sitting in a park-like setting.

19th Century

Black and white photograph of a large group of people gathered outdoors for a reunion at West View Park, with some seated and others standing, and a wooden structure in the background. The caption reads 'The Casper-Reel Reunion Held at West View Park.'

2013
Developers demolish the Highland Country Club clubhouse to build Highland Estates.

Black-and-white photo of a house with four people standing on the snow-covered front steps. The house has a brick lower level and upper siding with multiple windows, and the roof appears snow-covered. A small chimney or vent is visible on the roof. The people include two women and two children, standing in front of the house with snow around them.

Summer 2025
Rehabilitating the cabin exterior begins

Interior of a room under renovation with exposed wooden beams, brick and stone walls, construction tools scattered on the floor, a window letting in natural light, and construction materials leaning against the wall.
Front exterior of a house under renovation with exposed wooden framing and insulation, and a new wooden deck floor.