| North Braddock | |
| Borough | |
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| Official name: Borough of North Braddock | |
| Named for: Edward Braddock | |
| Country | United States |
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| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Allegheny |
| Landmark | Edgar Thomson Steel Works (1873) |
| River | Monongahela River |
| Coordinates | |
| Area | 1.6 sq mi (4 km2) |
| Population | 4,857 (2010) |
| Density | 3,036 / sq mi (1,172 / km2) |
| Founded | 1897 |
| Mayor | Thomas Whyel (D) |
| Timezone | EST |
| - summer (DST) | EDT |
| ZIP code | 15104 |
| Area code | 412 |
| School District | Woodland Hills |
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Location within Pennsylvania
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Location within Allegheny County
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North Braddock is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. North Braddock was organized from a part of Braddock Township in 1897. North Braddock is a suburb 11 miles (18 km) east of Pittsburgh with a 15-minute travel time to the city. The borough is in the Mon Valley along the Monongahela River and is bordered by the boroughs of Braddock, Braddock Hills, Chalfant, East Pittsburgh, Forest Hills, Swissvale, and Wilkins Township. North Braddock is made up of three jurisdictional voting wards which are often used to describe specific areas of town.
U.S. Route 30 highway passes through North Braddock before reaching the George Westinghouse Bridge to East Pittsburgh. The Port Authority bus line passes through all three wards and provides accessible transportation to downtown Pittsburgh and the surrounding region.
North Braddock once operated its own school district but was incorporated into what is known today as the Woodland Hills School District. As of the 2010 census the borough population was 4,857,[1] a huge decline from its 1940 population of 15,679. The decline is due largely to the diminishing steel industry in the Mon Valley, specifically the Edgar Thomson Steel Works, which formerly employed many residents.
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In 1742 a Scottish trader named John Frazier from Philadelphia acquired land at the location of the current Edgar Thomson Steel Works from Queen Aliquippa and the Lenape people. Frazier settled his family on the location, and in 1753 Christopher Gist and General George Washington met with Frazier while delivering messages from Governor Robert Dinwiddie of Virginia to French commanders in the Pittsburgh region. Dinwiddie urged the French commanders to withdraw from the Pittsburgh area. Fearing that a conflict was on the horizon, Frazier returned to Philadelphia in 1754.
In 1755 General Edward Braddock and British troops left Virginia and used Frazier as the guide with General Washington as the aide on the expedition. The objective of the expedition was to expel the French at Fort Duquesne. It was on July 9, 1755, when the British troops arrived at Frazier's cabin to be met with gunfire from the French troops. During the battle Braddock was wounded, dying on July 13, 1755, in nearby Uniontown. The area where Braddock was shot became known as Braddock's Field. Historical markers identify the site on present-day Jones Avenue across from Benjamin Fairless School.
During the late 18th century farming was prevalent in the North Braddock area with the nearby Monongahela River used for trade. Whiskey became a very profitable product to trade, especially to the New Orleans area. In 1794 a whiskey tax was created, drawing in protest over 8,000 settlers from western Pennsylvania to the North Braddock area, as part of the Whiskey Rebellion. The angry settlers would not disperse easily, and federal soldiers were called in to enforce the new tax.
The British commander of Fort Pitt, Captain Edmondstone, had signed a grant of 328 acres (1.33 km2) of land from King George of England to Peter Rowletter. Once the French and Indian War was over, Mr. Rowletter sold the land to a judge from Pittsburgh, George Wallace, who bought around 328 acres (1.33 km2) of land, including part of Braddock's Field, on March 4, 1791. Here Wallace built a mansion as his summer home. Later the Marquis de La Fayette visited the country as the Guest of the Nation, and while doing so he stopped by Judge Wallace's mansion on May 28, 1825. After Wallace's death the home was left to his nephew who lost the property to a sheriff sale. The Wallace mansion would be used as a boarding school called the Edgeworth Ladies Seminary during the 1830s.
In 1835 the first coal mine opened between the hills near Sixth Street. During the 19th century the railroad industry was expanding across the country. Andrew Carnegie, with the increasing demands in steel for the railroad, began to build his first steel mill in 1872, named for Edgar Thomson, the president of the Pennsylvania Railroad. By 1873 the demand for steel for the railroad had decreased, and the construction of the mill was halted. Good news came though when Carnegie secured a $2 million dollar loan and finished the steel mill to roll its first steel under the supervision of superintendent William R. Jones. The mill would go on to expand, and in 1880 the first blast furnace was used at the Edgar Thomson Steel Works.
During 1897 East Pittsburgh tried to annex the land around the mill of North Braddock that was part of Braddock Township. Residents of Shady Park village (3rd ward) and of Wolftown (1st ward) came together to hold meetings on stopping East Pittsburgh from annexing the land near the mill known as Braddock's Field. William Yost serving as North Braddock's attorney petitioned the Quarter Sessions of Allegheny County that Shady Park and Wolftown would join as one town, also incorporating Braddock's Field. During the meetings 317 of 510 property owners signed an agreement helping Judge Kennedy make his ruling to form a new town.
On Monday, April 26, 1897, North Braddock was incorporated as a borough. Judge Kennedy of the Quarter Sessions Court of Allegheny County made the ruling and ordered the decree for the new borough. The first election of officials was to be held on May 18, 1897. The winners of the election included the burgess Henry Anderson, councilmen Joseph Wallace, John Walberg, John Maxwell, WJ Vance, Thomas Clark, J Grant Anderson, Fred Edwards, tax collector John Hutzen, and school directors Jones, Johnson, Scott, Colmey, Crossey, and Anderson.
In 1997 North Braddock turned 100 years old and held a centennial celebration on Wolfe Avenue and Sheridan Street.
| Mayors | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1897 - Henry Anderson | 1914 - H.B Miller | 1982 - Elmer DeVay |
| 1899 - F.K. Leighton | 1918 - B.M Bartilson | 1983 - Steven Yanowitch |
| 1903 - Johnson Snyder | 1922 - Harvey Hunter | 1984 - Norman Irvin |
| 1904 - A.T Reid | 1926 - G. Fenton Mitchell | 1989 - Jerome Sepesy |
| 1906 - George Whitfield | 1938 - P.J. McLeigh | 1990 - George Choma |
| 1909 - James McWilliams | 1951 - Michael Pendro | 1994 - Raymond McDonough |
| 1910 - John McCune | 1966 - Thomas Curran | 2010 - Thomas Whyel |
| 1911 - A.L Best | 1981 - Norman Irvin |
The borough building is located at 600 Anderson Street. The building incorporates the mayor's office, manager's office, tax office, code enforcement office, public works, station 2 fire department, and the police department. The borough has an elected mayor, nine council members, and an appointed borough manager. The borough manager operates the budget and oversees daily borough business. Ordinances and building codes are supervised by a code enforcement officer. The borough solicitor handles all borough legal issues. Glenn Engineering provides consultation on all borough engineering business. The borough is part of the Turtle Creek Valley Council of Governments.
The following represent North Braddock Borough:
| Council | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ward 1 | Ward 2 | Ward 3 |
| Nina Burdell Vecchio (President)(D) | John Vahosky (Vice Pres.)(D) | James Riechert (D) |
| Timothy Bridge (D) | Christopher Roland (D) | Richard Kostyak (D) |
| Michael Dobrinich (D) | Victoria Vargo (D) | Manaya King (D) |
| Borough Administration | |
|---|---|
| Title | Phone Contact |
| Animal Control - Ken Ferree | 412-672-6699 |
| Code Enforcement - David Andrews | 412-271-0832 |
| Engineer - Glenn Engineering | 412-271-1306 |
| Fire Chief - Anthony Rydzak | 412-824-7791 |
| Manager - Douglas Marguriet | 412-271-1306 |
| Mayor - Thomas Whyel | 412-271-2262 |
| Police Chief - Dean Bazzone | 412-351-4902 |
| Public Safety - Henry Wiehagen | 412-351-4902 |
| Public Works - Charles Nigro | 412-271-3647 |
| Solicitor - John Bacharach | 412-271-1306 |
| Tax Collector - Diane Tomasic | 412-271-1306 |
North Braddock offers reliable services to the borough residents with an annual budget of over $2.8 million.
| Auto Garages |
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| AAA Allegheny Road Service (1508 Brinton Avenue) |
| Carbley's Garage (1542 Electric Avenue) |
| Knapp Auto Body (801 Sixth Street) |
| Nick's Auto Repair (1206 Wolfe Avenue) |
| Norm's Auto Body (1059 Locust Street) |
| Total Performance Auto Body (1044 Sixth Street) |
| Bars |
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| Crud's Bar (1400 Brinton Avenue) |
| Electric Avenue Cafe (1586 Electric Avenue) |
| Fairway's Lounge (1500 Locust Street) |
| Grandview Restaurant Lounge (1000 Clubhouse Drive) |
| Tun's Tavern (1202 Bell Avenue) |
| Businesses (Other) |
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| Aqua Pool (1438 Electric Avenue) |
| Copeland Granite & Marble Works (805 Fourth Street) |
| Edgar Thomson Steel Works (Mill Road, Thirteenth Street & Braddock Avenue) |
| Great Start Daycare (619 Jones Avenue) |
| Jackson's House of Sounds (621 Jones Avenue) |
| Markantone Lucas Painting (1202 Electric Avenue) |
| Nina's Place Hair Salon (1500 Locust Street) |
| Precious Pets Memorial Center & Crematory (703 Sixth Street) |
| Priority One EMS (575 Baldridge Avenue) |
| Schleifer Funeral Home (534 Jones Avenue) |
| Superior Car Wash (1450 Bell Avenue) |
| Ten Graphix (1800 Sheridan Street) |
| Western Pennsylvania Firefighters Memorial Honor Guard (501 Stokes Avenue) |
| Churches |
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| Holy Temple Church of God in Christ (609 Jones Avenue) |
| Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses (1549 Bell Avenue) |
| Muhleman Memorial Methodist Church (Grandview Avenue & Willow Street) |
| Presentation of Christ Greek Orthodox Church (1575 Electric Avenue) |
| Word & Worship Church (1200 Wolfe Avenue) |
| Clubs |
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| Amvets Post #60 (1135 Wolfe Avenue) |
| Club #206 (1318 Wolfe Avenue - Rear) |
| Slovak American Social Citizens Club (574 Baldridge Avenue) |
| Sokol Hall #179 (1910 South Street) |
| Food/Restaurants |
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| Grandview Restaurant (1000 Clubhouse Drive) |
| Najat's Cuisine (1500 Electric Avenue) |
| Robbie's Super Stuff BBQ (1000 Ardmore Boulevard) |
| Golf Course |
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| Grandview Golf Club (1000 Clubhouse Drive) |
| Housing |
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| General Braddock Park Plan (General Braddock Drive, Parklane Drive, & Ridgeview Drive) |
| General Braddock Towers (620 Sixth Street) |
| North Braddock Heights Housing Association (Mary Street) |
| Shady Park Place (415 Lobinger Avenue) |
| Landmarks |
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| Benjamin Fairless School (531 Jones Avenue) |
| Braddock Cemetery (Locust Street) |
| Braddock's Field (Jones Avenue & Surrounding Area) |
| Braddock Locks & Dam (Eleventh Street & Monongahela River) |
| Charles M. Schwab Mansion (Jones Avenue) |
| Dookers Hollow Bridge (Bell Avenue & Center Street) |
| North Braddock Borough Building (600 Anderson Street) |
| North Braddock Fire Station #1 (1318 Wolfe Avenue) |
| North Braddock Fire Station #2 (600 Anderson Street) |
| North Braddock Heights Field (Wolfe Avenue & Locust Street) |
| Scott High Field (Bell Avenue & Jones Avenue) |
| Tassey Hollow Bridge (Hawkins Avenue & Woodstock Avenue) |
| Markets |
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| Dee's Market & Pizza (1116 Bell Avenue) |
| FA's Market (623 Jones Avenue) |
| Parks |
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| Bowers Street Basketball Court (Bowers Street at Ridge Avenue) |
| Brinton Avenue Playground (1400 Block Brinton Avenue) |
| General Braddock Park Playground (Ridgeview Drive) |
| North Braddock Heights Basketball Court (Mary Street at Erma Street) |
| Verona Street Playground (Verona Street & Bell Avenue) |
| Pizza Shops |
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| Carm's Pizza (1416 Brinton Avenue) |
| Pizza Dee's (1116 Bell Avenue) |
| Vincent's Pizza Park (998 Ardmore Boulevard) |
North Braddock has had a number of notable people that grew up in the community in which include the following list of men.
| Notable People |
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| Steve Breaston - NFL wide receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs who was a standout player at the University of Michigan and Woodland Hills High School |
| Mark Gefert - Graduate of North Braddock Scott High School and Purdue University; All Big-Ten linebacker 1973; 8th round draft pick in the 1974 National Football League Draft of the Pittsburgh Steelers |
| Wes Lyons - NFL and Arena League wide receiver who produced at Woodland Hills High School and West Virginia University as a tall target wide receiver |
| Coley McDonough - NFL quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Cardinals |
| Lousaka Polite - NFL fullback, star at the University of Pittsburgh and Woodland Hills High School |
| Bill Priatko - NFL linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers who attended the University of Pittsburgh and North Braddock Scott High School |
| Fran Rogel - NFL fullback for the Pittsburgh Steelers and standout player at Penn State University and North Braddock Scott High School |
| Benjamin L. Rosenbloom - graduate of North Braddock High School and West Virginia University who practiced law and became a US Representative for West Virginia |
North Braddock is located at (40.405025, -79.856500).[2] It occupies a slope of terrain between Braddock, which touches the Monongahela River, and East Pittsburgh, which occupies the highest ground.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.1 km2), of which 1.5 square miles (3.9 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2), or 3.75%, is water.
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 6,410 people, 2,631 households, and 1,681 families residing in the borough. The population density was 4,155.5 people per square mile (1,607.1/km²). There were 3,250 housing units at an average density of 2,106.9 per square mile (814.8/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 61.70% White, 35.30% African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.59% from other races, and 1.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.25% of the population.
There were 2,631 households out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.0% were married couples living together, 23.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.1% were non-families. 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the borough the population was spread out with 27.0% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 89.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.6 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $24,335, and the median income for a family was $30,473. Males had a median income of $30,960 versus $22,281 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $14,076. About 18.0% of families and 22.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 40.4% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.
The population in 1900 was 6,535; in 1910, 11,824; and in 1920, 14,928.
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