Oakmont, Pennsylvania

Oakmont, Pennsylvania
Borough
Allegheny River Boulevard, Oakmont, Pennsylvania
Country United States
State Pennsylvania
County Allegheny
Coordinates
Population 6,303 (2010)
Founded 1816 Incorporated in 1889
Timezone EST (UTC-5)
 - summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 15139
Area code 412
Location of Oakmont in Allegheny County
Location of Allegheny County in Pennsylvania
Website: Oakmont, PA

Oakmont is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA. It is a Pittsburgh suburb and part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. The population was 6,303 at the 2010 census.[1]

Incorporated as a town in 1889, this Allegheny River community began in 1816 when a farmer, Michael Bright, bought a large tract of land 15 miles (24 km) northeast of Pittsburgh. The settlement took its name from a landmark tree, as the deed description reads, "Beginning at a black oak on the bank of the Allegheny River ..." The borough is best known for the nearby Oakmont Country Club, a premier golf course which has been the site of numerous United States Open Golf Championship tournaments.

Contents

Geography

Oakmont is located at (40.519518, -79.837620).[2]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 1.8 square miles (4.7 km2), of which 1.6 square miles (4.1 km2) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2), or 8.99%, is water. The business district of town is on relatively flat land near the Allegheny River, but the main residential area is on the upward slope headed toward Oakmont Country Club and the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

Streams

Plum Creek flows through the borough.[3]

Surrounding communities

Oakmont is bordered by the borough of Plum to the east and by Penn Hills Township and the borough of Verona to the south. Across the Allegheny River, Oakmont is bordered by O'Hara Township to the west and Harmar Township to the north (via the Hulton Bridge).

Demographics

In 1900, 2,323 people lived in Oakmont; in 1910, 3,436, and in 1940, 6,260.

As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 6,911 people, 3,118 households, and 1,708 families residing in the borough. The population density was 4,250.0 people per square mile (1,637.0/km²). There were 3,269 housing units at an average density of 2,010.3 per square mile (774.3/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 97.84% White, 0.90% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.17% from other races, and 0.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.62% of the population.

There were 3,118 households out of which 21.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.3% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.2% were non-families. 39.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was 2.84.

In the borough the population was spread out with 19.3% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 25.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 79.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.0 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $41,957, and the median income for a family was $57,821. Males had a median income of $42,152 versus $32,721 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $26,716. About 4.3% of families and 5.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.5% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.

Points of interest

The Oakmont Country Club, widely known for its prestigious golf course, is located just outside the borough limits in the neighboring borough of Plum. The course has been consistently ranked in the top five courses of the world, of every course list. It is also accepted as one of the most challenging golf courses in the world due to its many bunkers and sand traps. It has hosted eight U.S. Opens[5] and is scheduled to host one again in 2016.

The Kerr Memorial Museum was originally a family home built in 1898 for the Kerr family. It is now a museum set up for tours.

The Carnegie Library of Oakmont was built in 1899. The library is free and open to the public. An addition was added on between 2003 and 2005.

The Oaks Theater is a classic-styled movie house located on the towns main Boulevard. It has one screen showing both new movies and old favorates. The theater was built in 1938 to replace the original theater which had occupied the site from the late 19th century, until it was completely over-hauled in 1936 for the theaters official opening as "The Oaks" on November 18th, 1938.

The Oakmont Verona Cemetery is located on Pennsylvania Avenue in Oakmont.

The Jonathon Hulton Bridge was constructed in 1908; it connects Oakmont and Harmar.

Riverside Park, located along the Allegheny River, possesses tennis courts, basketball court, running track, pavilions, and a children's playground.

Development

At the site where Edgewater Steel once stood, a new greener residential neighborhood is rising. The new residential area of Oakmont will acquire condominiums, town homes, manor flats, cottage homes, village homes, green spaces, a waterfront park, and more. Edgewater will obtain 242 homes ranging from $200,000 to $700,000. These new homes will reduce energy uses by 30%. Home construction should begin sometime in the summer of 2010. In addition to the residential area Edgewater will have its own commercial district.

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See also

References

Sources