North Braddock, Pennsylvania
| North Braddock | |
| Borough | |
 Borough Welcome Sign | |
| Official name: Borough of North Braddock | |
| Named for: Edward Braddock | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Allegheny |
| Landmark | Edgar Thomson Steel Works (1873) |
| River | Monongahela River |
| Coordinates | 40°24′18″N 79°51′23″W / 40.40500°N 79.85639°W |
| 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 |
  Location within Pennsylvania
| |
 Location within Allegheny County
| |
North Braddock is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. North Braddock was organized from a part of Braddock Township in 1897. The borough prides itself in being the "Birth Place of Steel" as the home of Andrew Carnegie's Edgar Thomson Steel Works that opened in 1875. North Braddock is a suburb 11 miles (18 km) east of Pittsburgh with a 15-minute travel time to the city. The borough is located in the valley along the Monongahela River and is bordered by the communities 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 passes through North Braddock between the communities of Forest Hills & East Pittsburgh. The Port Authority bus line provides accessible transportation to downtown Pittsburgh and the surrounding region. The 2010 census had the borough population at 4,857,[1] which shows a huge decline from the 1930 population of 16,782. The decline is due largely to the diminishing steel industry in the region.
History
In 1742 a Scottish trader named John Fraser from eastern Pennsylvania 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 Fraser 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.
Braddock Expedition
In 1755 General Edward Braddock and British troops left Virginia and used Fraser 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. Braddock's Battlefield History Center commemorates this battle.[2]
Whiskey Rebellion
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.
Wallace Mansion
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.
Coal and steel
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 John 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 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.
Formation of borough
During 1897, East Pittsburgh tried to annex the land around the mill of North Braddock, known as Bessemer, 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.
North Braddock celebrated its borough centennial with a festival of events in June 1997.
In April 2012, a film titled Out of the Furnace, starring Christian Bale, Woody Harrelson, Casey Affleck, and Zoe Saldana, was filmed in North Braddock, Braddock, and Rankin. Film crews used many locations in North Braddock, including Kirkpatrick Avenue and the North Braddock Municipal Building. The film opened in theaters on December 6, 2013.
Geography
North Braddock is located at 40°24′18″N 79°51′23″W / 40.40500°N 79.85639°W (40.405025, -79.856500).[3] 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.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 6,535 | ||
| 1910 | 11,824 | 80.9% | |
| 1920 | 14,928 | 26.3% | |
| 1930 | 16,782 | 12.4% | |
| 1940 | 15,679 | −6.6% | |
| 1950 | 14,724 | −6.1% | |
| 1960 | 13,204 | −10.3% | |
| 1970 | 10,838 | −17.9% | |
| 1980 | 8,711 | −19.6% | |
| 1990 | 7,036 | −19.2% | |
| 2000 | 6,410 | −8.9% | |
| 2010 | 4,857 | −24.2% | |
| Est. 2012 | 4,847 | −0.2% | |
| Sources:[4][5][6][7] | |||
As of the census[6] 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.
Government
Borough offices - North Braddock operates under a borough form of government. The borough has an elected nine member council and mayor. The borough manager oversees the daily borough business and implements the objectives set forth by the borough council. Ordinances and building codes are enforced by the code enforcement officer. The borough solicitor handles all the borough legal issues. The contracted engineering firm provides consultation for the borough infrastructure. The borough is part of the Turtle Creek Valley Council of Governments.
The municipal building includes the mayor's office, council chambers, manager's office, tax office, code enforcement office, public works garage, fire station #2, and police station.
| 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 (Dec. 2017) |
| 1911 - A.L Best | 1981 - Norman Irvin |
| Council | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ward 1 | Ward 2 | Ward 3 |
| Timothy Bridge (President) (Dec. 2017) | Christopher Roland (Vice-President) (Dec. 2017) | Michael Breaston (Dec. 2015) |
| Michael Dobrinich (Dec. 2015) | John Vahosky (Dec. 2015) | Manaya King (Dec. 2017) |
| Jerome Sepesy (Dec. 2017) | Victoria Vargo (Dec. 2017) | Richard Kostyak (Dec. 2015) |
Public Safety Services
- North Braddock VFD - Fire and rescue services are provided by the North Braddock VFD. The department is staffed by volunteers overseen by membership elected officers consisting of a chief, assistant chief, and two captains. The elected president and vice president oversee the civil operations in the department. All personnel are certified through the Allegheny County Fire Academy. Two fire stations are used in town located at Wolfe Avenue and the other on Bell Avenue. The department currently uses five pieces of apparatus: 207 Engine(1996 Seagrave), 207 Engine 2(1984 Pierce), 207 Rescue(1988 GMC E-One), 207 Service(2003 Ford F-450), and 207 Squad(2011 Ford F-250).
- North Braddock Police - The police chief and sergeant oversee the eight patrol officers in the borough police department. The department protects and serves the borough 24 hours a day. Two to three officers are assigned during every shift for duty. A police secretary handles daytime non-emergency calls and records paperwork. The department utilizes four equipped vehicles for patrol: Ford Explorer (#17), Ford Explorer (#18), Ford Taurus (#19), and a Chevrolet Impala (#20).
- Priority One EMS - Priority One EMS located on Baldridge Avenue provides emergency ambulance services staffed by certified EMT and Paramedic personnel. Priority One also serves Braddock, East Pittsburgh, and Rankin.
Events
- Clean Up Day - Volunteers in the community join together to clean up the neighborhoods of North Braddock every year. The next clean up day will in the Spring of 2014.
- Community Days - The North Braddock VFD and borough organize community days every summer at the North Braddock Heights Field consisting of music, food, games, raffles, and the firemen parade. Proceeds benefit the NBVFD for borough fire and rescue services. Community Days will return in August 2014.
- Council Meetings - North Braddock council meets the third Tuesday of every month starting at 6:30 pm with their work session and the council meeting at 7:00 pm. The meetings are open to the public for concerns.
- Fall Festival - The Fall Festival is held every autumn around Halloween for community youth to enjoy a community Halloween event at the Verona Street Park on Bell Avenue. The next festival will return in October 2014.
- Firemen Parade – The annual firemen parade started in 2011 and celebrated its third year in 2013. The parade is held on the final day of Community Days and brings marching groups, fire apparatus, and other acts to the streets of North Braddock. The fourth annual parade will be in August 2014.
- Firemen Fish Fry – Every lent season the North Braddock VFD holds a fish fry on Wolfe Avenue that offers their famous fish sandwiches and other food. The fish fry will operate every Friday during lent starting on Ash Wednesday March 5, 2014.
- Light Up Winter Festival – Every December, the winter festival is held at the borough building to kick off the holiday season. The borough building is illuminated in lights and Santa pays a visit to the children in North Braddock.
- Memorial Day Services - Every Memorial Day, local services are held with the North Braddock Amvets Post #60 and the Rankin American Legion #527. Local emergency first responders, elected officials, veterans, and residents visit a number of local sites to pay their respect to every U.S. veteran.
- Neighborhood Watch - Neighborhood watch meetings no longer regularly meet, but the watch is always in effect. Communicate with your neighbors and report all suspicious activity to the NBPD.
- Slippery Rock Care Program - Volunteer college students from Slippery Rock University work with local volunteers every year to complete community service projects in the Mon-Valley. The next visit from the Slippery Rock volunteers will be in the Spring of 2014.
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North Braddock Clean Up Day
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North Braddock Community Days
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North Braddock VFD Fish Fry
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North Braddock Firemen Parade
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North Braddock Memorial Day
School District
North Braddock once operated its own North Braddock School District to educate the children of the area. The district had a number of school buildings in use throughout the borough. The schools used included, Original North Braddock High School (Bell Avenue), North Braddock Scott High School (Bell Avenue), Hartman Junior High School (Wolfe Avenue), Bell Avenue School (Bell Avenue), Brinton Avenue School (Brinton Avenue), McClure School (Electric Avenue), Jones Avenue Junior High School (Jones Avenue), Shady Park School (Lobinger Avenue), and Ben Fairless School (Jones Avenue).
The North Braddock district originally merged into the General Braddock Area District with Braddock & Rankin in the 1970's.
Later the district was merged under court orders into the Woodland Hills School District in 1981 with 12 other nearby communities. Woodland Hills educates students from 12 communities with elected board members representing the residents. Woodland Hills currently operates nine school buildings with Fairless Elementary serving grades (K-6) in North Braddock.
High School Sports Championships
North Braddock Scott High School earned a number of high school sports championships.
Football Titles
- 1933 WPIAL Class A Championship - Gardner Point System Champion
- 1934 WPIAL Class A Championship - North Braddock Scott 6, Ambridge 0
- 1935 WPIAL Class AA Championship - Gardner Point System Champion
- 1937 WPIAL Class AA Championship - Gardner Point System Champion
Basketball Titles
- 1931 WPIAL Class A Championship
- 1931 PIAA Class A Championship - Scott 28, Lower Merion 15
- 1943 WPIAL Class A Championship
- 1973 PIAA Class A Championship - General Braddock 63, Reading 62 (General Braddock High School after the merger)
Braddock Carnegie Library
Carnegie Free Library of Braddock is the first Carnegie Library in the United States built in nearby Braddock, Pennsylvania. Designed by William Halsey Wood in eclectic medieval style, it was built in 1888 and dedicated by Andrew Carnegie on March 30, 1889. An addition in more Richardson Romanesque style by Longfellow, Alden & Harlow was added in 1893. The library was named a National Historic Landmark in 2012, following its listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, and is on the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation's List of Historic Landmarks.
Parks & Recreation
Three parks available for residents:
- Brinton Avenue Park
- Ridgeview Drive Park
- Verona Street Park
Three fields available for residents:
- Braddock-North Braddock Little League Field (Jones Avenue at Bell Avenue)
- North Braddock Heights Field (Wolfe Avenue at Locust Street)
- Fairless Elementary Field (531 Jones Avenue)
Indoor gyms available for residents:
- Braddock Carnegie Library Gym (419 Library Street)
- Braddock Community Center Boxing Gym (416 Library Street)
Public golf course available for residents:
- Grand View Golf Club (1000 Clubhouse Drive)
Youth League Sports
- Braddock Falcons Midget Football - The Braddock Falcons participate in the Allegheny County Midget Football League. They compete against teams from Clairton, Garfield, East End, Hill District, Homewood, Lincoln, North Side, North Shore, and Wilkinsburg. The league offers community youth to play organized football in age classifications of twerps, termites, mighty mites, and midgets. The Braddock Falcons use Scott High Stadium on Bell Avenue as their home field and travel to opponent fields in the Pittsburgh area.
- Braddock-North Braddock Little League - The Braddock-North Braddock Little League was established in 1952 as a Williamsport sanctioned league at Scott High Stadium for community youth to play organized baseball. The league offers spring signups for tee-ball, minor league, and little league. Scott High Field was noted to be one of the best little league fields for decades with the rare grass infield. All-Star teams over the decades have traveled around the region to participate in other tournaments. In 1979 the local All-Stars were the Pennsylvania State Champions.
Notable People
- Steve Breaston - NFL wide receiver, star player for the University of Michigan and Woodland Hills High School.
- Mark Gefert - NFL player for the Pittsburgh Steelers, star at Purdue University, and at North Braddock Scott High School.
- Wes Lyons - NFL tight end/wide receiver, star player at West Virginia University and Woodland Hills High School. Also an author of his first book, "The Pursuit With Patience".
- Coley McDonough - NFL quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Cardinals. Star player for the North Carolina State University and North Braddock Scott High School. Coley was tragically killed in the line of duty as a Pittsburgh police officer after his football career.
- Elmer Merkovsky - NFL player for the Pittsburgh Steelers, star player at the University of Pittsburgh, and North Braddock Scott High School.
- Lousaka Polite - NFL fullback, who was a star player at the University of Pittsburgh, and Woodland Hills High School.
- Fran Rogel - NFL fullback for the Pittsburgh Steelers and star player at Penn State University and North Braddock Scott High School.
- Bill Priatko- NFL player for the Pittsburgh Steelers, star player for the University of Pittsburgh, and North Braddock Scott High School.
- Benjamin L. Rosenbloom - North Braddock High School and West Virginia University graduate who practiced law and became a US Representative for West Virginia.
See also
References
- ↑ "Race, Hispanic or Latino, Age, and Housing Occupancy: 2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File (QT-PL), North Braddock borough, Pennsylvania". U.S. Census Bureau, American FactFinder 2. Retrieved September 21, 2011.
- ↑ "Braddock's Battlefield History Center". Retrieved 25 November 2013.
- ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ↑ "Number of Inhabitants: Pennsylvania". 18th Census of the United States. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- ↑ "Pennsylvania: Population and Housing Unit Counts". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to North Braddock Borough, Pennsylvania. |
- North Braddock VFD
- North Braddock Police Nixle Alerts
- Priority One EMS
- North Braddock Facebook
- North Braddock Twitter
- Braddock's Battlefield History Center
- Grand View Golf Club
- County Borough Profile
- Woodland Hills School District
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