East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
East Pittsburgh is a borough
in Allegheny County
, Pennsylvania
, about 11 miles (17.7 km) southeast of the confluence of the Monongahela
and the Allegheny
rivers at Pittsburgh. The population in 1900 stood at 2,883, and in 1910, at 5,615. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 1,822, having fallen from 6,079 in 1940. George Westinghouse
erected large works there which supplied equipment to the great power plants at Niagara Falls
and for the elevated and rapid-transit systems of New York
. Nearby, the George Westinghouse Bridge
over Turtle Creek
is a prominent fixture in the area, which is very near the borough of Braddock
.
was made from East Pittsburgh on November 2, 1920.
In 1928, an early demonstration of a new medium was conducted at the Westinghouse laboratories in East Pittsburgh. Eventually, the new medium became known as television
. Vladimir Zworykin
worked for Westinghouse Electric Corporation at that time. He lived in the borough of Wilkinsburg
.
The East Pittsburgh School District included Bessemer Avenue Elementary School and East Pittsburgh Junior/Senior High School on Howard Street. East Pittsburgh's school colors were green and white, and its athletic teams were called the Shamrock
s.
During the 1970-71 school year, the East Pittsburgh School District was merged, by court order, with the neighboring Turtle Creek School District for the following year. In the final basketball game between the two rivals, the Shamrocks defeated Turtle Creek, 65-63.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the borough has a total area of 0.4 square miles (1 km²), all of it land.
to the north, the borough of North Braddock
to the northwest, North Versailles Township (via the Westinghouse Bridge or East Pittsburgh-McKeesport Blvd.) to the south, and the borough of Turtle Creek
to the northeast.
of 2000, there were 2,017 people, 936 households, and 496 families residing in the borough. The population density
was 5,163.5 people per square mile (1,996.8/km²). There were 1,107 housing units at an average density of 2,833.9 per square mile (1,095.9/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 76.10% White, 20.92% African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.30% from other races
, and 2.18% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.50% of the population.
There were 936 households out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 27.7% were married couples
living together, 21.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.0% were non-families. 43.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the borough the population was spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 78.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 72.3 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $21,286, and the median income for a family was $32,037. Males had a median income of $26,512 versus $23,050 for females. The per capita income
for the borough was $13,391. About 17.5% of families and 22.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.0% of those under age 18 and 10.2% of those age 65 or over.
Borough (Pennsylvania)
In the U.S. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a borough is a self-governing municipal entity that is usually smaller than a city. There are 958 boroughs in Pennsylvania. All municipalities in Pennsylvania are classified as either cities, boroughs, or townships...
in Allegheny County
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Allegheny County is a county in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,223,348; making it the second most populous county in Pennsylvania, following Philadelphia County. The county seat is Pittsburgh...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, about 11 miles (17.7 km) southeast of the confluence of the Monongahela
Monongahela River
The Monongahela River is a river on the Allegheny Plateau in north-central West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania in the United States...
and the Allegheny
Allegheny River
The Allegheny River is a principal tributary of the Ohio River; it is located in the Eastern United States. The Allegheny River joins with the Monongahela River to form the Ohio River at the "Point" of Point State Park in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
rivers at Pittsburgh. The population in 1900 stood at 2,883, and in 1910, at 5,615. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 1,822, having fallen from 6,079 in 1940. George Westinghouse
George Westinghouse
George Westinghouse, Jr was an American entrepreneur and engineer who invented the railway air brake and was a pioneer of the electrical industry. Westinghouse was one of Thomas Edison's main rivals in the early implementation of the American electricity system...
erected large works there which supplied equipment to the great power plants at Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls
The Niagara Falls, located on the Niagara River draining Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, is the collective name for the Horseshoe Falls and the adjacent American Falls along with the comparatively small Bridal Veil Falls, which combined form the highest flow rate of any waterfalls in the world and has...
and for the elevated and rapid-transit systems of New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Nearby, the George Westinghouse Bridge
George Westinghouse Bridge
George Westinghouse Memorial Bridge in East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania carries U.S. Route 30, The Lincoln Highway, over the Turtle Creek Valley where it joins the Monongahela River Valley east of Pittsburgh....
over Turtle Creek
Turtle Creek (Pennsylvania)
Turtle Creek is a tributary of the Monongahela River in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. At its juncture with the Monongahela is Braddock, Pennsylvania, where the Battle of the Monongahela was fought in 1755...
is a prominent fixture in the area, which is very near the borough of Braddock
Braddock, Pennsylvania
Braddock is a borough located in the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, 10 miles upstream from the mouth of the Monongahela River. The population was 2,159 at the 2010 census...
.
History
The first transmission from pioneering radio station KDKA (AM)KDKA (AM)
KDKA is a radio station licensed to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Created by the Westinghouse Electric Corporation on November 2, 1920, it is one of the world's first modern radio stations , a distinction that has also been challenged by other stations, although it has claimed to be the first in...
was made from East Pittsburgh on November 2, 1920.
In 1928, an early demonstration of a new medium was conducted at the Westinghouse laboratories in East Pittsburgh. Eventually, the new medium became known as television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
. Vladimir Zworykin
Vladimir Zworykin
Vladimir Kozmich Zworykin was a Russian-American inventor, engineer, and pioneer of television technology. Zworykin invented a television transmitting and receiving system employing cathode ray tubes...
worked for Westinghouse Electric Corporation at that time. He lived in the borough of Wilkinsburg
Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania
Wilkinsburg is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States adjacent to the city of Pittsburgh. The population was 15,930 at the 2010 census, having lost more than 13,000 in the 70 years since 1940, when 29,853 people were enumerated...
.
The East Pittsburgh School District included Bessemer Avenue Elementary School and East Pittsburgh Junior/Senior High School on Howard Street. East Pittsburgh's school colors were green and white, and its athletic teams were called the Shamrock
Shamrock
The shamrock is a three-leafed old white clover. It is known as a symbol of Ireland. The name shamrock is derived from Irish , which is the diminutive version of the Irish word for clover ....
s.
During the 1970-71 school year, the East Pittsburgh School District was merged, by court order, with the neighboring Turtle Creek School District for the following year. In the final basketball game between the two rivals, the Shamrocks defeated Turtle Creek, 65-63.
Geography
East Pittsburgh is located at 40°23′49"N 79°50′24"W (40.396969, -79.839869). The borough is about 3 miles (4.8 km) outside of the easternmost city limits of Pittsburgh and about 10 miles (16.1 km) from city hall in Pittsburgh.According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the borough has a total area of 0.4 square miles (1 km²), all of it land.
Surrounding and adjacent neighborhoods
East Pittsburgh is bordered by the borough of ChalfantChalfant, Pennsylvania
Chalfant is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 800 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Chalfant is located at ....
to the north, the borough of North Braddock
North Braddock, Pennsylvania
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 east of Pittsburgh with a 15-minute travel time to the city...
to the northwest, North Versailles Township (via the Westinghouse Bridge or East Pittsburgh-McKeesport Blvd.) to the south, and the borough of Turtle Creek
Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania
Turtle Creek is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh. The population was 5,349 at the 2010 census. George Westinghouse gave life to the place by constructing a manufacturing plant nearby. Turtle Creek takes its name from a small stream that flows into the...
to the northeast.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 2,017 people, 936 households, and 496 families residing in the borough. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 5,163.5 people per square mile (1,996.8/km²). There were 1,107 housing units at an average density of 2,833.9 per square mile (1,095.9/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 76.10% White, 20.92% African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.30% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.18% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.50% of the population.
There were 936 households out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 27.7% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 21.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.0% were non-families. 43.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the borough the population was spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 78.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 72.3 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $21,286, and the median income for a family was $32,037. Males had a median income of $26,512 versus $23,050 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the borough was $13,391. About 17.5% of families and 22.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.0% of those under age 18 and 10.2% of those age 65 or over.