North Braddock, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
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 (17.7 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, 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.
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 (1.3 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 (1.3 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.
The following represent North Braddock Borough:
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
! Borough Administration
|-
! Title !! Phone Contact
|-
| Animal Control - Ken Ferree ||
|-
| Code Enforcement - David Andrews ||
|-
| Engineer - Glenn Engineering ||
|-
| Fire Chief - Anthony Rydzak ||
|-
| Manager - Douglas Marguriet ||
|-
| Mayor - Thomas Whyel ||
|-
| Police Chief - Dean Bazzone ||
|-
| Public Safety - Henry Wiehagen ||
|-
| Public Works - Charles Nigro ||
|-
| Solicitor - John Bacharach ||
|-
| Tax Collector - Diane Tomasic ||
|}
|-
! Churches
|-
| 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)
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Golf Course
|-
| Grandview Golf Club (1000 Clubhouse Drive)
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Housing
|-
| 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)
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Landmarks
|-
| 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)
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Parks
|-
| 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)
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Notable People
|-
| 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
|}
, 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 mile (0.258998811 km²), or 3.75%, is water.
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.
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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. North Braddock was organized from a part of Braddock Township in 1897. North Braddock is a suburb 11 miles (17.7 km) east of Pittsburgh with a 15-minute travel time to the city. The borough is in the Mon Valley along the Monongahela River
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 is bordered by the boroughs 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...
, Braddock Hills
Braddock Hills, Pennsylvania
Braddock Hills is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and is part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. Braddock Hills is located approximately east of downtown Pittsburgh...
, Chalfant
Chalfant, Pennsylvania
Chalfant is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 800 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Chalfant is located at ....
, East Pittsburgh
East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
East Pittsburgh is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, about 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...
, Forest Hills
Forest Hills, Pennsylvania
Forest Hills is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 6,518 at the 2010 census, as compared to 6,831 in 2000, and 7,335 in 1990.-Geography:Forest Hills is located at...
, Swissvale
Swissvale, Pennsylvania
Swissvale is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, east of downtown Pittsburgh. Named for a farmstead owned by abolitionist and early feminist Jane Swisshelm, during the industrial age it was the site of the Union Switch and Signal Company of George Westinghouse. The population was 8,983 at...
, 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
U.S. Route 30
U.S. Route 30 is an east–west main route of the system of United States Numbered Highways, with the highway traveling across the northern tier of the country. It is the third longest U.S. route, after U.S. Route 20 and U.S. Route 6. The western end of the highway is at Astoria, Oregon; the...
highway passes through North Braddock before reaching 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....
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
Woodland Hills School District
Woodland Hills School District is a public school district located in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, serving twelve municipalities in the Pittsburgh area; Braddock, Braddock Hills, Chalfant, Churchill, East Pittsburgh, Edgewood, Forest Hills, North Braddock, Rankin, Swissvale, Turtle Creek and...
. As of the 2010 census the borough population was 4,857, 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
Edgar Thomson Steel Works
The Edgar Thomson Steel Works is a steel mill in North Braddock, Pennsylvania. It is active since 1872.-History :The mill occupies the historic site of Braddock's Field, on the banks of the Monongahela River east of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
, which formerly employed many residents.
History
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 LenapeLenape
The Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...
people. Frazier settled his family on the location, and in 1753 Christopher Gist
Christopher Gist
Christopher Gist was an accomplished American explorer, surveyor and frontiersman. He was one of the first white explorers of the Ohio Country . He is credited with providing the first detailed description of the Ohio Country to Great Britain and her colonists...
and General George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
met with Frazier while delivering messages from Governor Robert Dinwiddie
Robert Dinwiddie
Robert Dinwiddie was a British colonial administrator who served as lieutenant governor of colonial Virginia from 1751 to 1758, first under Governor Willem Anne van Keppel, 2nd Earl of Albemarle, and then, from July 1756 to January 1758, as deputy for John Campbell, 4th Earl of Loudoun...
of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
to French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
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
Edward Braddock
General Edward Braddock was a British soldier and commander-in-chief for the 13 colonies during the actions at the start of the French and Indian War...
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
Fort Duquesne
Fort Duquesne was a fort established by the French in 1754, at the junction of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers in what is now downtown Pittsburgh in the state of Pennsylvania....
. 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
Uniontown, Pennsylvania
Uniontown is a city in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh and part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. Population in 1900, 7,344; in 1910, 13,344; in 1920, 15,692; and in 1940, 21,819. The population was 10,372 at the 2010 census...
. The area where Braddock was shot became known as Braddock's Field
Braddock's Field
Braddock's Field is a historic battlefield on the banks of the Monongahela River, at Braddock, Pennsylvania, near the junction of Turtle Creek , about nine miles southeast of the "Forks of the Ohio" in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
. 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
Monongahela River
The Monongahela River is a river on the Allegheny Plateau in north-central West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania in the United States...
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
Western Pennsylvania
Western Pennsylvania consists of the western third of the state of Pennsylvania in the United States. Pittsburgh is the largest city in the region, with a metropolitan area population of about 2.4 million people, and serves as its economic and cultural center. Erie, Altoona, and Johnstown are its...
to the North Braddock area, as part of the Whiskey Rebellion
Whiskey Rebellion
The Whiskey Rebellion, or Whiskey Insurrection, was a tax protest in the United States in the 1790s, during the presidency of George Washington. Farmers who sold their corn in the form of whiskey had to pay a new tax which they strongly resented...
. The angry settlers would not disperse easily, and federal soldiers were called in to enforce the new tax.
The British commander of Fort Pitt
Fort Pitt (Pennsylvania)
Fort Pitt was a fort built at the location of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.-French and Indian War:The fort was built from 1759 to 1761 during the French and Indian War , next to the site of former Fort Duquesne, at the confluence the Allegheny River and the Monongahela River...
, Captain Edmondstone, had signed a grant of 328 acres (1.3 km²) of land from King George
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
of England to Peter Rowletter. Once the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
was over, Mr. Rowletter sold the land to a judge from Pittsburgh, George Wallace, who bought around 328 acres (1.3 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
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and entrepreneur who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century...
, with the increasing demands in steel for the railroad, began to build his first steel mill
Steel mill
A steel mill or steelworks is an industrial plant for the manufacture of steel.Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon. It is produced in a two-stage process. First, iron ore is reduced or smelted with coke and limestone in a blast furnace, producing molten iron which is either cast into pig iron or...
in 1872, named for Edgar Thomson, the president of the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
. 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
Blast furnace
A blast furnace is a type of metallurgical furnace used for smelting to produce industrial metals, generally iron.In a blast furnace, fuel and ore and flux are continuously supplied through the top of the furnace, while air is blown into the bottom of the chamber, so that the chemical reactions...
was used at the Edgar Thomson Steel Works
Edgar Thomson Steel Works
The Edgar Thomson Steel Works is a steel mill in North Braddock, Pennsylvania. It is active since 1872.-History :The mill occupies the historic site of Braddock's Field, on the banks of the Monongahela River east of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
.
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 |
Government
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:
- US Senator - Bob Casey -
- US Senator - Pat Toomey -
- US Congress District 14 - Mike Doyle
- State Governor - Tom Corbett
- State Senator District 45 - Jim Brewster
- State Representative District 34 - Paul Costa
- Allegheny County Council District 8 - Dr. Charles Martoni
- Woodland Hills School Board Region 6 - Robert Tomasic (Ward 1, Ward 2)
- Woodland Hills School Board Region 3 - Robert Clanagan (Ward 3)
- Magisterial District 05-2-47 - Honorable Scott H. Schricker
| 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) |
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
! Borough Administration
|-
! Title !! Phone Contact
|-
| Animal Control - Ken Ferree ||
|-
| Code Enforcement - David Andrews ||
|-
| Engineer - Glenn Engineering ||
|-
| Fire Chief - Anthony Rydzak ||
|-
| Manager - Douglas Marguriet ||
|-
| Mayor - Thomas Whyel ||
|-
| Police Chief - Dean Bazzone ||
|-
| Public Safety - Henry Wiehagen ||
|-
| Public Works - Charles Nigro ||
|-
| Solicitor - John Bacharach ||
|-
| Tax Collector - Diane Tomasic ||
|}
Services
North Braddock offers services to the borough residents with an annual budget of over $2.8 million.- Allegheny County 911 - Allegheny County 911 handles all emergency call taking for the borough and dispatches both police, fire, and ems to all emergency calls. Only use 911 for emergencies, contact the borough building for non emergency business. Police/Fire/Ambulance Emergency 911
- Animal Control - The borough contracts an outside company Ferree Kennels based from McKeesport to handle animal problems within the borough.
- Braddock Carnegie Library - The Braddock Carnegie LibraryCarnegie LibraryCarnegie Library, Carnegie Public Library, Carnegie Free Library, Carnegie Free Public Library, Andrew Carnegie Library, Andrew Carnegie Free Library or Carnegie Library Building may refer to any of the following Carnegie libraries:- California :*Carnegie Library , listed on the National Register...
built by Andrew CarnegieAndrew CarnegieAndrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and entrepreneur who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century...
is located nearby in BraddockBraddock-Places:England* Braddock, Cornwall** Battle of Braddock Down, 1643Antarctica* Braddock NunataksCanada* Braddock, Saskatchewan* Braddock Lake, a reservoirUnited States* Braddock, North Dakota* Braddock, Pennsylvania...
and can be used by residents as a valuable resource.
- Code Enforcement Office - A code enforcement officer handles all borough building codes, issues permits, and enforces borough ordinances. The officer works alongside the police department with issuing warnings and fines for violations. The code enforcement office is in the borough building and available during normal weekday hours.
- EMS Service - 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.
- Fire Department - Fire and rescue services are provided by the North Braddock Volunteer Fire Department. The department is staffed by volunteers overseen by a chief and president. 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 (2 engines, 1 rescue, 1 service, and 1 squad).
- Manager's Office - The borough employs a borough manager, part time secretary, solicitor, and engineer. The borough manager has normal Monday-Friday business hours and can be contacted with borough administrative issues.
- Mayor's Office - The borough has an elected mayor and nine elected council seats who make up the legislative body of the borough. The mayor is a part time position and can be contacted with issues and concerns.
- Parks & Recreation - A number of parks are available including the Brinton Avenue playground and Verona Street playground. A basketball court is accessible on Bowers Street. The General Braddock housing plan also provides a small playground for its neighborhood youth. The parks are open daily and used by residents for recreation.
- Police Department - The police department is staffed with certified Act 120 officers. A public safety director, chief, and sergeant lead the borough police department. A police secretary handles daytime non emergency calls and records paperwork. The department utilizes four equipped vehicles for patrol (2 Ford Explorers and 2 Ford Crown Victorias).
- Public Works - The borough public works consists of five full time men with a director and four laborers. These men provide a number of services including winter road treatment, park maintenance, road repair, landscaping, and other public services. Staff utilize a number of vehicles including 3 dump trucks, 2 pickup trucks, and 1 backhoe for assigned tasks.
- Tax Collection Office- The borough employs a part time elected tax collector to handle borough tax issues.
- Trash & Recycling - Currently the Allied Waste company based from Carnegie is contracted for all curb side trash and recycling pickup. Trash is picked up every Tuesday and recycling is picked up the first Tuesday of every month unless otherwise noted.
- Utilities - North Braddock is served by Duquesne Light, the Wilkinsburg Penn Joint Water Authority, Equitable Gas, and ALCOSAN.
Events
- Council Meeting - North Braddock council meets the third Tuesday of every month starting at 6:30pm with their work session and the council meeting following around 7:00pm.
- Neighborhood Watch - The first Monday of each month residents meet at 7:00pm to discuss neighborhood crime and safety issues. The concept is to watch and look out for one another and work together with the police department on reporting any activity to keep a safe community.
- Community Days - The NBVFD and borough hold a two day community event in July at the North Braddock Heights Field consisting of music, food, games, raffles, and parade in which proceeds all go towards the NBVFD.
- Clean Up Days - Each spring and fall volunteers come out on a Saturday to cleanup the streets of trash and debris. The next clean up day will be Saturday October 8, 2011 taking place 8:00am - 12:00pm.
- NBVFD Fish Fry - Every lent season the fire department holds a fish fry held on Wolfe Avenue offering famous fish sandwiches and other food.
- Trick or Treat/Trunk or Treat - Trick or treat and trunk or treat will be held for the Halloween holiday. The trunk or treat event will be on October 31st 5:00-7:00 at the borough building lot where participants hand out candy from their decorated vehicle trunks. Trick or treat will be on October 31st 5:00-7:00 for door to door trick or treaters.
- Holiday Festival/Light Up Night - Every December a holiday festival and light up night is held at the borough building to kick off the holiday season. The borough building is illuminated in lights, refreshments are served, crafts and games are held for children, and special visit comes from Santa.
- Slippery Rock Care Program - Volunteer college students from Slippery Rock University, community groups, and residents come together yearly for community service projects. BraddockBraddock-Places:England* Braddock, Cornwall** Battle of Braddock Down, 1643Antarctica* Braddock NunataksCanada* Braddock, Saskatchewan* Braddock Lake, a reservoirUnited States* Braddock, North Dakota* Braddock, Pennsylvania...
and Turtle CreekTurtle Creek-Streams:Canada*Turtle Creek , a tributary of the Petitcodiac RiverUnited States*Turtle Creek , a tributary of the Cedar River*Turtle Creek , a tributary of the Mullica River...
borough are also two other communities involved with the Slippery Rock University volunteer partnership. The next care break is scheduled for November 4th-6th, 2011.
Landmarks and Business
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! Churches
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| Holy Temple Church of God in Christ (609 Jones Avenue)
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| Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses (1549 Bell Avenue)
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| Muhleman Memorial Methodist Church (Grandview Avenue & Willow Street)
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| Presentation of Christ Greek Orthodox Church (1575 Electric Avenue)
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| Word & Worship Church (1200 Wolfe Avenue)
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{| class="wikitable"
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! Golf Course
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| Grandview Golf Club (1000 Clubhouse Drive)
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! Housing
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| General Braddock Park Plan (General Braddock Drive, Parklane Drive, & Ridgeview Drive)
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| General Braddock Towers (620 Sixth Street)
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| North Braddock Heights Housing Association (Mary Street)
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| Shady Park Place (415 Lobinger Avenue)
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{| class="wikitable"
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! Landmarks
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| Benjamin Fairless School (531 Jones Avenue)
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| Braddock Cemetery (Locust Street)
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| Braddock's Field (Jones Avenue & Surrounding Area)
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| Braddock Locks & Dam (Eleventh Street & Monongahela River)
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| Charles M. Schwab Mansion (Jones Avenue)
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| Dookers Hollow Bridge (Bell Avenue & Center Street)
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| North Braddock Borough Building (600 Anderson Street)
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| North Braddock Fire Station #1 (1318 Wolfe Avenue)
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| North Braddock Fire Station #2 (600 Anderson Street)
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| North Braddock Heights Field (Wolfe Avenue & Locust Street)
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| Scott High Field (Bell Avenue & Jones Avenue)
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| Tassey Hollow Bridge (Hawkins Avenue & Woodstock Avenue)
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{| class="wikitable"
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! Parks
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| Bowers Street Basketball Court (Bowers Street at Ridge Avenue)
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| Brinton Avenue Playground (1400 Block Brinton Avenue)
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| General Braddock Park Playground (Ridgeview Drive)
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| North Braddock Heights Basketball Court (Mary Street at Erma Street)
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| Verona Street Playground (Verona Street & Bell Avenue)
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Notable people
North Braddock has had a number of notable people that grew up in the community in which include the following list of men.{| class="wikitable"
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! Notable People
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| Steve Breaston
Steve Breaston
Steven William Breaston is an American football wide receiver and punt returner for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cardinals in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
- NFL wide receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
who was a standout player at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
and Woodland Hills High School
Woodland Hills High School
Woodland Hills High School is a secondary school teaching students in the grades for the Woodland Hills School District located in Churchill, Pennsylvania. It is the result of a 1981 court-ordered desegregation merger. Before the merger the building was the location of the Churchill Area High...
|-
| Mark Gefert - Graduate of North Braddock Scott High School and Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
; All Big-Ten linebacker 1973; 8th round draft pick in the 1974 National Football League Draft of the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
|-
| Wes Lyons
Wes Lyons
Wes Lyons is an American football wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League...
- NFL and Arena League wide receiver who produced at Woodland Hills High School
Woodland Hills High School
Woodland Hills High School is a secondary school teaching students in the grades for the Woodland Hills School District located in Churchill, Pennsylvania. It is the result of a 1981 court-ordered desegregation merger. Before the merger the building was the location of the Churchill Area High...
and West Virginia University
West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
as a tall target wide receiver
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| Coley McDonough
Coley McDonough
Coleman Regis "Coley" McDonough was a professional American football quarterback in the National Football League. He played four seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Chicago Cardinals. In 1944 McDonough also played for "Card-Pitt", a team that was the result of a temporary merger between...
- NFL quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
and Chicago Cardinals
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| Lousaka Polite
Lousaka Polite
Lousaka Romon Polite is an American football fullback who is currently a free agent of the National Football League. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football at Pittsburgh.Polite has also played for the Chicago Bears...
- NFL fullback, star at the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
and Woodland Hills High School
Woodland Hills High School
Woodland Hills High School is a secondary school teaching students in the grades for the Woodland Hills School District located in Churchill, Pennsylvania. It is the result of a 1981 court-ordered desegregation merger. Before the merger the building was the location of the Churchill Area High...
|-
| Bill Priatko - NFL linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
who attended the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
and North Braddock Scott High School
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| Fran Rogel
Fran Rogel
Francis Stephen Rogel was an American football fullback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL.-Collegiate career:...
- NFL fullback for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
and standout player at Penn State University and North Braddock Scott High School
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| Benjamin L. Rosenbloom
Benjamin L. Rosenbloom
Benjamin Louis Rosenbloom was a United States Representative from West Virginia, born in Braddock, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, June 3, 1880. Rosenbloom attended the public schools and graduated from the North Braddock High School, attended West Virginia University at Morgantown, studied law,...
- graduate of North Braddock High School and West Virginia University
West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
who practiced law and became a US Representative for West Virginia
|}
Geography
North Braddock is located at 40°24′18"N 79°51′23"W (40.405025, -79.856500). It occupies a slope of terrain between BraddockBraddock, 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...
, which touches the Monongahela River
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 East Pittsburgh
East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
East Pittsburgh is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, about 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...
, which occupies the highest ground.
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 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²), of which 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²), or 3.75%, is water.
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 6,410 people, 2,631 households, and 1,681 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 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
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 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
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, 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
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 $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.