Pitcairn, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Pitcairn is a borough in Allegheny County
, Pennsylvania
, 15 miles (24.1 km) east of Pittsburgh. Early in the 20th century, it was the site of large railroad yards and shops that employed nearly ten thousand men. The population increased from 2,601 in 1900 to 6,310 in 1940, but has since declined. The population was 3,689 at the 2010 census.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the borough has a total area of 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 3,689 people, 1,675 households, and 911 families residing in the borough. The population density
was 6,892.2 people per square mile (2,637.6/km2). There were 1,901 housing units at an average density of 3,551.7 per square mile (1,359.2/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 98.10% White, 0.43% African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.41% Asian, 0.05% from other races
, and 0.89% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.54% of the population.
There were 1,675 households out of which 24.7 percent had children under the age of eighteen living with them, 35.9 percent were married couples
living together, 13.8 percent had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.6 percent were non-families. Of all households, 39.3 percent were made up of individuals, and 14.6 percent had someone living alone who was sixty-five years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the borough the population was spread out with 22.2 percent under the age of eighteen, 9.8 percent from eighteen to twenty-four, 30.7 percent from twenty-five to forty-four, 21.3 percent from forty-five to sixty-four, and 16 percent who were sixty-five years of age or older. The median age was thirty-seven years. For every 100 females there were 90.9 males. For every 100 females age eighteen and over, there were 90.4 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $25,688, and the median income for a family was $34,226. Males had a median income of $30,637 versus $21,312 for females. The per capita income
for the borough was $14,785. About 7.2 percent of families and 12 percent of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.6 percent of those under age eighteen and 12.0 percent of those age sixty-five or over.
and of musical instrument maker Carl Thompson, as well as early NFL football
player Harry Robb
. Pitcairn was also the birthplace of Dewees "Cutty" Cutshall, a trombonist who played with the Jan Savitt orchestra, Benny Goodman Band, Eddie Condon Band, and an original member of the Larson/Haggart "World's Greatest Jazz Band". His base was out of New York where he made countless records and also played at the world famous Rainbow Room.
, later the Penn Central Railroad and Conrail, is now, since the 1990s, an intermodal freight transport
yard for the Norfolk Southern Railway
, where containers are taken off trains and transferred to trucks for delivery, or from trucks to trains.
In 1971 the first Fox's Pizza Den
was opened on Broadway Boulevard in Pitcairn. It remains open to this day.
Pitcairn operates its own power distribution system and municipally owned Government-access television (GATV) cable television
system.
, a public school district with a student population of 4,300.
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...
, 15 miles (24.1 km) east of Pittsburgh. Early in the 20th century, it was the site of large railroad yards and shops that employed nearly ten thousand men. The population increased from 2,601 in 1900 to 6,310 in 1940, but has since declined. The population was 3,689 at the 2010 census.
Geography
Pitcairn is located at 40.405768°N 79.776434°W (40.405768, -79.776434).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 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²), all of it land.
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 3,689 people, 1,675 households, and 911 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 6,892.2 people per square mile (2,637.6/km2). There were 1,901 housing units at an average density of 3,551.7 per square mile (1,359.2/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 98.10% White, 0.43% African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.41% Asian, 0.05% 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 0.89% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.54% of the population.
There were 1,675 households out of which 24.7 percent had children under the age of eighteen living with them, 35.9 percent 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, 13.8 percent had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.6 percent were non-families. Of all households, 39.3 percent were made up of individuals, and 14.6 percent had someone living alone who was sixty-five years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the borough the population was spread out with 22.2 percent under the age of eighteen, 9.8 percent from eighteen to twenty-four, 30.7 percent from twenty-five to forty-four, 21.3 percent from forty-five to sixty-four, and 16 percent who were sixty-five years of age or older. The median age was thirty-seven years. For every 100 females there were 90.9 males. For every 100 females age eighteen and over, there were 90.4 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $25,688, and the median income for a family was $34,226. Males had a median income of $30,637 versus $21,312 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 $14,785. About 7.2 percent of families and 12 percent of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.6 percent of those under age eighteen and 12.0 percent of those age sixty-five or over.
Notable inhabitants
Pitcairn was the birthplace of bandleader Ted WeemsTed Weems
Wilfred Theodore Weems was an American bandleader and musician. Weems' work in music was recognized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.- Biography :...
and of musical instrument maker Carl Thompson, as well as early NFL football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player Harry Robb
Harry Robb
Harry Duplein Robb was an American football player and coach during the 1920s. He was born in Pitcairn, Pennsylvania and attended Peabody High School in Pittsburgh. Upon his high school graduation, he attended college at both Penn State University and Columbia University...
. Pitcairn was also the birthplace of Dewees "Cutty" Cutshall, a trombonist who played with the Jan Savitt orchestra, Benny Goodman Band, Eddie Condon Band, and an original member of the Larson/Haggart "World's Greatest Jazz Band". His base was out of New York where he made countless records and also played at the world famous Rainbow Room.
Economic activity
Pitcairn Yard, which opened in 1892 and was for many decades a major switching yard of the Pennsylvania RailroadPennsylvania 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....
, later the Penn Central Railroad and Conrail, is now, since the 1990s, an intermodal freight transport
Intermodal freight transport
Intermodal freight transport involves the transportation of freight in an intermodal container or vehicle, using multiple modes of transportation , without any handling of the freight itself when changing modes. The method reduces cargo handling, and so improves security, reduces damages and...
yard for the Norfolk Southern Railway
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
, where containers are taken off trains and transferred to trucks for delivery, or from trucks to trains.
In 1971 the first Fox's Pizza Den
Fox's Pizza Den
Fox's Pizza Den is a pizzeria chain based in Murrysville, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded in 1971 by Jim Fox in Pitcairn, Pennsylvania, and currently has more than 300 locations in 28 U.S. states, all franchise-owned....
was opened on Broadway Boulevard in Pitcairn. It remains open to this day.
Pitcairn operates its own power distribution system and municipally owned Government-access television (GATV) cable television
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
system.
Education
K-12 students in Pitcairn are served by the Gateway School DistrictGateway School District
The Gateway School District is a large, suburban, public school district located in Monroeville, Pennsylvania. It also serves residents of Pitcairn. Gateway School District encompasses approximately 19 square miles. Per the 2000 federal census data, the district serves a resident population of...
, a public school district with a student population of 4,300.