Point Breeze, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Point Breeze, or South Point Breeze, is a largely residential neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
, USA
.
It is adjacent to the Pittsburgh neighborhoods of Regent Square
, Squirrel Hill
, Shadyside
, and North Point Breeze
, and the borough of Wilkinsburg
. It includes the neighborhood of Park Place. Like nearby Squirrel Hill it boasts a large Jewish population, but is still majority Catholic
and contributes to a high percentage of students enrolled in Taylor Allderdice High School
and Central Catholic High School (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
.
The most prominent feature of Point Breeze is Henry Clay Frick
's Clayton, which is a part of the 5 acres (20,234.3 m²) Frick Art & Historical Center
. Nearby is St. Bede School, a Catholic school, and the Pittsburgh New Church School. It is also the home to a popular Pittsburgh Public Schools
elementary school, Linden Academy, the Sterrett Middle School, Westinghouse Park
, Mellon Park
, and the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary
. The Shady Side Academy
Junior School is also located in Point Breeze.
Point Breeze's claim to literary fame is due to Pulitzer Prize
winner Annie Dillard
's popular memoir
, An American Childhood, set in Point Breeze in the 1950s. As a child she attended Park Place Elementary School
, a Pittsburgh Public School
on South Braddock Avenue, which is currently a charter school. Both of John Edgar Wideman
's memoirs, Brothers and Keepers and Hoop Roots, use North Point Breeze's Westinghouse Park
as a setting, as well as in his fictional Homewood Trilogy.
Although officially distinct neighborhoods separated by Penn Avenue
, "Point Breeze" is also frequently taken to include North Point Breeze
.
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...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
It is adjacent to the Pittsburgh neighborhoods of Regent Square
Regent Square (Pittsburgh)
Regent Square is a distinct neighborhood in the East End of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. According to the , it is "a neighborhood that includes portions of the municipalities of Pittsburgh, Edgewood, Swissvale and Wilkinsburg", though traditionalists associate the neighborhood exclusively with the...
, Squirrel Hill
Squirrel Hill
Squirrel Hill is a residential neighborhood in the east end of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The city officially divides it into two neighborhoods, Squirrel Hill North and Squirrel Hill South, but it is almost universally treated as a single neighborhood...
, Shadyside
Shadyside (Pittsburgh)
Shadyside is a neighborhood in the East End of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It has zip codes of both 15232 and 15206, and has representation on Pittsburgh City Council by the council member for District 8...
, and North Point Breeze
North Point Breeze
North Point Breeze is a neighborhood in the East End of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It has a zip code of 15208, and representation on Pittsburgh City Council by the council member for District 9 ....
, and 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...
. It includes the neighborhood of Park Place. Like nearby Squirrel Hill it boasts a large Jewish population, but is still majority Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
and contributes to a high percentage of students enrolled in Taylor Allderdice High School
Taylor Allderdice High School
Taylor Allderdice High School, also referred to by the Pittsburgh Public Schools as “Pittsburgh Allderdice” or informally by students as "Dice", is a public high school located in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh’s East End. Allderdice is the "largest of the Pittsburgh Public Schools'...
and Central Catholic High School (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
Central Catholic High School (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
Central Catholic High School is a Roman Catholic college preparatory school for boys in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a part of the Diocese of Pittsburgh and is administrated and partially staffed by the Brothers of the Christian Schools....
.
The most prominent feature of Point Breeze is Henry Clay Frick
Henry Clay Frick
Henry Clay Frick was an American industrialist, financier, and art patron. He founded the H. C. Frick & Company coke manufacturing company, was chairman of the Carnegie Steel Company, and played a major role in the formation of the giant U.S. Steel steel manufacturing concern...
's Clayton, which is a part of the 5 acres (20,234.3 m²) Frick Art & Historical Center
Frick Art & Historical Center
The Frick Art & Historical Center is a cluster of museums and historical buildings located at 7227 Reynolds Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States and collectively known as "Clayton"...
. Nearby is St. Bede School, a Catholic school, and the Pittsburgh New Church School. It is also the home to a popular Pittsburgh Public Schools
Pittsburgh Public Schools
Pittsburgh Public Schools is the public school district in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA and adjacent Mount Oliver.The combined land area of these municipalities is with a population of 342,503 according to the 2000 census. In August 2005, the superintendent became Mark Roosevelt. His tenure ends...
elementary school, Linden Academy, the Sterrett Middle School, Westinghouse Park
Westinghouse Park
Westinghouse Park is a small municipal park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.The park's lands are the site of the former mansion, "Solitude", which was home to George Westinghouse, an American entrepreneur and engineer....
, Mellon Park
Mellon Park
Mellon Park is a park in the Shadyside and Point Breeze neighborhoods of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at the corner of Fifth and Shady Avenues, beside the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts building. The park is home to the Walled Garden, and holds events throughout the year. It is also home to several...
, and the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary
Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary
The Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary is a seminary located in Point Breeze, Pennsylvania, United States. RPTS is a ministry of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America and was founded in 1810, making it the fifth oldest seminary in the United States.-Mission and Emphasis:RPTS's...
. The Shady Side Academy
Shady Side Academy
Shady Side Academy is a private, secular coeducational PK-12 preparatory school located on three campuses in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, established in 1883.- Campuses :Shady Side Academy has three campuses in Pittsburgh....
Junior School is also located in Point Breeze.
Point Breeze's claim to literary fame is due to Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
winner Annie Dillard
Annie Dillard
Annie Dillard is an American author, best known for her narrative prose in both fiction and non-fiction. She has published works of poetry, essays, prose, and literary criticism, as well as two novels and one memoir. Her 1974 work Pilgrim at Tinker Creek won the 1974 Pulitzer Prize for General...
's popular memoir
Memoir
A memoir , is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below...
, An American Childhood, set in Point Breeze in the 1950s. As a child she attended Park Place Elementary School
Park Place School
The Park Place School in the Point Breeze neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is a building from 1903. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986....
, a Pittsburgh Public School
Pittsburgh Public Schools
Pittsburgh Public Schools is the public school district in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA and adjacent Mount Oliver.The combined land area of these municipalities is with a population of 342,503 according to the 2000 census. In August 2005, the superintendent became Mark Roosevelt. His tenure ends...
on South Braddock Avenue, which is currently a charter school. Both of John Edgar Wideman
John Edgar Wideman
John Edgar Wideman is an American writer, professor at Brown University, and sits on the contributing editorial board of the literary journal Conjunctions.-Early life:...
's memoirs, Brothers and Keepers and Hoop Roots, use North Point Breeze's Westinghouse Park
Westinghouse Park
Westinghouse Park is a small municipal park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.The park's lands are the site of the former mansion, "Solitude", which was home to George Westinghouse, an American entrepreneur and engineer....
as a setting, as well as in his fictional Homewood Trilogy.
Although officially distinct neighborhoods separated by Penn Avenue
Penn Avenue
Penn Avenue is a major arterial street in Pittsburgh. Its western terminus lies at Gateway Center in downtown Pittsburgh. For its westernmost ten blocks it serves as the core of the Cultural District with such attractions as Heinz Hall, the Benedum Center and the Byham Theater as well as the...
, "Point Breeze" is also frequently taken to include North Point Breeze
North Point Breeze
North Point Breeze is a neighborhood in the East End of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It has a zip code of 15208, and representation on Pittsburgh City Council by the council member for District 9 ....
.