The Wilmerding Corporation of Pennsylvania



    In the year 1890, the Westinghouse Air Brake plant was moved from the old City of Allegheny (now North Side, Pittsburgh) to Wilmerding, 14 miles east on the main line of the Pennsylvania Railroad. The land now occupied by Wilmerding was originally purchased by George Westinghouse and later deeded to the East Pittsburgh Improvement Company in 1889. In this same year lots were purchased by the Westinghouse Air Brake Company from the East Pittsburgh Improvement Company. John F. Miller was appointed real estate manager.

At that time there was only one building on the present site of the town and it was apparent that it would be necessary to provide housing facilities for the hundreds of employees who would give up their homes in Pittsburgh and Allegheny to follow the industry to its new location.

    This need resulted in the inauguration of a comprehensive home building plan, which was put into operation immediately and from this plan the present Borough of Wilmerding became a reality. The addition of streets, blocks, lots, sewers, water lines, etc., to the rough topography of the Westinghouse Valley in building this town was indeed a large project at that time.

The houses were well designed and in order to deviate from the monotony of industrial housing, a pleasing variety of types of five, six and seven-room
houses were adopted which gave a choice of homes suited to the needs of the various sized families. Practically, all of the houses erected during that period are standing today, and without exception, they are practically as staunch and serviceable as in the beginning.

    Private business enterprises were attracted by the establishment of this industrial activity, many owners of stores and business properties also built their homes in Wilmerding. As a result of this extensive program, a thriving, prosperous Borough quickly transformed the former countryside into an attractive town. However, the Westinghouse Air Brake Company erected more than half the houses built at this time and offered them to the employees either by sale on an agreement plan of payments within the financial resources of the purchaser, or the employees were given an opportunity to rent at a nominal figure sufficient to cover fixed charges only.

    The sale of houses to employees was announced by the Westinghouse Air Brake Company in a booklet entitled "Homes at Wilmerding," dated February 26, 1890, a second edition of which was issued September 24, 1890.

 

    The construction of homes and commercial buildings progressed at such a rapid pace that in ten years practically no building lots remained available on the South Side of the Turtle creek. The Westinghouse Air Brake Company decided to extend building operations to the North Side of Turtle creek and during 1898-1900 erected single and double brick homes and six and twenty-family apartment buildings, occupying land a half mile long. In 1918, when mores homes were needed, the Westinghouse Air Brake Company purchased a large tract of land known as Mellon Plan, in Patton Township, overlooking Wilmerding. Fifty modern bungalow type one and one-half story, four and five-room houses were erected. North of this plan, across a ravine, on what is now known as Boyd Hill, there were also constructed 49 homes of three, four and five rooms, for the exclusive occupancy of colored employees.

    In 1901, the Westinghouse Air Brake Company purchased the Glen Hotel on Marguerite Avenue for the purpose of providing for unmarried male employees of the engineering department and general office. The building was renamed the Tonnaleuka Club, for the famous Indian chief.

    The construction, sale, rental and maintenance of houses were handled by the real estate division of the Westinghouse Air Brake Company until 1919 when, the Westinghouse Air Brake Home Building Company was organized under charter granted January 6, 1919, to take over these activities. In September, 1938 the Westinghouse Air Brake Home Building Company was succeeded by the WILMERDING CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA, both being subsidiaries of the Westinghouse Air Brake.

DIRECTORS

John Nalevanko, Chairman

Joe Castagnola

Geraldine Homitz

Bert McConomy


Wilmerding Renewed, Inc.

325 Commerce Street

Wilmerding, PA 15148

Phone: 412.825.3000