HISTORY OF WILMERDING



    The Borough of Wilmerding, incorporated March 8, 1890, was formed out of portions of the Townships of North Versailles and Patton. Wilmerding is situated in the Turtle Creek Valley, about 14 miles east of Pittsburgh, within the County of Allegheny. The boundary lines of the Borough form an approximate triangle. Wilmerding is divided into two parts of approximately equal area by the Turtle creek, which flows from east to west through the borough. The two natural divisions of the Borough are commonly known as the North Side and South Side.


    It was not until 1887 when George Westinghouse, inventor of the air brake, decided to move the Westinghouse Air Brake works, then located in Allegheny City, to the Turtle Creek Valley. This move made the valley the center of the future Westinghouse industrial operations which is when the real development of the Turtle Creek Valley began. Much of the credit for influencing Westinghouse to make this move must be given to John F. Miller, a native of the valley, who later became the active agent in the development of the Borough and never

lost his desire to promote its welfare. After having made his decision, Westinghouse, with characteristic energy perfected his plans, and in the latter part of 1887 and early part of 1888 purchased various tracts of land in the Turtle Creek Valley. This acreage consisted of about 500 acres, and included the greater portion of what is now the Boroughs of Wilmerding, East Pittsburgh and a portion of Turtle Creek.


    Two or three years prior to the Westinghouse purchase, the Pennsylvania Railroad Company established a flag stop station which was located on a portion of the Osborne Farm, about opposite the Station Street entrance to Herman Avenue located on the northerly side of the railroad tracks. At the suggestion of Robert Pitcairn, then superintendent of the Pittsburgh Division of the Pennsylvania Railroad, this station was called “Wilmerding,” for Joanna Wilmerding (Bruce) Negley, wife of William B. Negley, one of the former owners of the Osborne Farm. It was from this station that the Borough of Wilmerding later took its corporate title.

     

    In December of 1888, the East Pittsburgh Improvement Company, a real estate corporation, was incorporated for the purpose of developing the Westinghouse purchases. On February 25, 1889, Mr. Westinghouse conveyed to the East Pittsburgh Improvement Company the various tracts purchased by him, except certain portions previously conveyed to the Westinghouse Air Brake Company as a factory site and to the Pennsylvania Railroad Company for railroad purposes.





    Early in 1889 ground was broken and construction of the Westinghouse Air Brake works commenced. In March of the same year the East Pittsburgh Improvement Company adopted and recorded its first plan of Wilmerding, and began the work of grading and paving streets, laying sewer lines and constructing sidewalks. W. W. Fortune was the engineer in charge of laying out the first plan of Wilmerding and later became the first borough engineer of Wilmerding.


    In June of 1889 the sale of lots began. Among the first purchasers of the lots was the Westinghouse Air Brake Company, which purchased 150 lots, located principally on Sprague Street, Card Avenue, Caldwell Avenue, Marguerite Avenue and Welsh Avenue. At this point the Air Brake gave contracts for the erection of dwelling houses thereon, the construction of which began in the Fall of 1889. These houses, most of which are still standing, were roomy, well constructed frame buildings, having all improvements which the times afforded and were considered model dwellings for an industrial community. Many private individuals and investors also bought lots and began construction of houses and business buildings so that beginning with the fall of 1889 and continuing throughout the years of 1890 and 1891 Wilmerding experienced a season of building activity such as few communities had previously known. During the year 1890 construction of the Air Brake works was completed and the plant moved to Wilmerding.

DIRECTORS

John Nalevanko, Chairman

Joe Castagnola

Geraldine Homitz

Bert McConomy


Wilmerding Renewed, Inc.

325 Commerce Street

Wilmerding, PA 15148

Phone: 412.825.3000