- North Braddock, Pennsylvania
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North Braddock Borough 
Welcome SignOfficial name: Borough of North Braddock Named for: Edward Braddock Country United States State Pennsylvania County Allegheny Landmark Edgar Thomson Steel Works (1873) River Monongahela River Coordinates 40°24′18″N 79°51′23″W / 40.405°N 79.85639°W Area 1.6 sq mi (4 km2) Population 4,857 (2010) Density 3,036 / sq mi (1,172 / km2) Founded 1897 Mayor Thomas Whyel (D) Timezone EST - summer (DST) EDT ZIP code 15104 Area code 412 School District Woodland Hills 
Location within Pennsylvania
Location within Allegheny CountyNorth 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 (18 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,[1] 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.
Contents
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 Lenape 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 (1.33 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 (1.33 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.
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) 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 Library built by Andrew Carnegie is located nearby in Braddock 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. Braddock and Turtle Creek 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
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) Golf Course Grandview Golf Club (1000 Clubhouse Drive) 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) 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) 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) 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.
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 Geography
North Braddock is located at 40°24′18″N 79°51′23″W / 40.405°N 79.85639°W (40.405025, -79.856500).[2] It occupies a slope of terrain between Braddock, 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 miles (0.26 km2), or 3.75%, is water.
Demographics
As of the census[3] 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.[citation needed]
References
- ^ "Race, Hispanic or Latino, Age, and Housing Occupancy: 2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File (QT-PL), North Braddock borough, Pennsylvania". U.S. Census Bureau, American FactFinder 2. http://factfinder2.census.gov. Retrieved September 21, 2011.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
External links
- Scott High School
- Turtle Creek Valley COG
- County Borough Profile
- Borough Data
- Grandview Golf Club
- Woodland Hills School District
- Our Towns: North Braddock
- #1 Cochran Roots In North Braddock
- North Braddock Millionaire
- Priority One EMS
- Enterprise Zone Corporation of Braddock
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Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
Categories:- Populated places established in 1897
- Pittsburgh metropolitan area
- Boroughs in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
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