Upper St. Clair is a
township
A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries.
Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Ca ...
with
home rule status in southern
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Allegheny County () is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in Southwestern Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,250,578, making it the state's second-most populous county, following Philadelphia Co ...
, situated about 8 miles (13 km) south of
Downtown Pittsburgh
Downtown Pittsburgh, colloquially referred to as the Golden Triangle, and officially the Central Business District, is the urban downtown center of Pittsburgh. It is located at the confluence of the Allegheny River and the Monongahela River whose ...
. It is known for being an affluent suburb with a nationally recognized school district. As of the
2010 census, the township population was 19,229.
Around 9% of the township's area is dedicated to 14 parks and multiple fields, totaling approximately 733 acres. The township has six borders with neighboring communities, including
South Fayette Township to the west,
Bridgeville to the northwest,
Scott Township and
Mt. Lebanon to the north,
Bethel Park
Bethel Park, officially the Municipality of Bethel Park, is a borough with home rule status in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, located approximately southwest of Pittsburgh. The po ...
to the east, and
Peters Township in
Washington County to the south.
Etymology
St. Clair Township was named after General
Arthur St. Clair
Arthur St. Clair ( – August 31, 1818) was a Scottish-American soldier and politician. Born in Thurso, Scotland, he served in the British Army during the French and Indian War before settling in Pennsylvania, where he held local office. During ...
of Revolutionary War fame, the 9th President of the
United States in Congress Assembled
The Congress of the Confederation, or the Confederation Congress, formally referred to as the United States in Congress Assembled, was the governing body of the United States of America during the Confederation period, March 1, 1781 – Mar ...
. Under his administration as president from February 2, 1787, to October 29, 1787, the
Northwest Ordinance
The Northwest Ordinance (formally An Ordinance for the Government of the Territory of the United States, North-West of the River Ohio and also known as the Ordinance of 1787), enacted July 13, 1787, was an organic act of the Congress of the Co ...
and
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the Supremacy Clause, supreme law of the United States, United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, in 1789. Originally comprising seven ar ...
of 1787 were passed.
[* ]
History
The first European settler in present-day Upper St. Clair was John Fife, who settled near what is now the intersection of Washington and McLaughlin Run roads in 1762.
St. Clair was one of the original townships of
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Allegheny County () is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in Southwestern Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,250,578, making it the state's second-most populous county, following Philadelphia Co ...
at the county's creation in 1788. In 1836, the St. Clair Township was divided into two separate townships, Upper St. Clair and
Lower St. Clair. The residents of Upper St. Clair formed their township to ensure better government service that could be obtained by separating from the more densely populated northern part of the township. Upper St. Clair Township was further subdivided throughout the 19th and 20th centuries as several parts of the original township separated to form new townships and
boroughs
A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.
History
In the Middle Ag ...
. In 1973, Upper St. Clair Township adopted a home rule charter that took effect on January 5, 1976, and is no longer governed by the Pennsylvania Township Code.
[Pennsylvania Cod]
Title 302, Section 25.1–101 ''et seq.''
/ref>
The Whiskey Rebellion
The Whiskey Rebellion (also known as the Whiskey Insurrection) was a violent tax protest in the United States beginning in 1791 and ending in 1794 during the presidency of George Washington. The so-called "whiskey tax" was the first tax impo ...
of 1794 had its roots in Upper St. Clair.
Formed as a volunteer militia company in 1844 by residents of the township, the "St. Clair Guards" later became Company H of the 62nd Pennsylvania Infantry
The 62nd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.
Service
The 62nd Pennsylvania Infantry was organized at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania beginning July 4, 1861 and mustered ...
.
The community was home to several mines beginning in the late 19th century. Freehold Real Estate Co. built the first major residential development in March 1913 along Washington Road, which at the time was conveniently close to streetcar service.
Today, the community has many fashionable homes and is considered one of the wealthiest suburbs of Pittsburgh. The township has also gained fame as being a filming location for the movie ''The Perks of Being a Wallflower''.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the township is located at . It has a total area of , of which 0.10% is water.
Education
Upper St. Clair is served by a namesake public school district, consisting of three elementary schools (Baker, Eisenhower, and Streams), two middle schools (Boyce and Fort Couch), and a single Upper St. Clair High School
Upper St. Clair High School (USCHS) is a public secondary school in Upper St. Clair Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania and the sole high school within Upper St. Clair School District, the township's namesake ...
. In addition, a church named for St. Louise de Marillac hosts a private Catholic-affiliated school serving from Pre-K to 8th grade. A K-8 school for students with special needs known as the Wesley School also operates within the township.
Demographics
As of the census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000
File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
, there were 20,053 people, 6,966 households, and 5,823 families residing in the township. The population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 2,055.7 people per square mile (794.1/km2). There were 7,091 housing units at an average density of 726.9/sq mi (280.8/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 93.79% White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 0.18% African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.02% Native American, 4.02% Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.02% Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 0.07% from other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 0.62% from two or more races
2 (two) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. It is the smallest and only even prime number. Because it forms the basis of a duality, it has religious and spiritual significance in many cultur ...
. Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
people of any race were 0.78% of the population.
There were 6,966 households, out of which 60.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 76.3% were married couples living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.4% were non-families. 15.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the township the population was spread out, with 28.3% under the age of 18, 4.3% from 18 to 24, 22.6% from 25 to 44, 28.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 93.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.1 males.
Government and politics
The structure of Upper St. Clair is a managerial government along with an elected Board of Commissioners consisting of seven members. In a Commission/Manager form of government, the main responsibility of the Board of Commissioner is to function as a policy-making body of government, while the managerial body is responsible for the administrative functions of the Township.
Matthew R. Serakowski is the current Township Manager and Mark S. Mansfield is the current Assistant Township Manager. The elected Board of Commissioners are Mark D. Christie (President), Nicholas J. Seitanakis (Vice President), Russell Del Re, C. Elise Logan, Robert W. Orchowski, Daniel R. Paoly, and Ronald J. Pardini.
Jonathan Wharton is the current Chief of Police, who was appointed in August 2018.
Notable people
* Sean Casey, former Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
first baseman, current baseball analyst for MLB Network
The MLB Network is an American television sports channel dedicated to baseball. It is primarily owned by Major League Baseball, with Warner Bros. Discovery through its sports unit, Comcast's NBC Sports Group, Charter Communications, and Cox Com ...
* Stephen Chbosky
Stephen Chbosky (; born January 25, 1970) is an American screenwriter, film producer, film director, novelist, television writer, and television producer. He is best-known for writing the bestselling coming-of-age novel ''The Perks of Being a Wal ...
, novelist, screenwriter
A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based.
...
, and film director
A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, p ...
best known for the coming-of-age novel
In literary criticism, a ''Bildungsroman'' (, plural ''Bildungsromane'', ) is a literary genre that focuses on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist from childhood to adulthood ( coming of age), in which character change is imp ...
''The Perks of Being a Wallflower
''The Perks of Being a Wallflower'' is a coming-of-age epistolary novel by American writer Stephen Chbosky, which was first published on February 1, 1999, by Pocket Books. Set in the early 1990s, the novel follows Charlie, an introverted and obs ...
''
* Dave Giusti
David John Giusti, Jr. (born November 27, 1939) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher from 1962 to 1977, most notably as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates teams that won f ...
, former American Major League baseball player
* Chuck Greenberg, former owner of the Texas Rangers and Altoona Curve
The Altoona Curve are a Minor League Baseball team based in Altoona, Pennsylvania, named after nearby Horseshoe Curve (but also alluding to the curveball, a type of pitch). The team plays in the Eastern League and is the Double-A affiliate of the ...
; born and raised in Upper St. Clair; raised his family in the township
* Todd Haley
Richard Todd Haley (born February 28, 1967) is an American football coach who is the current head coach and general manager for the Memphis Showboats of the United States Football League (USFL). From 1997 to 2006, he had stints as the wide rece ...
, former head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The tea ...
; former offensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
, Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
, and Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
.
* Tunch Ilkin
Tunch Ilkin (born Tunç Ali İlkin; September 23, 1957 – September 4, 2021) was a Turkish-born player of American football and sports broadcaster. A two-time Pro Bowl selection as an offensive tackle with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he was the f ...
, former NFL player and Steelers broadcaster
* Anthony Jeselnik
Anthony Jeselnik ( ; born ) is an American comedian, writer, actor, and producer. He is known for his dark comedy style, which emphasizes ironic misdirection, non sequiturs, biting insults, an arrogant demeanor, and a stage persona that freque ...
, stand-up comic
* Sean Lee
Sean Patrick Lee (born July 22, 1986) is a former American football linebacker. He played his entire 11-year professional career with the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Penn State, and was selected by the Cowboys in the second r ...
, former NFL linebacker
* Grant Lewis
Grant Lewis (born January 20, 1985) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman.
Early life
Lewis, who is Jewish, was born in Pittsburgh. He attended Upper St. Clair High School. Upon the completion of his professional playing care ...
, former NHL defenseman
* Ryan Malone
Ryan Gregory Malone (born December 1, 1979) nicknamed "Bugsy", is an American former professional ice hockey forward. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers. In 2003, ...
, former NHL forward and Olympic athlete
* Greg Miller, animator and television director
* Dylan Reese
Dylan Paul Reese (born August 29, 1984) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman. He last played with HV71 in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL).
Early life
Reese, who is Jewish, was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is the son ...
, former NHL defenseman
References
External links
Upper St. Clair Township official website
{{Authority control
Townships in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh metropolitan area
Home Rule Municipalities in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania