Wilkinsburg is a

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, 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 ...

Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Allegheny County ( ) is a County (United States), county in Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,250,578, making it the List of counties in Pennsylvania, state's second-most populous county, after Philadelp ...

, United States. The borough has a population of 14,349 as of the 2020 census. Wilkinsburg is part of the

Pittsburgh metropolitan area Greater Pittsburgh is the metropolitan area surrounding the city of Pittsburgh in Western Pennsylvania, United States. The region includes Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County, Pittsburgh's urban core county and economic hub, and s ...

. The borough was named for John Wilkins Jr., a United States Army officer who served as Quartermaster General of the United States Army from 1796 to 1802.

History

Wilkinsburg is located in an area of the

Appalachian Plateau The Appalachian Plateau is a series of rugged dissected plateaus located on the western side of the Appalachian Mountains. The Appalachian Mountains are a range that run from Nova Scotia in Canada to Alabama in the United States. The Appalachi ...

where various land and water transportation routes join, an area which historically Native Americans inhabited, for thousands of years. Geologically, Wilkinsburg centers on a valley going through the hills located east of the three rivers confluence: namely, the

Allegheny River The Allegheny River ( ; ; ) is a tributary of the Ohio River that is located in western Pennsylvania and New York (state), New York in the United States. It runs from its headwaters just below the middle of Pennsylvania's northern border, nor ...

, the

Monongahela River The Monongahela River ( , ), sometimes referred to locally as the Mon (), is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed August 15, 2011 river on the Allegheny Plateau in nor ...

, and the

Ohio River The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its river mouth, mouth on the Mississippi Riv ...

. The Wilkinsburg valley eased passage by land through the barrier of the

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, are a mountain range in eastern to northeastern North America. The term "Appalachian" refers to several different regions associated with the mountain range, and its surrounding terrain ...

, for example travel to and from

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

and other

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...

coast areas, including travel through the

Cumberland Gap The Cumberland Gap is a Mountain pass, pass in the Eastern United States, eastern United States through the long ridge of the Cumberland Mountains, within the Appalachian Mountains and near the tripoint of Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee. At&n ...

. The nearby meeting of the three rivers facilitated passage by water and by land alongside the rivers, which eventually joining the south-flowing

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

, meeting the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...

, and so linking with oceanic trade. This made Wilkinsburg a nexus for divergent routes, where travel from the east and from travel from the south intersected, together with other transportation routes to the north and west. A vital section of the major land road or pathway passage to the east is now

Penn Avenue Penn Avenue is a major arterial street in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh and Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, Wilkinsburg, in Pennsylvania, United States. Its western terminus lies at Gateway Center (Pittsburgh), Gateway Center in Downtown Pi ...

, still a main street of Wilkinsburg. In the early 1700s, European traders arrived, and by mid-century had some established colonial sites, including

Fort Duquesne Fort Duquesne ( , ; originally called ''Fort Du Quesne'') was a fort established by the French in 1754, at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers. It was later taken over by the British, and later the Americans, and developed ...

, established by

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. Subsequently, the general area became a major battleground during the

French and Indian Wars The French and Indian Wars were a series of conflicts that occurred in North America between 1688 and 1763, some of which indirectly were related to the European dynastic wars. The title ''French and Indian War'' in the singular is used in the U ...

, during which

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

(who passed through what is now Wilkinsburg in 1753, on a diplomatic mission to French territory),

Edward Braddock Edward Braddock (January 1695 – 13 July 1755) was a British officer and commander-in-chief for the Thirteen Colonies during the start of the French and Indian War (1754–1763), the North American front of what is known in Europe and Canada as ...

, and John Forbes gained a place in history, each built roads and otherwise enhanced the land transportation routes. The

French and Indian War The French and Indian War, 1754 to 1763, was a colonial conflict in North America between Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of France, France, along with their respective Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...

(1754–1763) was fought between France,

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

, and various Native groups for territorial control. France lost control of the area in 1758. British forces built Fort Pitt between 1759 and 1761, near the three river junction. France subsequently relinquished claims on the area. In 1776, the British colonies declared independence, and the

Treaty of Paris (1783) The Treaty of Paris, signed in Paris by representatives of King George III of Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and representatives of the United States on September 3, 1783, officially ended the American Revolutionary War and recognized ...

confirmed the area west of the Appalachians as part of the newly formed United States. In 1780, Pennsylvania and Virginia agreed to extend the

Mason–Dixon line The Mason–Dixon line, sometimes referred to as Mason and Dixon's Line, is a demarcation line separating four U.S. states: Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and West Virginia. It was Surveying, surveyed between 1763 and 1767 by Charles Mason ...

westward, and the region became part of Pennsylvania, settling a dispute of which state Wilkinsburg would end up being a part of. The Treaty of Fort Stanwix (1784) resulted in the

Iroquois The Iroquois ( ), also known as the Five Nations, and later as the Six Nations from 1722 onwards; alternatively referred to by the Endonym and exonym, endonym Haudenosaunee ( ; ) are an Iroquoian languages, Iroquoian-speaking Confederation#Ind ...

Nations also relinquishing their claims to the area, but this was not necessarily the case for other Native American polities. In the 1800s, trade was increasingly augmented by major mining and manufacturing operations. The general area's population continued to proliferate from the late 1800s and the early 1900s, with numerous immigrants from various parts of Europe and African Americans of the Great Migration migrating from the Southern United States. For Wilkinsburg, this process sometimes proceeded slowly and sometimes more rapidly. The Land Company of the Colony of Pennsylvania began to offer deeds in the general area to become Wilkinsburg in 1769. Andrew Levi Levy Sr., purchased 266 acres of woodland, to which he officially gave the name of Africa (for reasons which remain obscure). In 1788, Levy sold his deed to William Thompson (a retired brigadier general who had served in the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies representing the Thirteen Colonies and later the United States during the American Revolutionary War. It was formed on June 14, 1775, by a resolution passed by the Second Continental Co ...

during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

). Thompson died shortly after, and the land was sold to Col. Dunning McNair (the father of Dunning R. McNair, who would become the

sergeant at arms of the United States Senate The sergeant at arms and doorkeeper of the United States Senate (originally known as the doorkeeper of the Senate from April 7, 1789 – 1798) is the protocol officer, executive officer, and highest-ranking federal law enforcement officer of th ...

, 1853–1861). Dunning McNair was a significant landholder. In 1790, Dunning McNair laid out a village called McNairstown on the "Great Road" later known as

. In a deed dated September 1812, McNair deeded land to a certain Patrick Green, by which Wilkinsburgh was officially registered. In 1825, Dunning McNair died. By 1812, the village was referred to as "Wilkinsburgh" in honor of John Wilkins Jr., a wartime friend of McNair. James Kelly began a half-century or so of heavy involvement with the area when he paid $12,000 for McNair's former land, which Kelly subsequently added to. James Kelly was involved in much of the civic, religious, educational and other activities during this period. In 1873 the City of Pittsburgh annexed a portion of Wilkins Township containing Wilkinsburg, but less than three years later, a legal action reversed the annexation. On October 5, 1887, Wilkinsburg separated from the recently created Sterrett Township to become an independent borough. Although the borough has been economically depressed in recent years, many efforts are being made to change this. In 2004, the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation launched initiatives in partnership with its for-profit development affiliate, Landmark Development Corporation, to begin restoration work on historic structures in Wilkinsburg's Hamnett Place neighborhood. Within a decade, more than 70 structures were improved, a new neighborhood center was opened, and the community's supply of

affordable housing Affordable housing is housing which is deemed affordable to those with a household income at or below the median, as rated by the national government or a local government by a recognized housing affordability index. Most of the literature on ...

was increased. The collaborators were subsequently honored with the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation National Preservation Award to recognize their accomplishments. During this time, the Hamnett Historic District was also established; that historic district was then approved on June 28, 2010, for listing on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. In 2015, the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation and its for-profit affiliate, Landmark Development Corporation, entered into a collaboration with Falconhurst Development to begin an $11.5 million multi-site restoration within and near the Hamnett Historic District. In addition to restoring four vacant buildings which had been built sometime around the beginning of the 20th century, the developer had plans to open a series of new townhouses in the same area by 2016, with the collaborators again indicating that the housing would be affordable, based on United States Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD) guidelines. The ground was broken on the project in late September 2015.

Home of modern broadcasting

Modern

broadcasting Broadcasting is the data distribution, distribution of sound, audio audiovisual content to dispersed audiences via a electronic medium (communication), mass communications medium, typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum (radio waves), ...

as known in its current form began when Wilkinsburg resident

Frank Conrad Frank Conrad (May 4, 1874 – December 10, 1941) was an American electrical engineer, best known for radio development, including his work as a pioneer broadcaster. He worked for the Westinghouse Electric (1886), Westinghouse Electrical and Manuf ...

spearheaded a radio laboratory at his home, coordinated with

Westinghouse Electric Corporation The Westinghouse Electric Corporation was an American manufacturing company founded in 1886 by George Westinghouse and headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was originally named "Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company" and was ...

and the United States Signal Corps, under a special war time permit (using call signs 2-WM and 2-WE). After moving from Swissvale to Wilkinsburg, Conrad installed a radio station on the top floor of his backyard two-story garage, with a microphone, where he worked into the wee hours of the morning, eventually resulting in the development of modern broadcasting, as

do it yourself "Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, wikt:modification, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals ...

listeners who had made their own crystal radio sets began to respond, some quite enthused by the music broadcast when Frank Conrad coupled a phonograph to radio. Wilkinsburg thus became the original location for modern broadcasting, combining the concepts of "the station, the audience, the programs, and a means to pay for the programs" after Conrad accepted a donation from a Wilkinsburg music store to promote its musical offerings. This was all before and leading up to KDKA and the development of commercial radio. In 1916, KDKA began broadcasting, as experimental station 8XK, from the Westinghouse plant in East Pittsburgh and in a small garage owned by

, before it was launched with its current call letters on November 2, 1920. In 1923, Wilkinsburg-based

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

n immigrant

Vladimir Zworykin Vladimir Kosma Zworykin (1888/1889July 29, 1982) was a Russian-American inventor, engineer, and pioneer of television technology. Zworykin invented a television transmitting and receiving system employing cathode-ray tubes. He played a role in t ...

designed and patented the

iconoscope The iconoscope (from the Greek Language, Greek: ''εἰκών'' "image" and ''σκοπεῖν'' "to look, to see") was the first practical video camera tube to be used in early television cameras. The iconoscope produced a much stronger signal tha ...

, the photocell "eye" of early television cameras. Today, ABC affiliate

WTAE-TV WTAE-TV (channel 4) is a television station in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, affiliated with ABC. It has been owned by Hearst Television since the station's inception, making this one of two stations that have been built and signe ...

is located in the borough on Ardmore Boulevard.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the borough has a total area of , all land.

Surrounding neighborhoods

Wilkinsburg has ten borders, including Penn Hills Township to the northeast, Churchill to the east, Forest Hills to the southeast, Edgewood to the south, Swissvale to the southwest, and the Pittsburgh neighborhoods of Regent Square, Point Breeze, and North Point Breeze to the west, Homewood South to the northwest, and East Hills to the north.

Demographics

2020 census

2000 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 19,196 people, 9,138 households, and 4,477 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 10,696 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 29.25%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 66.51%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.38% Native American, 0.81% Asian, 0.06%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...

, 0.55% from other races, and 2.44% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 1.13% of the population. There were 9,138 households, out of which 22.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 24.3% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 20.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 51.0% were non-families. 44.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06, and the average family size was 2.91. In the borough, the population was spread out, with 23.4% under 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 78.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 72.0 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $26,621, and the median income for a family was $33,412. Males had a median income of $26,813 versus $26,196 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

was $16,890. About 15.9% of families and 18.7% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 30.8% of those under age 18 and 14.2% of those age 65 or over.

Religion

Wilkinsburg was founded and developed by highly religious European immigrants. The borough has a remarkably high concentration of

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...

es, mostly

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

, which is unusual in a predominantly

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

region of the country. According to borough leader James Kelly, the reversal of Wilkinsburg's annexation to Pittsburgh in the 1870s was to maintain the community's religious integrity. Wilkinsburg was known during this time by many as "The Holy City".

Arts and culture

Wilkinsburg Borough has a Community Art and Civic Design Commission charged with review and legislation for "new and renovated structures, infrastructure, landscapes, works of art, memorials, and monuments on all public property and on all private property designated for commercial use." Due to its location in Allegheny County, and especially its proximity to Pittsburgh, Wilkinsburg is in the neighborhood for numerous opportunities for experiences in art and culture. The most notable agent of revitalization and development in Wilkinsburg is the Wilkinsburg Community Development Corporation (WCDC), a non-profit incorporated in 2007 with a mission "to promote the revitalization of Wilkinsburg through business & residential development; organizational & individual civic leadership; and ethnic & cultural diversity". Their notable community programs include classes for local entrepreneurs, classes on home buying, community events, and the Vacant Home Tour. The WCDC focuses primarily on the Wilkinsburg Business District, the area around the intersection of Penn Avenue and Wood Street. The WCDC's Business District Revitalization Plan promotes a "flourishing commercial and retail environment in Wilkinsburg" and consists of planning and policy recommendations. In May 2015, the WCDC's advocacy resulted in an approved liquor license referendum, legalizing the sale of up to five restaurant liquor licenses in the borough, which had been a dry community since 1935.

Library

In 1899 the Wilkinsburg library was founded as a branch of the Braddock library (which was the first of the Carnegie libraries in the nation).

Parks and recreation

Wilkinsburg has several parks of various sizes. The largest is Hunter Park, which at almost nine acres includes sports courts, fields, playground equipment, and woodland. There are also six smaller parks.

Government and politics

Wilkinsburg is a

, located in the U.S. Commonwealth of

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

; which means that Wilkinsburg is a self-governing

municipal A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the gov ...

entity, of the sort often thought of as a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

. Wilkinsburg Borough is organized into three wards: First, Second, and Third. Overall oversight of Wilkinsburg Borough is by the borough council. The borough council generally consists of nine elected representatives, three from each ward. Wilkinsburg has or has associated various boards, committees, and authorities. Wilkinsburg also has a mayor and a borough manager. Wilkinsburg Borough authorities, boards, and commissions include the Civil Service Commission, the Community Art and Civic Design Commission, the Citizens Advisory Commission on Shade Trees, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, the Planning Commission, the Zoning Hearing Board, the Board of Library Directors, the Industrial and Commercial Development Authority, and the Municipal Authority. Public education is handled by the Wilkinsburg School District's board of directors, in combination with the Pennsylvania State Board of Education, the

Pennsylvania Department of Education The Pennsylvania Department of Education is the executive department of the state charged with publicly funded preschool, K-12 and adult educational budgeting, management and guidelines. As the state education agency, its activities are direc ...

, and the Pennsylvania General Assembly. The domain of public education is separate from that of the borough. Wilkinsburg water and sewage services are provided through a municipal authority, the Wilkinsburg-Penn Joint Water Authority, a coalition serving several communities. The Wilkinsburg Borough Council appoints three members to the board. Wilkinsburg voters voted predominantly for the Democratic Party in the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections.

Crime

Wilkinsburg was home to the infamous Larimer Avenue-Wilkinsburg (LAW) Gang, which the federal government indicted under the

Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act is a United States federal law that provides for extended criminal penalties and a civil cause of action for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization. RICO was e ...

(RICO). The indictment started in 1995 when the federal government investigated and arrested many people with criminal ties or activities. Overall, crime in Wilkinsburg is higher than in outlying neighborhoods on average. However, crime has slightly declined in recent years.

2000 shooting spree

On March 1, 2000, Wilkinsburg received national attention when Ronald Taylor killed three people and wounded two others in a racially motivated shooting spree that occurred in part at the local

Burger King Burger King Corporation (BK, stylized in all caps) is an American multinational chain store, chain of hamburger fast food restaurants. Headquartered in Miami-Dade County, Florida, the company was founded in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacks ...

and

McDonald's McDonald's Corporation, doing business as McDonald's, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain. As of 2024, it is the second largest by number of locations in the world, behind only the Chinese ch ...

restaurants.

2016 mass shooting

On March 9, 2016, five people, including a pregnant woman, were killed in a shooting at a cook-out in Wilkinsburg. The city council has many plans to beautify the neighborhood and repair many of the vacant homes such as the apartment building on 855 Rebecca Avenue. Furthermore, Vice President of the City Council recently started Wilkinsburg Community Conversations, whereby community members have the opportunity to discuss current issues the borough is facing.

Education

In its early history, education in Wilkinsburg was completely private. Many schools were started by different teachers and held in their homes. The Wilkinsburg Academy, founded in 1852, was the beginning of large-scale schooling. The borough adopted the Free Common School Act of 1834 in 1840; James Kelly loaned money for the first common school, which served until 1850. From this time, the number of students rose exponentially. By 1910, there were 4,253 students in six public schools. Today, Wilkinsburg School District consists of two elementary schools, Kelly Primary and Turner Intermediate schools. Due to lack of funding, Wilkinsburg's Junior and Senior High schools closed in 2016. The district now outsources Junior and Senior High School education to Westinghouse High School in the Pittsburgh Public School district. Wilkinsburg is also home to the Sister Thea Bowman Catholic Academy. This is a

elementary school which was formed as a merger of St. James School in Wilkinsburg and Holy Rosary in Homewood (Pittsburgh). The new school is housed in the former St. James School building and educates children from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.

Transportation

Wilkinsburg is located at the nexus of various transportation systems, including road, rail, and river.

Road

Wilkinsburg is located along historic roadways. For example, since 1913 Wilkinsburg is one of the locations transversed by the Lincoln Highway. The historic Lincoln Highway runs from

Times Square Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and Neighborhoods in New York City, neighborhood in the Midtown Manhattan section of New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway (Manhattan), ...

in New York City to

Lincoln Park Lincoln Park is a park along Lake Michigan on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. Named after US president Abraham Lincoln, it is the city's largest public park and stretches for from Grand Avenue (500 N), on the south, to near Ardmore Avenu ...

in San Francisco. The Lincoln Highway legacy includes Penn Avenue and Ardmore Boulevard in Wilkinsburg: these are State Route 8 and Federal Route 30. Penn Avenue was even earlier along the main trajectory of the

Forbes Road The Forbes Road, a historic military roadway in what was then British America, was initially completed in 1758 from Carlisle, Pennsylvania, to the French Fort Duquesne at the junction of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers in what is now d ...

, which was used by British officer John Forbes to lead a military expedition to attack the French position at

(later Fort Pitt), in 1758, as part of the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a Great Power conflict fought primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and South Asia. The protagonists were Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of Prus ...

(1756–1763). Previously British officer

had built a road with the same general trajectory, known as Braddock's Road (beneath which he was later buried), which lead to the French fortifications at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers.

Rail

Until September 14, 1975, Wilkinsburg had inter-city passenger rail service. On that day

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

discontinued service, citing a total of 128 passengers boarding or alighting in the first six months of 1975, the lowest system-wide. The last train serving Wilkinsburg was the ''

National Limited The ''National Limited'' was the premier train of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) on its route between Jersey City, New Jersey, and St. Louis, Missouri, with major station stops in Washington, D.C., and Cincinnati, Ohio. (Buses took passeng ...

'', which operated daily between

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

and

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...

. The PennDOT-operated ''

Parkway Limited The ''Parkway Limited'' was a short-lived commuter train operated by Conrail (under contract to PennDOT) between Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Greensburg, Pennsylvania, in 1981. The train was created in response to construction work on the sect ...

'' provided commuter service to Pittsburgh for nine months in 1981 but was also canceled because of low ridership. Wilkinsburg has multiple stations operated by the Port Authority of Allegheny County, on the

Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway The Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway is a two-lane bus rapid transit, bus-only highway serving the city of Pittsburgh and many of its eastern neighborhoods and suburbs. It was named after Martin Luther King Jr. in recognition of the eastern ...

: * Wilkinsburg bus station * Hamnett bus station

Rivers

Historically the confluence of the Allegheny River and the Monongahela River created an important transportation nexus. Before the modern road and rail systems transportation along waterways was even more significant than it is today. Wilkinsburg is located between the Allegheny and the Monongahela rivers, near to where they meet to form the Ohio River, although Wilkinsburg does not actually border either river.

Notable people

* Jonathan Adams, actor, Chuck Larabee on the sitcom '' Last Man Standing''. * Paul V. Applegarth, former chief executive officer,

Millennium Challenge Corporation The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is a bilateral United States foreign aid agency established by the U.S. Congress in 2004. It is an independent agency separate from the State Department and USAID. It provides grants to countries tha ...

* Les Biederman (1907–1981), former sports writer, columnist, and editor, ''

The Pittsburgh Press ''The Pittsburgh Press'', formerly ''The Pittsburg Press'' and originally ''The Evening Penny Press'', was a major afternoon daily newspaper published in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for over a century, from 1884 to 1992. At the height of its popul ...

'' * Daniel Carter, jazz musician *

, radio broadcast pioneer * Charlie Deal, former professional baseball player,

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...

and

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...

* Richard Frankenburg, former member of Pennsylvania House of Representatives * Vic Fusia, former football player and coach * Dick Groat, former professional baseball player,

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

, and

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...

and pro basketball player for Fort Wayne Pistons * Amzi D. Harmon, Medal of Honor recipient in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

* Treyvon Hester, former professional football player,

Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...

, and

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...

* Bob Hoffman, former weightlifter and bodybuilder * Jon Robert Holden, professional and Olympic basketball player * Kimmarie Johnson, actress, model, businesswoman, and beauty pageant titleholder * Mike Jones, wrestler, best known by his ring name "Virgil" *

Bill McKechnie William Boyd McKechnie (August 7, 1886 – October 29, 1965) was an American professional baseball player, manager and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a third baseman during the dead-ball era. McKechnie was the first manager to win ...

, baseball player and manager * M. Graham Netting,

herpetologist Herpetology (from Ancient Greek ἑρπετόν ''herpetón'', meaning "reptile" or "creeping animal") is a branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians (including frogs, salamanders, and caecilians (Gymnophiona)) and reptiles (in ...

and conservationist * Dunning R. McNair, Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate from March 17, 1853, to July 6, 1861 * Edward Ormondroyd, author * Bunny Yeager, photographer and model * Ralph "Brigham" Young, former politician

References

External links

*
Wilkinsburg Community Development Center
* {{authority control Populated places established in 1790 Pittsburgh metropolitan area Boroughs in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania 1790 establishments in Pennsylvania

History

Home of modern broadcasting

Geography

Surrounding neighborhoods

Demographics

2020 census

2000 census

Religion

Arts and culture

Library

Parks and recreation

Government and politics

Crime

2000 shooting spree

2016 mass shooting

Education

Transportation

Road

Rail

Rivers

Notable people

See also

References

External links