Mount Oliver 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
...
in
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 population was 3,394 at the
2020 census. It is a largely residential area situated atop a crest about west of 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 ...
. The borough is
surrounded entirely by the city of
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
, having resisted
annexation
Annexation, in international law, is the forcible acquisition and assertion of legal title over one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. In current international law, it is generally held t ...
attempts by the city.
History
Mount Oliver was first settled by
John Ormsby, an officer in the command of
General Forbes, who was granted 249 acres of land along the banks of 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 ...
. In 1788 Allegheny County was divided into townships, with Ormsby's plot being part of
St. Clair Township. In 1800 Ormsby began selling parcels of land, while retaining rent and property taxes from residents. Ormsby named his growing settlement Mount Oliver, after his son,
Oliver Ormsby. Later that year St. Clair Township would be divided with residents attempting to incorporate as a borough, however, the state ruled against the effort stating that the property owner quota was not sufficient to award incorporation, and Mount Oliver would become part of
Lower St. Clair Township.
In 1872
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
began expanding southward, annexation the boroughs of
South Pittsburgh,
Monongahela,
Allentown Allentown may refer to:
Places
* Allentown, California, now called Toadtown, California
* Allentown, Georgia, a city in four counties in Georgia
* Allentown, Illinois, an unincorporated community in Tazewell County
* Allentown, New Jersey, a boroug ...
,
Lawrenceville,
Temperanceville,
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...
,
Mt. Washington,
West Pittsburgh,
Pittsburgh Borough,
East Birmingham,
St. Clair Borough and
Ormsby. Local residents began to feel threatened by this expansion, as well as feeling that Lower St. Clair Township was not properly dealing with their road improvements and public safety. As a result, in 1892 a petition circulated to incorporate Mount Oliver as a borough, which passed the courts on November 9, 1892.
In 1927 Pittsburgh began another expansion effort, annexing the boroughs of
Knoxville
Knoxville is a city in Knox County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located on the Tennessee River and had a population of 190,740 at the 2020 United States census. It is the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division ...
and
Carrick, completely surrounding Mount Oliver. The city of Pittsburgh attempted to force annexation through a lengthy legal battle, however, the borough ultimately prevailed due to its population being too high to annex the municipality without a referendum approved by its residents.
To this day residents of Mount Oliver fiercely defend their independence from Pittsburgh, seeing it as a point of local pride, which is helped by how approachable the local government is, and the rapid allocation of municipal services. However, there has been a noted decline from the 1980s, when the Borough was a local commercial hub.
Geography
Mount Oliver is located at (40.411319, −79.986571).
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 0.3 square miles (0.9 km
2), all land.
Surrounding neighborhoods
Mount Oliver is completely surrounded by six Pittsburgh neighborhoods, including the
South Side Slopes to the north,
Arlington to the northeast,
Mt. Oliver to the southeast,
Carrick to the south,
Knoxville
Knoxville is a city in Knox County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located on the Tennessee River and had a population of 190,740 at the 2020 United States census. It is the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division ...
to the west, and
Allentown Allentown may refer to:
Places
* Allentown, California, now called Toadtown, California
* Allentown, Georgia, a city in four counties in Georgia
* Allentown, Illinois, an unincorporated community in Tazewell County
* Allentown, New Jersey, a boroug ...
in the northwest corner.
Demographics
As of the
2000 census,
there were 3,970 people, 1,681 households, and 983 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 1,864 housing units at an average density of . The
racial makeup of the borough was 83.75% White, 11.74% African American, 0.23% Native American, 1.64% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.68% from other races, and 1.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.08% of the population.
There were 1,681 households, out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.8% were married couples living together, 18.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.5% were non-families. 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the borough the population was spread out, with 24.0% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.8 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $27,990, and the median income for a family was $32,388. Males had a median income of $30,394 versus $25,255 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 ...
for the borough was $15,104. About 14.7% of families and 19.3% 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 34.5% of those under age 18 and 12.2% of those age 65 or over.
Taxation
Residents of Mount Oliver Borough pay a 2% tax on earned income to the
Pittsburgh Public Schools
Pittsburgh Public Schools is the public school district serving the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and adjacent Mount Oliver, Pennsylvania. As of the 2021–2022 school year, the district operates 54 schools with 4,192 employees (2,070 teach ...
district and 1% tax on earned income to the Borough of Mount Oliver.
References
External links
Borough of Mount Oliver official website
{{authority control
1892 establishments in Pennsylvania
Boroughs in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Enclaves in the United States
Pittsburgh metropolitan area
Populated places established in 1892