Borough History
Borough History
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, being a subdivision of the Osborne Farm, and began the work of grading, paving and sewering streets and the construction of 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.
During the year 1890 construction of the Air Brake Works was completed and the plant
moved to Wilmerding. In the fall, William L. Stewart was appointed by the First Assistant Postmaster
General as the Acting Postmaster in Wilmerding. His office was in the front
part of the W. L.Stewart and Co. drug store.
Petition was presented to the Quarter Sessions Court of Allegheny County for the
incorporation of Wilmerding Village into a Borough.Ground was broken for the construction of the Westinghouse Air Brake Company.
The first building erected in Wilmerding was on the corner of Westinghouse Avenue
and owned by James W. Undercoffer.The first meeting of citizens to form a municipality was held in the foundry of the Westinghouse Air Brake Company. Population at this time was 1,000 people.
"Firsts in Wilmerding”
First drug store owned by W.L. Stewart and Co., later to become Stewart and Hankey, was located at the corner of Westinghouse Avenue and Station Street where Milo’s Pharmacy now stands. On the corner of Caldwell Avenue and Station Street stood the first hardware store owned by T. B. Thompson. James McKee owned the first butcher shop located in the Redfern Building, at the corner of Station Street and Spruce Alley. Also in the Redfern Building was the first barber shop owned by Mr. Reynolds.The Pennsylvania State Liquor Store, Chapeaux, Etc. and Bradley’s Beauty Salon were once the home of the town’s first furniture store, known as the Faller Furniture Store and operated by Fred A. Faller, at one time a resident of our town. The first physician was Dr. J.H. McLaughlin. His office was located at the corner of Westinghouse Avenue and Commerce Street. He was also one of the signers of the application for the Charter to incorporate Wilmerding into a Borough.The town’s first hotel was known as the Redfern Hotel at the corner of Station Street and Herman Avenue. They were also granted the first liquor license.
On March 8th the Court entered a decree incorporating the Village of Wilmerding into a Borough with fixed boundaries, making it the first Borough incorporated in the Turtle Creek Valley.The first telephone was installed in the home of P.W. Morgan who resided at 321 Marguerite Avenue.The first dry goods store, called the Harry Davis Company was at 107 Herman Avenue, in the McCann Building.The first shoe and gent’s furnishings store was owned by William B. Brush at 106 Westinghouse Avenue. Raymond Henry Weidt, born January 16, 1890 was the
first baby born in Wilmerding. The second born was Mrs. Nelda Klausing Stewart, sister of Mayor Charles H. Klausing, April 15, 1890.
On April 26th the beginning of the First United Methodist Church was in the form of a Union Sunday School organized at the home of Christopher Horrocks, 233 Welsh Avenue. The first election on June 14th for Borough officials was held at the post office then located in the rear of the property now owned by Milo’s Pharmacy. The results of this election named:
—Burgess, T.W.
Welsh; Councilmen, H.D. Patch, Eli Swartz, John C. Boyle, Sr., William J. Dick,
Michael Weidt, and William Stewart; Tax Collector, James
Undercoffer.
On June 18th the newly elected council, with the Burgess, met and appointed the following: Secretary, L.E.
Love; Treasurer, Second National Bank of Pittsburgh; Solicitor, George Wurzell; Engineer, W.W. Fortune; Street Commissioner, William Rowe. This meeting took place in the office of the East Pittsburgh Improvement Company Building located at the corner of Caldwell Avenue and George Street now occupied by Mrs. Croushore.
June 18th was the first meeting of the School Board. It took place in the home of B.F. Welsh. Those elected were: B.F. Welsh, C.C. Cowell, Christopher Horrocks, Theodore M. Dobync and W.L. Hankey.
On July 30th, Mrs. A.M. Petty was elected principal and Miss Elizabeth Kelly and Miss Elizabeth Stamatz were
elected as assistants.The first school was opened in September for a nine month term. The classes were held in rented rooms in the Caesar Building on Herman Avenue with an enrollment of 109 pupils.
The Pennsylvania Railroad Company constructed the old Bridge Street Bridge connecting Station Street on the South Side and Bridge Street on the North Side with a railroad station at the corner of Bridge and Station Streets which later became the home of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. It has since been razed.
On November 1st the Knights of Pythias No. 319 was instituted with the help of Harry W. Balsley, who had moved here from Altoona. Wilmerding was placed in the Presidential Class and Mr. Stewart was appointed Postmaster by President Benjamin Harrison, serving four terms.
In moving the Westinghouse Plant from Allegheny to Wilmerding, it became apparent that it would be necessary to provide housing facilities for hundreds of employees who would be giving up their homes in Pittsburgh and Allegheny to follow the industry to its new location. This resulted in the inauguration of a comprehensive home building plan which was put into operation immediately by the Westinghouse Air Brake Home Building Company and from this plan the present Borough of Wilmerding became a reality. The houses were all designed in order to deviate from the monotony of industrial housing; a pleasing variety of five, six and seven room houses was adopted. Homes were built on Card Avenue, Sprague Street, Caldwell Avenue, Marguerite Avenue and Welsh
Avenue. Sale of these houses were announced on February 26th and September 24, 1890 and construction of homes and commercial buildings progressed so rapidly that in ten years practically no building lots remained available on the South Side of the Turtle Creek.
commenced.
In March of the same year the East Pittsburgh Improvement Company adopted and recorded its first plan of Wilmerding, being a subdivision of the Osborne Farm, and began the work of grading, paving and sewering streets and the construction of 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.
During the year 1890 construction of the Air Brake Works was completed and the plant
moved to Wilmerding. In the fall, William L. Stewart was appointed by the First Assistant Postmaster
General as the Acting Postmaster in Wilmerding. His office was in the front
part of the W. L.Stewart and Co. drug store.
Petition was presented to the Quarter Sessions Court of Allegheny County for the
incorporation of Wilmerding Village into a Borough.Ground was broken for the construction of the Westinghouse Air Brake Company.
The first building erected in Wilmerding was on the corner of Westinghouse Avenue
and owned by James W. Undercoffer.The first meeting of citizens to form a municipality was held in the foundry of the Westinghouse Air Brake Company. Population at this time was 1,000 people.
"Firsts in Wilmerding”
First drug store owned by W.L. Stewart and Co., later to become Stewart and Hankey, was located at the corner of Westinghouse Avenue and Station Street where Milo’s Pharmacy now stands. On the corner of Caldwell Avenue and Station Street stood the first hardware store owned by T. B. Thompson. James McKee owned the first butcher shop located in the Redfern Building, at the corner of Station Street and Spruce Alley. Also in the Redfern Building was the first barber shop owned by Mr. Reynolds.The Pennsylvania State Liquor Store, Chapeaux, Etc. and Bradley’s Beauty Salon were once the home of the town’s first furniture store, known as the Faller Furniture Store and operated by Fred A. Faller, at one time a resident of our town. The first physician was Dr. J.H. McLaughlin. His office was located at the corner of Westinghouse Avenue and Commerce Street. He was also one of the signers of the application for the Charter to incorporate Wilmerding into a Borough.The town’s first hotel was known as the Redfern Hotel at the corner of Station Street and Herman Avenue. They were also granted the first liquor license.
On March 8th the Court entered a decree incorporating the Village of Wilmerding into a Borough with fixed boundaries, making it the first Borough incorporated in the Turtle Creek Valley.The first telephone was installed in the home of P.W. Morgan who resided at 321 Marguerite Avenue.The first dry goods store, called the Harry Davis Company was at 107 Herman Avenue, in the McCann Building.The first shoe and gent’s furnishings store was owned by William B. Brush at 106 Westinghouse Avenue. Raymond Henry Weidt, born January 16, 1890 was the
first baby born in Wilmerding. The second born was Mrs. Nelda Klausing Stewart, sister of Mayor Charles H. Klausing, April 15, 1890.
On April 26th the beginning of the First United Methodist Church was in the form of a Union Sunday School organized at the home of Christopher Horrocks, 233 Welsh Avenue. The first election on June 14th for Borough officials was held at the post office then located in the rear of the property now owned by Milo’s Pharmacy. The results of this election named:
—Burgess, T.W.
Welsh; Councilmen, H.D. Patch, Eli Swartz, John C. Boyle, Sr., William J. Dick,
Michael Weidt, and William Stewart; Tax Collector, James
Undercoffer.
On June 18th the newly elected council, with the Burgess, met and appointed the following: Secretary, L.E.
Love; Treasurer, Second National Bank of Pittsburgh; Solicitor, George Wurzell; Engineer, W.W. Fortune; Street Commissioner, William Rowe. This meeting took place in the office of the East Pittsburgh Improvement Company Building located at the corner of Caldwell Avenue and George Street now occupied by Mrs. Croushore.
June 18th was the first meeting of the School Board. It took place in the home of B.F. Welsh. Those elected were: B.F. Welsh, C.C. Cowell, Christopher Horrocks, Theodore M. Dobync and W.L. Hankey.
On July 30th, Mrs. A.M. Petty was elected principal and Miss Elizabeth Kelly and Miss Elizabeth Stamatz were
elected as assistants.The first school was opened in September for a nine month term. The classes were held in rented rooms in the Caesar Building on Herman Avenue with an enrollment of 109 pupils.
The Pennsylvania Railroad Company constructed the old Bridge Street Bridge connecting Station Street on the South Side and Bridge Street on the North Side with a railroad station at the corner of Bridge and Station Streets which later became the home of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. It has since been razed.
On November 1st the Knights of Pythias No. 319 was instituted with the help of Harry W. Balsley, who had moved here from Altoona. Wilmerding was placed in the Presidential Class and Mr. Stewart was appointed Postmaster by President Benjamin Harrison, serving four terms.
In moving the Westinghouse Plant from Allegheny to Wilmerding, it became apparent that it would be necessary to provide housing facilities for hundreds of employees who would be giving up their homes in Pittsburgh and Allegheny to follow the industry to its new location. This resulted in the inauguration of a comprehensive home building plan which was put into operation immediately by the Westinghouse Air Brake Home Building Company and from this plan the present Borough of Wilmerding became a reality. The houses were all designed in order to deviate from the monotony of industrial housing; a pleasing variety of five, six and seven room houses was adopted. Homes were built on Card Avenue, Sprague Street, Caldwell Avenue, Marguerite Avenue and Welsh
Avenue. Sale of these houses were announced on February 26th and September 24, 1890 and construction of homes and commercial buildings progressed so rapidly that in ten years practically no building lots remained available on the South Side of the Turtle Creek.