The Pittsburgh city line followed the Pennsylvania Canal (11th St) from the Allegheny River to Grant St. From that point to about 20th St, the borough of Northern Liberties extended between the river and Liberty Av.
Beyond 20th St and extending to 33rd St, George A. Bayard and James Adams laid out the town of Bayardstown in 1829. Bayardstown was added as the Fifth Ward of Pittsburgh in 1837.
Lawrenceville, named for the Naval commander James Lawrence, was established in 1816 by William B. Foster, father of Stephen Collins Foster, the songwriter. The U.S. Army built its Allegheny Arsenal on land provided by Foster. In time, Lawrenceville was clustered about the intersection of Butler St and 43rd St (Ewalt St) where a covered bridge crossed the Allegheny in 1870.
Between Bayardstown and Lawrenceville was Croghansville, named for the early settler George Croghan who lived in that area. His later home was called "Croghan's Castle" on the Allegheny River at the foot of McCandless St which runs between 52nd and 53rd St in Lawrenceville -- one of the few streets perpendicular to the river which was not given a numbered designation.
In 1868, Lawrenceville was one of several areas annexed by the City of Pittsburgh. Other townships made part of the city at that time were Pitt, Peebles, Oakland, Collins and Liberty. As part of the elimination of duplicate street names within the city, many streets were changed. Streets at the Point below Fifth St were eliminated by the construction of Point State Park and Gateway Center.
STREETS PERPENDICULAR TO ALLEGHENY RIVER |
CURRENT NAME | HISTORICAL NAME | ORIGIN OF NAME | CURRENT LOCATION Street Name Within Pgh City Limits |
1st St* | Point Ay | Proximity to the Point | none |
2nd St* | Duquesne St | Marquis de Duquesne (1700-78); Governor General of New France in North America 1752-55 | none |
3rd St* (Commonwealth Pl) | Marbury St (Barbeau St) | Major Joseph Marbury, commandant of Fort Pitt after the US Revolution, 1783. Shown as Barbeau St on 1923 map. | none |
--* | Alley | | -- |
4th St* | Hay St (Fancourt St) | | none |
Evans Ay* | Evans Ay | Oliver Evans built a steam-powered flour mill in 1809 on the Monongahela River at Redoubt Ay (1/2 block downstream from Stanwix St); operated by his son George Evans | no change |
5th St (Stanwix St) | Pitt St | William Pitt, English prime minister, "Pittsbourgh" named in his honor by General John Forbes 1758. [General John Stanwix began the construction of Fort Pitt in 1759] | Forms part of boundary between Pittsburgh and Wilkinsburg |
Cecil Pl | Cecil Ay | William Cecil; worked with leather goods in his home at Cecil Pl and Liberty Av | no change |
Mentor Pl | -- | | no change |
6th St | St. Clair St | General Arthur St. Clair, Westmoreland Co. judge, US Soldier, President Continental Congress 1787 | East Liberty, between Fifth Av and Highland Park |
Barkers Pl | Barkers Ay | Possibly, Joe Barker, "street preacher", jailed on charges of starting a riot and obstructing traffic, was put on ballot as a joke and elected Mayor of Pittsburgh in 1850 -- while still in jail. | no change |
Scott Pl | -- | Dr. Hugh Scott, postmaster, 1805 | -- |
7th St | Irwin St (Irvine St) | William Irvine, commandant of Fort Pitt 1781-1783 | Irvine St: Hazelwood; Irwin St: Brighton Heights, North Side off Marshall Av |
Maddock Pl | Irwin's Ay | | -- |
8th St | Hancock St | John Hancock, President Contintental Congress 1775-77, 1785-86 | Polish Hill, near Herron Av |
9th St | Hand St | General Edward Hand, military surgeon, commandant of Fort Pitt, established field hospital in Crafton in 1777 | none |
Garrison Ay | Garrison Ay | Near the site of Fort Lafayette (Fort Fayette). Due to the dismantling of Fort Pitt, this fort was built in 1792 to protect against Indian attacks and act as a supply base for General Wayne, 1792-94. Reactivated for War of 1812. Site sold in 1813. | no change |
10th St | Wayne St | General Anthony Wayne (1745-96); "Mad Anthony", raised a volunteer regiment in 1776, fought in Canada and Old Northwest; with Washington in New Jersey and Valley Forge; fought at Brandywine, Germantown, Stoney Point and elsewhere during Revolutionary War. | none |
11th St | Pennsylvania Canal - Washington St | George Washington (1732-99); surveyor, soldier for colony of Virginia, Commander of American Forces in Revolutionary War, First US President | Washington Blvd: Allegheny River Blvd to Penn Av in East Liberty |
12th St | O'Hara St | James O'Hara (1754-1819); Quartermaster General for the US Revolutionary Army, prominent landowner who purchased the river plain now known at "The Strip District" in 1773, partner in glassworks with Issac Craig, grandfather of Mary Schenley who donated land for Schenley Park | University of Pittsburgh campus in Oakland between Boquet St and Parkman Av; continues past Soldiers and Sailors Hall as Bayard St |
13th St | Walnut St | Species of tree in Western PA | Shadyside, between Aiken Av and Denniston St |
14th St | Factory St | Schoenberger, Blair and Co. (and others) Iron Works, Foundries, Nail Works, etc. | none |
15th St | Adams St | Probably named for James Adams, who along with George Bayard laid out the lots of Bayardstown. (Or, George Adams, assistant burgess at incorporation of Borough of Pittsburgh, April 22, 1794) | Manchester, between Chateau St and Fulton St |
16th St | Mechanic St | Possibly related to the many small lots adjacent to the Juniata Iron Works between Adams St and Mechanic St. | none |
17th St | Harrison St | Possibly, William Henry Harrison (1773-1841); active politician at the time Bayardstown was formed governor of Indiana, US soldier, famous for battle of Tippecanoe 1811, fought in War of 1812, elected to Congress 1816, US Senate 1816, Ninth US President 1841 | Lawrenceville, between 52nd St and 57th St |
Colville St | Columbia St | Alternative name for the United States in honor of Christopher Columbus | -- |
18th St | Pine St | Species of tree in Western PA | none |
19th St | Locust St | Species of tree in Western PA | The Bluff [Boyd's Hill], between Shingiss St and Gist St through Duquesne University |
Belvit Way | -- | | -- |
20th St | Carson St | There was a toll gate on Penn St at Carson St | South Side, from Hays through Birmingham to McKees Rocks |
21st St | Allegheny St | Allegheny River [early Indian tribe which had been displaced before the arrival of Europeans] | Allegheny Av: Manchester |
22nd St | Lumber St | Local saw mills. In 1872, there were 5 lumber yards on 22nd St and 21st St between (Butler St) Railroad St and the Allegheny River | none |
23rd St | Carroll St | | Friendship near Penn Av, Friendship Av to Edmond St |
24th St | Wilkins St | William Wilkins, first Pgh council president 1816 and judge. Other members of the prominent family included John Wilkins, prominent early citizen and John Wilkins, Jr., judge 1789. | Wilkins Av: Fifth Av in Bellefield to Dallas Av in Point Breeze |
25th St | Baldwin St | Henry Baldwin, Congressman from Western PA, US Supreme Court Justice | Baldwin Rd: Hays |
26th St | Morris St | Possibly, Robert Morris, organized the financing of the American Revolution and led to the establishment of the first banks in the US. | Fineview |
27th St | Rush St | Possibly, Richard Rush of PA, Attorney General under Madison 1814-17, Secretary of Treasury under J. Q. Adams 1825-29 | Manchester, between Chateau St and Manhattan St |
28th St | Morton St | | Brookline, near Glenbury St |
29th St | Clymer St | George Clymer, supervisor of the US Treasury under Washington | none |
30th St | Smith St | An 1851 map shows Smith St extending up Herron's Hill to the south. S. Smith owned property at 30th St and Penn St. In downtown, Smithfield St (Smith's Field St) was named for the English settler, Devereaux Smith. | none |
31st St | Taylor St | Possibly, Zachary Taylor (1784-1850); US General in the Mexican War, joined Army 1808, commander in Southwest 1840, 12th US President 1849-50 (J. M. Taylor owned property on 30th St in 1872.) | Bloomfield, crossing Liberty Av |
32nd St | Wilson St | Possibly, Col. George Wilson, Westmoreland Co judge, 1773 | Wilson Av: Perry Hilltop, between Perryville Av and Charles St |
33rd St | Boundary St | Former boundary of the Borough of Pittsburgh after the annexation of Bayardstown. There was a toll gate on Penn St at Boundary St. | Junction Hollow between Oakland and Schenley Park, from Second Av to Forbes Av |
LAWRENCEVILLE |
Haslett Wy | | | |
34th St | | | |
35th St | | | |
36th St | Wainwright St | Z. Wainwright, forerunner of one of the companies which eventually led to the formation of Pittsburgh Brewing Co., operated a brewery at the Allegheny River. The island thought to be that which George Washington landed on during his 1753 crossing was Wainwright Island. This island, which has since been reclaimed by the river, extended from 33rd St to 40th St. It had had other names including McCullogh's Island. | |
37th St | Lawrence Ay | John Lawrence, naval commander | Lawrenceville, between 45th St and 46th St. |
38th St | Allen Street | | Mt Washington, crossing Warrington Av to Knoxville |
Foster Wy (Lodi Wy) | Foster's Ay | William B. Foster laid out the town of Lawrenceville in 1816 | no change |
39th St | Pike St | Street intersecting the Greensburg and Philadelphia Turnpike (Penn Av), [Pike St was also an early name of Smallman St in Northern Liberties, named for the same Turnpike] | none |
40th St | Covington St | | none |
Almond Wy | Almond St | | |
41st St | Borough St | Lawrenceville Borough. (The ferry landing from Millvale was at the foot of Borough St.) | Spring Garden, off Spring Garden Av, an extension of Borough Av in Millvale. Also, along the southern boundary of Mt. Oliver. |
Banner Wy/Main St | Banner Wy/Main St | Main St north of Butler St | Main St: Temperenceville (West End) |
42nd St | Chestnut St | Species of tree in Western PA | Deutschtown, from Spring Garden Av to 16th St Bridge |
43rd St | Ewalt St | Ewalt family, early landowners | none |
43-1/2 St | Alley | | none |
44th St | Bellefontaine St (or Bellefonte St) | "Beautiful Fountain" | Bellefonte St: Bellefield, from Ellsworth Av to Fifth Av |
Locama Wy | Long Ay | | none |
45th St | St. Marys St | St. Mary's Church and Cemetery on the hill near Penn Av | none |
Cotton Wy | Cedar Ay | Species of tree in Western PA | Cedar Av: Allegheny (North Side) from North Av to General Robinson St |
46th St | Church St | St. Mary's Church and Cemetery on the hill near Penn Av | none |
Holly Wy | Alley | | |
Home St | Home St | Large home and adjacent property of Ann Irwin on Butler St | no change |
47th St | Shoenberger St | John H. Schoenberger lived at 47th St and Butler St in what is now part of Allegheny Cemetery. Shoenberger Iron Works at 14th St (Factory St) | |
48th St | Mill St | Alex McClintock's saw mill between 47th and 48th at the Allegheny River. | none |
49th St | | | |
50th St | Jackson St | J. W. Jackson owned most of the property along both sides of this street. | Highland Park, crossing Negley Av and leading to Highland Park |
51st St | | | |
52nd St | | | |
McCandless St | McCandless St | William McCandless home at the Allegheny River | no change |
G. M. Hopkins plat map, 1872