Carnegie, Pennsylvania

Carnegie
Borough
East Main Street, Carnegie, PA.
Official name: Borough of Carnegie
Named for: Andrew Carnegie
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Allegheny
Elevation	833 ft (254 m)
Coordinates
Area	1.6 sq mi (4.1 km2)
- land	1.6 sq mi (4.1 km2)
- water	0.0 sq mi (0 km2), 0%
Population	7,972 (2010)
Density	4,982.5 / sq mi (1,923.8 / km2)
Incorporated	March 1, 1894
Timezone	EST (UTC-5)
- summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	15106
Area code	412
School District	Carlynton
Location in Allegheny County and the state of Pennsylvania
Location of Pennsylvania in the United States
Website: Borough of Carnegie

Carnegie (/ˈkɑːrnɪɡi/) is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and is part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. The population was 7,972 in the 2010 census.

Geography

Carnegie is located at . It is approximately 5 miles (8 km) southwest of Pittsburgh. Chartiers Creek runs through the center of the borough.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²), all of it land. Its average elevation is 833 ft (254 m) above sea level.

It is part of the 18th Congressional District.

Surrounding communities

• Scott Township
• Collier Township
• Robinson Township

History

Carnegie is named after Andrew Carnegie, who donated one of his libraries for the gesture. It was incorporated on March 1, 1894. from the boroughs of Chartiers and Mansfield (separated by Chartiers Creek). Later, the borough annexed part of Robinson Township (now Rosslyn Heights). Neighborhoods include Rosslyn Heights, Cubbage Hill, Irishtown, Forsythe Hill, Library Hill, and Old Mansfield.

Many neighborhoods were at one time or another mined for coal. The main employers were steel mills such as Superior Steel & Union Electric Steel. Carnegie had a rail yard that had connections to several railroads early in the twentieth century, including the Wabash Pittsburgh Terminal railroad, and the Pennsylvania Railroad. In the 1970s, Carnegie suffered economically with the closure of the great steel mills such as J & L in and around Pittsburgh.

In 1923, Imperial Wizard Hiram Evans and ten thousand Ku Klux Klan members tried to march through the streets of Carnegie. The town's large Catholic population refused to let the Klan march through the streets. Violence broke out, one Klansman was killed and hundreds of others wounded. Protestant membership in the KKK of the 1920s grew as the population of Catholic families in town increased. By 1923, Carnegie had one of the largest Klans in the state.

In 2004, Carnegie was significantly damaged by flooding as a result of Hurricane Ivan. Much of the commercial section of the borough, as well as the borough's Roman Catholic churches, were closed or damaged. But in about 2014, with the economic upturn, Carnegie's Main Street rebounded, with many new restaurants and small businesses, becoming a popular Pittsburgh-area destination, especially on weekends.

Culture

Carnegie is a walkable community with many interesting and unique stores and restaurants on its Main Street. Its park is home to a dog park, playground, tennis courts, a hockey rink, basketball courts, baseball fields, walking trails, and Pitcher Skate Park. The Carnegie Library and Music Hall is home to the Grand Army of the Republic Cpt. Thomas Espy Post and Stage 62 theater productions. Off the Wall Productions theater also makes its home in Carnegie, and hosts the annual Pittsburgh New Works Festival.

Carnegie is religiously diverse. There are two Orthodox Churches (Ukrainian and Russian), two Lutheran churches, a Ukrainian Catholic church, a Methodist church, an Episcopal church, a Polish Catholic church, a Roman Catholic Church, and a synagogue. In addition, the Attawheed Islamic Center opened in 2011, and the Indian Community Center in 2012.

Carnegie also has many local fraternal organizations including the VFW, FOE, American Legion, Elks, Polish Eagles, Polish Sportsmen, AOH, Ukrainian-American Citizens' Club, plus a number of smaller clubs.

Education

Carnegie's students are served by the Carlynton School District. There is an elementary school within the Borough.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1900	7,330		—
1910	10,009		36.5%
1920	11,516		15.1%
1930	12,497		8.5%
1940	12,663		1.3%
1950	12,105		−4.4%
1960	11,887		−1.8%
1970	10,864		−8.6%
1980	10,099		−7.0%
1990	9,278		−8.1%
2000	8,389		−9.6%
2010	7,972		−5.0%
Est. 2014	7,912		−0.8%
Sources:

As of the census of 2000, there were 8,389 people, 3,967 households, and 2,134 families residing in the borough. The population density was 5,076.7 people per square mile (1,963.0/km²). There were 4,249 housing units at an average density of 2,571.3 per square mile (994.3/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 91.32% White, 5.57% African American, 0.08% Native American, 1.23% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.39% from other races, and 1.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.99% of the population.

There were 3,967 households, out of which 22.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.4% were married couples living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.2% were non-families. 40.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.10 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the borough the population was spread out, with 19.4% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 20.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 85.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.0 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $32,589, and the median income for a family was $41,371. Males had a median income of $30,792 versus $26,239 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $21,119. About 9.7% of families and 11.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.4% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

Athletes

• Mike Ditka, Pro Football Hall of Fame member
• Bernie Faloney, Canadian Football Hall of Fame member
• Skip Prosser, Former NCAA Division I basketball head coach for Wake Forest University
• Butts Wagner, Major League Baseball player, older brother of Honus Wagner
• Honus Wagner, Baseball Hall of Fame member

Politicians

• Ruggero J. Aldisert, judge on the United States Court of Appeals
• James H. Duff, governor of Pennsylvania, 1947–1951; member of the U.S. Senate, 1951–1957
• James A. Wright, member of the U.S. House of Representatives, 1941–1945
• Russell Errett, member of the U.S. House of Representatives, 1877–1883

Artists

• Brian Alfred, American painter
• James Michael Newell, W.P.A. muralist

See also

• Polish Cathedral style
• Polish American
• http://www.foe.com/index.aspx Fraternal Order of Eagles
• http://www.carnegiecarnegie.org/ Andrew Carnegie Free Library
• http://www.pa.gov/portal/server.pt/community/government/3014 Government - Allegheny County

Gallery

• 

  Forsythe Home, built around 1850, located at 920 Forsythe Road.

• 

  Husler Building, built in 1896, located at 1 West Main Street.

• 

  The Andrew Carnegie Free Library, built in 1899, located at 300 Beechwood Avenue.

• 

  St. Peter & St. Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church, built in 1906, located at 220 Mansfield Boulevard.

• 

  St. Peter & St. Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church and The Holy Virgin Russian Orthodox Church in Carnegie, PA.

• 

  The Holy Virgin Russian Orthodox Church, built in 1920, located at 214 Mansfield Boulevard.

External links

• Borough of Carnegie (official site)
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•  
• Historical Society of Carnegie & genealogy site