Pittsburgh Neigborhoods: California-Kirkbride

A Brief History of California-Kirkbride

History of California-Kirkbride

The California-Kirkbride neighborhood is a small piece of land in between railroad tracks. This Pittsburgh neighborhood is settled between Manchester to the north and Brightwood and Perry Hilltop to the south. The community was primarily developed from 1870 to around 1900. Businessmen who ran facilities like slaughterhouses and tanneries needed a place to live so they ended up building rowhouses that are now in California-Kirkbride. The homes are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places and known as the “Old Allegheny Rows Historic District.” Unfortunately, the neighborhood began to shrink post-Great Depression.

Fast Facts about California-Kirkbride

History of California-Kirkbride

The community is home to a USPS sorting facility, and a high school (Oliver High). Most of the neighborhood is on a flat river plain that is part of old Allegheny City. Throughout the history of California-Kirkbride, a large amount of the community’s buildings have been torn down. There are now vacant lots where homes have been. Surrounding neighborhoods include Central North Side and Marshall-Shadeland. California-Kirkbride has a green space in Allegheny Commons Park. There is a citizens’ group, the Northside Coalition for Fair Housing, working to make the community a thriving part of the city of Pittsburgh again.

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