Pittsburgh Suburbs: History of Avalon Borough

A Brief History of Avalon Borough

Avalon is a borough in Allegheny County located along the Ohio River. It’s a mostly residential borough and the population was right around 5,000 as of the 2010 census. The history of Avalon begins in December 1874, when approximately 30 property owners decided to separate from Kilbuck Township. Kilbuck itself had actually separated from Pine just a few years earlier. A petition was presented by Noah Shafer, who ended up becoming West Bellevue’s first solicitor. The first election for incorporation of Avalon was held the day after Christmas, 1874. James Semple was elected first burgess and in April 1875, Avalon was named. It gets its name from “land of apples” due to the abundant amount of apple orchards in the borough. A streetcar eventually found its way to Avalon by the year 1900 and later trains came through too. Service ended by spring 1966 when the Pittsburgh Port Authority bus system began to grow.

Facts about Avalon Borough

Avalon is bordered by four borders, including Ben Avon Heights, Kilbuck, Ben Avon and Bellevue. The borough is relatively small, with an area measuring just under a mile. There were just over 2,000 households in Avalon as of the 2010 census. The average household size was 1.99 and the average family size was 2.83. The population of Avalon grew steadily from its beginnings and has since leveled out. In 1890, there were 804 people living there and a decade later, 2,130. By 1910, 4,317 called Avalon home and by 1940, 6,155 was the total population.