Verona

Verona is a suburb of Pittsburgh located about 13 miles east of downtown and is bordered by Oakmont, Penn Hills and O’Hara Township..  Named for 2 stops along the Allegheny Railroad, Verner and Iona, the town was a booming railroad town for the first half of the 20th Century.  A machine shop, foundry, repair shop and roundhouse were part of the industry in Verona serving the growth of Pittsburgh.  Engines would pull into the roundhouse for the return trip.  The rail yards employed many in the town, and during World War One were staffed by many of the women of the area, with the men off fighting.

American Beverage Corporation, the producer of Daily’s cocktail mixes and Little Hugs, has a facility where the roundhouse once stood.

In 1776, Thomas Girty acquired 300 acres from George Croghan in what was to become the borough of Verona.  Girty conveyed the land to Colonel Pressly Neville, a close friend of George Washington.  Neville held the land until 1813, transferring it to Robert Elliott who subsequently did the same in 1816 to Michael Bright.

At that time, the land was covered woodlands, save for a small log home.  Bright built a new her home and lived on the land with his wife and fifteen children until 1847.  During this time the land was sold and subdivided many times.

As industry and steel began to shape Pittsburgh, the railroads moved in and Verona grew into a bustling railroad town.  Today Verona is a peaceful and quiet community.  There are shops, restaurants and businesses along Allegheny River Boulevard.  As the town is along the Allegheny River, there are recreational facilities for water activities and a boat club.