Pittsburgh Neighborhoods: History Of Friendship

A Brief History of Friendship

History of Friendship

Friendship is a neighborhood located in the east end of Pittsburgh.  It’s made up of expansive Victorian houses and is bordered by Garfield, East Liberty, Shadyside and Bloomfield.

Settler Casper Taub made his home in this neighborhood just before the American Revolution, along with Bloomfield and Garfield. He claimed the neighborhoods from a Delaware Native American tribe. The city of Pittsburgh annexed the East End in 1868. Joseph Conrad Winebiddle, who married Elizabeth Taub, daughter of Casper, began dividing their land and selling it. Bloomfield was developed first, followed by Friendship, when trolleys started running along Baum Boulevard. This is how Friendship was first built as a streetcar suburb, hence the large homes for professional families in the Victorian era.

The neighborhood experienced a second birth in the late ’80s. In the early 2000s, artists and architects moved in and called Friendship their own. Today, this historic neighborhood is experiencing a revitalization like many Pittsburgh neighborhoods.   Old Victorian homes in disrepair have been purchased and renovated throughout the neighborhood.  Garfield, Bloomfield and the East End are all within walking distance, and revitalized business districts in these places offer inviting opportunities to dine, shop and mingle.

Facts About Friendship

History of Friendship

There has been a long-standing myth that this area of Pittsburgh was named after a friendly relationship between Joseph Conrad Winebiddle and William Penn. Apparently, this is untrue, as William Penn never even visited Western PA. The area takes its name from Friendship Ave., which is named after a farm that used to be at the corner of Friendship and Roup. It was named so by a descendant of William Penn, who was a member of the religious “Society of Friends.”

1 thought on “Pittsburgh Neighborhoods: History Of Friendship”

  1. I love your website. I enjoy reading it and finding out new info on my hometown. Live near Philly now, but my heart will always be in the ‘burg. Thank you.

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