A Brief History of Crafton
Crafton is a borough in Allegheny County located west of downtown Pittsburgh. The history of Crafton begins with the neighborhood being named after James S. Craft. Craft was a frontier attorney who was given land near the forks of Ohio in what is today Oakland in Pittsburgh. The sale of that land gave Craft the ability to make purchases in Chartiers Valley. James’ son Charles divided the land when James died and submitted it to the Allegheny County Courthouse. He named the land “Crafton.” In 1882, the borough was incorporated and Charles was the first burgess. Crafton was linked to downtown via trolley in 1896. Unfortunately, that service ended when the Fort Pitt Bridge was introduced.
Facts About Crafton
Crafton was rated as the best place to raise kids in PA in 2011 by Bloomberg Businessweek. Former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Bill Cowher grew up in Crafton and attended Carlynton High School. Decorated war veteran Marine Corps Lieutenant General Alpha Lyons Bowser was from Crafton. He was awarded for his actions in Iwo Jima and the Battle of Chosin Reservoir. In the 2000 census there there over 3,000 households—40.2 percent were made of individuals and 14.3 percent were living alone aged 65 or older. Crafton is home to delicious bars like Mugshots and gems like Big Daddy’s Donuts.
