A Brief History of Perry South
Perry South, or Perry Hilltop is a neighborhood located on the North Side of Pittsburgh. The history of Perry South starts long ago, the neighborhood got it’s name from Perrysville Ave. The avenue is an extension of Federal Street, the main north-south street of Allegheny City. Perry South also is named for Commodore Perry, who used the Venango Trail (an Indian path leading north of Allegheny Town) which was part of Perryville Ave. The community was originally developed as a streetcar suburb and includes almost exclusively residential homes and an intimate business district. From 1960-1970, the neighborhood’s population declined from 16,000 to 13,000. From 1970 through the year 2000, the population decreased to just 5,200 people.
Fast Facts About Perry South
Perry South is known as a hilltop neighborhood because where Federal Street ends and Perrysville Ave., the river becomes a steep hill. The hill which Perry South is built has natural borders like Charles Street Valley (west), the East Street Valley to the east and the Pleasant Valley to the south. Residents of Perry South have put together the Perry Hilltop Citizens Council to improve the business district. At one point, the southwestern corner of Perry South was called Pleasant Valley, which was a neighborhood in its own right. The history of Perry south begins with the area settled by Europeans from Germany, Ireland, Italy and Poland. A part of Perry South has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places—a series of rowhouses on Brightridge Street.
