A Brief History of Pitcairn
Pitcairn is a borough in Allegheny Country approximately 15 miles outside Pittsburgh. Around the 1900s, the neighborhood was the site of huge railroad yards and shops that employed thousands. Pitcairn’s name is actually tied to Robert Pitcairn, an official of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Pitcairn Yard opened in 1892 and was for years a major switching yard of the PA Railroad. Since the ’90s, it has now become an intermodal freight transport yard for Norfolk Southern Railway. Containers are brought off trains, transferred to trucks for delivery and vice versa. In 1971, the first Fox’s Pizza Den opened in Pitcairn and is still on Broadway Boulevard to this day. The neighborhood runs its open power distribution system and municipality owned government-access TV. The population of the community increased around 4,000 from 1900 until the 1940s, but has since declined. As of the 2010 Census, it was around 3,500 people.
Facts about Pitcairn
Notable Pitcairn inhabitants include bandleader Ted Weems and musical instrument maker Carl Thompson. NFL player Harry Robb also was a Pitcairn resident. Dewees “Cutty” Cutshall, who was a trombone player for many big-name orchestras like the Benny Goodman Band also hails from Pitcairn. As of the 2000 Census, there were around 1,600 homes in Pitcairn with 24.7 percent of children under the age of 18. Approximately 35 percent had married couples and the average household size was 2.20. The median household income for a family was approximately $34,000.
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Back in the 20’s, my grandfather, Harry Holzschuer, owned a couple of businesses, including a shoe store in Pitcairn. According to family stories, he was also partial owner of a non- pro football in Pitcairn.
My grandfather, Findley Keller, designed the fox logo for Fox’s Pizza Den. Every time I see one of the pizza shops I think of my grandfather. We always thought the fox looked like our cat, Misty!
I am looking for information on the Creighton in Pitcairn. Peter Creighton worked for the railroad and was killed in an accident in 1897 (he was my great grandfather). Also looking for info on my grandfather, Bert Creighton (born 1897). Also, any info on the McMunn’s would be very appreciated, Martha McMunn was Peter’s wife. Thank you.