A Brief History of Baldwin Borough
The borough of Baldwin is approximately 10 miles south of the city of Pittsburgh and was named for Henry Baldwin, who became a Congressman and Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. The borough was incorporated from Baldwin Township in 1952. Baldwin is now a borough in Allegheny County. The original township actually incorporated parts of Whitehall, Brentwood and Castle Shannon as well as parts of the city of Pittsburgh like Hays, Carrick and Overbrook. Like most of Pittsburgh, mining was the area’s largest industry.
Facts About Baldwin Borough
Over 90 percent of Baldwin is residential or agricultural and has been zoned like that since the ’50s. The population of Baldwin increased by over 100 percent in 10 years when it was first incorporated in the 1950s. It has held steady at around 6,000 residents. Downtown Pittsburgh is only approximately five miles away. Baldwin is served by Baldwin Borough Library and has three volunteer fire companies, an EMS and a police force with 29 officers and counting. The neighborhood’s population is spread out, with around 20 percent at each age group, from under 18 through 65 and older. The Borough Council consists of seven members who serve four-year terms. The average age of Baldwin residents is 51 and 85 percent of its residents are homeowners.
Thank you for sharing. As an elementary education major at Pitt many years ago, I did my student teaching at the elementary school level.
I have photo’s of Baldwin Township , in the 1860s. My 4th great-grandfather lived in Baldwin Township. Having come over from Derbyshire, England, James Bennett moved to Pittsburgh, Pa. from East Liverpool, Ohio because the rivers allowed for easier transportation of his companies wares. The pottery became a glass company in downtown Pittsburgh which James’ brother Daniel Bennett ran after James became ill. Upon his illness, James retired and bought a 115-acre farm in Baldwin Township, Pa. around 1860. When the family sold that farm a high school was built on the property. James is buried in Concord Presbyterian Church Cemetery on Brownsville Road.