Pittsburgh Neighborhoods: History of East Liberty

A Brief History of East Liberty





history of east liberty



East Liberty Coffee mug
Get your PB Neighborhood Series East Liberty Mug right here!

East Liberty is a diverse neighborhood in Pittsburgh with a notable skyline—the East Liberty Presbyterian Church. The history of East Liberty began around the time of the American Revolution, when it was a free grazing area in Allegheny County a couple miles from the city of Pittsburgh. Interestingly enough, the name East Liberty came from Old English usage of a liberty as a plot of land on the outskirts of town (or in this case, just east of Pittsburgh).




East Liberty began to develop commercially in 1843 when German founder of Highland Park Alexander Negley’s granddaughter Sarah Jane Negley married Thomas Mellon. Mellon made a fortune selling or renting land near East Liberty that Sarah Jane inherited. He then used those funds to finance Pittsburgh’s burgeoning industries. It was Mellon who made it his goal for East Liberty to become a place for bustling transportation in the ‘burgh (Pittsburgh’s first trolley lines passed through East Liberty!).



Fun Facts

history of east liberty




In 2014, USA Today named East Liberty one of the 10 best up-and-coming neighborhoods in the United States—pretty cool! East Liberty also has some contest winners in their mix. In a contest sponsored by Verizon Wireless for the “Best Church Choir in America,” the Remnant Choir from Mt. Ararat Baptist Church took second place and $20,000 in prize money.

While this is not exactly “fun,” it turns out positive—during the 1960s, East Liberty became a neighborhood down on its luck. There were over 500 businesses in the neighborhood at the end of the ’50s but by 1979, only 98 remained. It has since undergone a renaissance and become a thriving retail and business.  The history of East Liberty is being rewritten in modern times.

*All Photos Pittsburgh Beautiful Originals



6 thoughts on “Pittsburgh Neighborhoods: History of East Liberty”

  1. Pingback: Pittsburgh Neighborhoods: East Liberty/East End...

  2. Pingback: Pittsburgh Neighborhoods: Lincoln-Larimer | Pittsburgh Beautiful

  3. Cynthia L Snider

    My great great grandfather was Joseph Kreuer who started the Kreuer Cafe on Larimer Ave. He would sponsor Italians from Italy with jobs to help them immigrate to America , as they needed employment guaranteed to come to America.

  4. My father had a tire business on Hamilton Ave and I worked for Brushton coal company where we unload coal from railroad cars to dump trucks and delivered locally in early 50s

  5. My grandmother always took us to Joyce McClements (sp?) for dinner on special occasions. (Circa late 40’s, early 50’s). Bakery on the right as you entered; restaurant in the back; restroom with lighted, sanitizing seats (well remembered by a young child).

Comments are closed.

Scroll to Top