Troy Hill was originally called New Troy.  It was part of the “Reserve Tract” which was officially incorporated in 1833.  Settled by German immigrants working in the mills, breweries and railroads in Pittsburgh along the Allegheny River, the migration began as a small Catholic Church opened a cemetery in 1842.   During the 1830s, the population of this soon-to-be Pittsburgh neighborhood began to increase quickly.  So, a one room brick schoolhouse was built.  At the time, the area was still known as New Troy and part of Reserve Township, so they named the school Mount Troy School #1.  As growth in the area continued, the #1 school house was sold and a two room school house replaced it in 1860.  The school was expanded through the end of the Civil War, with more rooms being added, and it was part of Allgheny City’s school system.  1877 saw Troy Hill become the 13th ward of Allegheny City, later annexed in it’s entirety into the City of Pittsburgh.  The site of the original school is now a community park.

A great gift… your Troy Hill coffee mug. Get it right here!

There are six historic landmarks in the neighborhood: the Troy Hill Firehouse, Saint Anthony’s Chapel, the Rectory of Most Holy Name of Jesus, the Troy Hill Incline Building, the Allegheny Reservoir Wall, and the Ober-Guehl house.

Troy Hill Fire House

St. Anthony’s Chapel

The hill was also the site of one of Pittsburgh’s famous inclines, in operation from 1888 unitl 1898.  It was one of only a few inclines constructed on the north side of Pittsburgh.  It was 370 feet long and cost about $94,000 to construct at the time!  The #4 Troy Hill trolley, run by Pittsburgh Railways, served the area until 1959.

Original Site of Troy Hill’s Incline

The neighborhood was home to Thomas J. Foerster, a state representative for 10 years, and later, Allegheny County Commissioner for 28.   He was also part of the first county council of Allegheny, established in 2000.




There have been a few movies filmed in Troy Hill over the years, to include Hoffa (1992), Innocent Blood (1992), Striking Distance (1993) and Adventureland (2009).

The area is bordered by the Pittsburgh city neighborhoods of Spring Garden, East Allegheny and the North Shore. The Strip District, also in the city, is directly across the Allegheny River from Troy Hill.   It is also bordered by the Pittsburgh suburbs of Reserve Township and Millvale.

Recently, the neighborhood has seen a resurgence and renewed interest.   There are many fine places to visit and eat.  Here are just some of the restaurants in Troy Hill for you to try.