A History of Birmingham: The South Side of Pittsburgh

[Sources: History of Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania (Durant, Samuel W., 1876., Page 140) and other texts]

 

It was in 1763 that a grateful British Crown presented John Ormsby, an Irishman, the strip of land along the Monongahela River for his services during the French and Indian War. Ormsby was a graduate of Dublin University and brought to the area his wife and three children.

 

His son-in-law, Dr. Franklin Bedford, was active in the formation of the community. Another of that family, Dr. Nathaniel Bedford, actually was the one who laid out the city of Birmingham in the fall of 1811 and named it after his hometown in England. In creating the city, he had the help of James Patterson, a civil engineer. Patterson is regarded as the "first settler" of the community. He brought some of the first industry to the area.

 

Some of the main streets were named after children of Ormsby, such as Sarah, Mary, Wharton and Jane Streets. Mt. Oliver was named for one of Ormsby's sons, Oliver.

 

As the population in the area grew, the community became divided into four boroughs with distinct boundaries; South Pittsburgh, from Smithfield bridge to Oliver St. (now Sixth St.); Birmingham, from Oliver East to Harmony St. (now 17th St.); East Birmingham, from Harmony to McClug, (now 27th St) and Ormsby from McClug (27th St.) to 36th St.

 

Carson St. was named after a sea captain who lived in Philadelphia and was a friend of Dr. Bedford. In the early days it was part of the Washington Pike, the main road to Washington, PA.

 

Birmingham was the location of many of the regions' successful glass factories, the first dating all the way back to the 1790's. During this era, glass production was performed by skilled craftsmen (many new German immigrants) in small factories. But later in the century 70 glass shops would be producing in Birmingham, making over half of the nation's glass.

 

Birmingham was annexed into the city of Pittsburgh on 12 April 1872. The area at that time was from Smithfield St. to Beck's Run Road, a total of about 1000 acres.