Pleasant Hills

Pleasant Hills

Pleasant Hills is a borough in Allegheny County approximately 10 miles south of the city of Pittsburgh. It has four borders, including Baldwin to the northwest, West Mifflin to the northeast, Jefferson Hills to the southeast, and South Park Township to the southwest.

Pleasant Hills was originally part of the Province of Virginia.  In 1788, it became part of newly established Allegheny County in Pennsylvania.  The first recorded land owner, John Reed, Jr., named the area Reedsburg and built a log home on what is today Orchard Drive.  His brother-in-law, William Walker, settled on a farm close by and he named it Pleasant Hill Farm.  He built a stone house that became a tavern and stage coach stop.  It was located near the cloverleaf of Route 51 on Lebanon Church Road.

In the later part of the 1700s, settlers, mainly farmers, began to move into the area.  Most of these farms grew rye and corn, thus alot of whiskey was produced in the area.  The 1790s saw the U.S. Government place a high excise tax on whiskey, inciting the famous Whiskey Rebellion.

In the early 1900s, suburban areas began to spring up… the first real suburban plan with residential streets and homes was constructed in 1929 along Airport Road, now Lebanon Church Road.  The depression actually saw a period of growth in Pleasant Hills with shops and commercial areas openining, to include the once famous Bill Green’s night club.

In 1946, residents of the area (still governed by local Jefferson Township) petitioned for incorporation as the Borough of Pleasant Hills. It was officially recognized by Allegheny County as such in 1947.  Most of the residents were employed by the steel industry and the banking industry.  There were also many small businesses, legal, medical, insurance, etc.

Today, the area has grown to around 9000 residents and is a popular Pittsburgh Suburb for people relocating to the Pittsburgh area due to its quite neighborhoods and rural feel with a close tie to the amenities in the city of Pittsburgh.  Every year, Pleasant Hills celebrates Community Day in August with a parade and fireworks.

 

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