Beechview (PA) (Images of America)

Purportedly named for the many beech trees growing on its hillsides, Beechview was settled by Scotch-Irish and English pioneers in the late 1700s. This Pittsburgh neighborhood stretches along a broad ridge two and a half miles south of the Point.

While Pittsburgh grew and developed into the political and economic center of the region, on the ridge, self-reliant farmers, miners, and shopkeepers maintained an easy interdependency. In 1905, Beechview separated from Union Township to become a borough. The broad ridge was graded and laid with trolley track, which brought commercial and residential development to the area. Beechview became a destination community for inner-city residents seeking relief from the crowded urban spaces. Hundreds of new families arrived, established businesses, and created a degree of prosperity for the community. Beechview merged with Pittsburgh in 1909, and today, it is a thriving and diverse neighborhood.