Braddock, Pennsylvania

Braddock is a borough located in the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, 10 miles (16 km) upstream from the mouth of the Monongahela River. The population was 1,721 as of the 2020 census, a 91.8% decline since its peak of 20,879 in 1920.[3][4]

Braddock, Pennsylvania
Borough
Braddock Carnegie Library, May 2010
Braddock Carnegie Library, May 2010
Location in Allegheny County and the U.S. state of Pennsylvania
Location in Allegheny County and the U.S. state of Pennsylvania
Location of Pennsylvania in the United States
Location of Pennsylvania in the United States
Braddock is located in Pennsylvania
Braddock
Braddock
Braddock is located in the United States
Braddock
Braddock
Coordinates: 40°24′13″N 79°52′7″W
Country United States
State Pennsylvania
County Allegheny
Settled1742
IncorporatedJune 8, 1867
Government
 • TypeBorough Council
 • MayorDelia Lennon-Winstead
 • Borough Council PresidentDominique Davis-Sanders
Area
[1]
 • Total0.66 sq mi (1.71 km2)
 • Land0.56 sq mi (1.46 km2)
 • Water0.10 sq mi (0.25 km2)
Elevation
764 ft (233 m)
Population
 (2020)[2]
 • Total1,721
 • Density3,056.84/sq mi (1,179.85/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP Code
15104
Area code412
FIPS code42-07992
School DistrictWoodland Hills
Websitebraddockborough.com

History
Braddock's Field

Braddock is named for General Edward Braddock (1695–1755), commander of American colonial forces at the start of the French and Indian War.[5] The Braddock Expedition to capture Fort Duquesne (modern day Pittsburgh) from the French led to the British general's own fatal wounding and a sound defeat of his troops after crossing the Monongahela River on July 9, 1755. This battle, now called the Battle of the Monongahela, was a key event at the beginning of the French and Indian War.

The area surrounding Braddock's Field was originally inhabited by the Lenape, ruled by Queen Alliquippa.[6]

In 1742, John Fraser and his family established the area at the mouth of Turtle Creek as the first permanent English settlement west of the Allegheny Mountains.[6] George Washington visited the area in 1753–1754. It was the site of Braddock's Defeat on July 9, 1755.

Braddock's first industrial facility, a barrel plant, opened in 1850.[6] The borough was incorporated on June 8, 1867.[7] The town's industrial economy began in 1873, when Andrew Carnegie built the Edgar Thomson Steel Works on the historic site of Braddock's Field in what is now North Braddock, Pennsylvania. This was one of the first American steel mills which used the Bessemer process. As of 2010, it continues operation as a part of the United States Steel Corporation. This era of the town's history is depicted in Thomas Bell's novel Out of This Furnace.

Braddock is also the location of the first of Andrew Carnegie's 1,679 (some sources list 1,689) public libraries in the US, designed by William Halsey Wood of Newark, New Jersey, and dedicated on March 30, 1889. The Braddock Library included a tunnel entrance for Carnegie's millworkers to enter a bathhouse in the basement to clean up before entering the facilities (which originally included billiard tables). An addition in 1893, by Longfellow, Alden and Harlow (Boston & Pittsburgh, successors to Henry Hobson Richardson), added a swimming pool, indoor basketball court, and 964-seat music hall that included a Votey pipe organ. The building was rescued from demolition in 1978 by the Braddock's Field Historical Society, and is still in use as a public library. The bathhouse has recently been converted to a pottery studio; the music hall is currently under restoration.

During the early 1900s many immigrants settled in Braddock, primarily from Croatia, Slovenia, and Hungary.

Condemned houses in Braddock, 2009

Braddock lost its importance with the collapse of the steel industry in the United States in the 1970s and 1980s. This coincided with the crack cocaine epidemic of the early 1980s, and the combination of the two woes nearly destroyed the community. In 1988, Braddock was designated a financially distressed municipality. The entire water distribution system was rebuilt in 1990-1991 at a cost of $4.7 million, resulting in a fine system where only 5% of piped water is deemed "unaccounted-for". As of the early 2020s, Braddock's population is approximately 90% reduced from a peak of about 20,000 in the 1920s.[3][4]

John Fetterman, mayor of Braddock from 2006 until his 2019 inauguration as Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania, launched a campaign to attract new residents to the area from the artistic and creative communities.[8]

He also initiated various revitalization efforts, including the nonprofit organization Braddock Redux.[9] Fetterman appeared in various media to discuss his vision of Braddock's needs, including PBS,[10] The Colbert Report on Comedy Central,[11] CNN, Fox News, CNBC, and The New York Times.[12] In the UK, The Guardian[13] and the BBC have reported on him.[14] He has also had his own episode on Hulu's original series A Day in the Life.[15] John Fetterman has gone on to become one of the two United States Senators from Pennsylvania after the 2022 midterms.

Since 1974, Braddock resident Tony Buba has made many films. One of his earlier films is Justice League centering on the borough and its industrial decline, including Struggles in Steel.[16] In September 2010, the IFC and Sundance television channels showed the film Ready to Work: Portraits of Braddock, produced by the Levi Strauss corporation. This film interviews many of the local residents and shows their efforts to revitalize the town.[17]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 0.6 square miles (1.6 km2), 0.6 square miles (1.6 km2) of which is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) (13.85%) of which is water. Its average elevation is 764 ft (233 m) above sea level.[18]

Surrounding and adjacent neighborhoods

Braddock has two land borders, with North Braddock from the north to the southeast, and Rankin to the northwest. Across the Monongahela River to the south, Braddock is adjacent to Whitaker and West Mifflin.

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18701,290—
18803,310156.6%
18908,561158.6%
190015,65482.9%
191019,35723.7%
192020,8797.9%
193019,329−7.4%
194018,326−5.2%
195016,488−10.0%
196012,337−25.2%
19708,795−28.7%
19805,634−35.9%
19904,682−16.9%
20002,912−37.8%
20102,159−25.9%
20201,721−20.3%
Sources:[19][20][21][22][3][2]

2020 census
Braddock borough, Pennsylvania – Racial and Ethnic Composition
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity Pop 2010[23] Pop 2020[24] % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 489 317 22.65% 18.42%
Black or African American alone (NH) 1,555 1,219 72.02% 70.83%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 14 5 0.65% 0.29%
Asian alone (NH) 3 7 0.14% 0.41%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 4 1 0.19% 0.06%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 5 13 0.23% 0.76%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) 49 117 2.27% 6.80%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 40 42 1.85% 2.44%
Total 2,159 1,721 100.00% 100.00%

According to the American Community Survey in 2020, Braddock has an employment rate of 34.2%, a median household income of $23,050, 3.7% of the population has no health care coverage, with 10.7% of the population possessing a Bachelor's degree or higher.[25]

Government and politics
Presidential Elections Results[26][27][28]
Year Republican Democratic Third Parties
2020 9% 82 89% 784 0.6% 6
2016 9% 82 89% 822 2% 18
2012 7% 66 93% 933 1% 4

The borough is represented by the Pennsylvania State Senate's 45th district, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives' 34th district, and Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Education

Woodland Hills School District is the local school district.

Notable people

See also

References
  1. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  2. "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved Oct 12, 2022.
  3. "Braddock borough, Pennsylvania". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  4. "Table 5. Population of Incorporated Places: 1930 and 1920" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. p. 959.
  5. Porter, Thomas J. Jr. (May 10, 1984). "Town names carry a little bit of history". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 1. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
  6. Kline, Jonathan; Brill, Christine. "History | Braddock, PA 15104". Archived from the original on 2015-11-04.
  7. "Allegheny County - 2nd Class" (PDF). Retrieved 2007-08-18.
  8. "Mayor | Braddock, PA 15104". Archived from the original on 2016-06-02. Retrieved 2007-08-18.
  9. BraddockRedux.org, accessdate September 4, 2009
  10. Profile of Fetterman and Braddock on the show Now on PBS
  11. http://www.levistrauss.com/blogs/fetterman-v-colbert Archived August 20, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  12. "Rock Bottom for Decades, but Showing Signs of Life". The New York Times. January 31, 2009. Retrieved October 19, 2010. 'Space is cheap here,' said Mr. Gustafson, 30. 'We can afford to focus on our hobbies.' He is a graphic designer; she is a photographer.
  13. Pilkington, Ed (July 15, 2009). "Coolest mayor in America? Why John Fetterman has his postcode tattooed on his arm". The Guardian. London. Retrieved July 15, 2009.
  14. BBC.co.uk: US mayor strikes unconventional note
  15. "John Fetterman". HULU. May 7, 2012. Archived from the original on May 18, 2012. Retrieved May 23, 2012.
  16. "Tony Buba". IMDb.
  17. Braddock Film Gets Additional Airing, WDUQ News
  18. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  19. "Number of Inhabitants: Pennsylvania" (PDF). 18th Census of the United States. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
  20. "Pennsylvania: Population and Housing Unit Counts" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
  21. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  22. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
  23. "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Braddock borough, Pennsylvania". United States Census Bureau.
  24. "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Braddock borough, Pennsylvania". United States Census Bureau.
  25. , Braddock borough, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, 2020 Census Data, retrieved November 14, 2022
  26. EL. "2012 Allegheny County election". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
  27. EL. "2016 Pennsylvania general election results". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
  28. "Election Night Reporting".
  29. "A&P History". 6 April 2009.
  30. "Levi Explore : We Are All Workers". Archived from the original on 2010-10-13. Retrieved 2010-10-07.
  31. Straub, Jim; Economy, Bret LiebendorferTopics: Political (2008-12-01). "Monthly Review | Braddock, Pennsylvania Out of the Furnace and into the Fire". Monthly Review. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  32. John Major, The Autobiography, HarperCollins (1999), pp. 2–3.
  33. "Corporal Frank S. Scott". Scott AFB History Office. 2006-04-17. Retrieved 2006-08-31.
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