Historic Places in Allegheny County, PA

The following are places , buildings and assorted historic facts that had some significance in the history of northern Allegheny County.

Oakmont

The First Baptist Church of Oakmont first began services at the First Presbyterian Church of Oakmont in 1889. Although they asked no restitution, the Baptist congregation paid one dollar per service. The church was first known as the First Baptist Church of Verona, but at that time, parts of Oakmont were in Verona. The name was officially changed to The First Baptist Church of Oakmont in 1895. For a while they met in the Malta Hall in Verona, In 1893 a down payment was on property on the lower corner of View St. and College Avenue for the purpose of building a church. The money was obtained from the Ladies Aid Society who ran Bazaars in the Old De Camp home above View Street. The first service in the new building was in 1896. The church building has been torn down, but the church congregation continues to worship outside the Oakmont Community.

Oakmont has gone through a number of name changes through the years. At one time all of the land lying between Hulton Road and Verona was considered part of Verona. The land on the other side of Hulton Road was called Hulton. The town was incorporated in 1889, but the community had existed long before with the first settlement being about 73 years earlier. The first settler was Michael Bright whose tract of over 200 acres covered much of what is now Oakmont.

Pittsburgh

Allegheny County Courthouse and Jail was built in 1888 by Henry Hobson Richardson. The work began in 1883 and was not yet completed when Mr. Richardson died.

The Allegheny Observatory was first begun in the late 1850's and in 1861 the first telescope was delivered. The corner stone for the current building was laid in 1900. The Observatory was constructed on a hill above the city and the hill came to be called Observatory Hill. Ongoing research continues on the site and tours are available.

Harrison Township

The Burtner House is located near Natrona Heights and can be viewed from Route 28. This home was built in 1821 by Philip Burtner. The home became the center for town meetings, elections and community planning. Across the street from Burtner House lies Burtner Cemetery. Some of the graves are sunken and bear no stones. Others are becoming illegible. The home has been restored and can be toured.