Homewood (Pittsburgh)
Encyclopedia
Homewood is a predominantly African American
neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
, United States
, officially divided into three neighborhoods: Homewood North, Homewood South and Homewood West.
Homewood is bordered on the southwest by the Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway
which follows the old Pennsylvania Railroad
line in toward downtown Pittsburgh.
and Irish American
area until the 1950s. Homewood was also the Pittsburgh residence of industrialists Andrew Carnegie
and Thomas M. Carnegie
until the late 1880s. The adjacent Brushton area had a notable and vibrant Italian American
community. Jazz composer Billy Strayhorn
and his family moved to Homewood from Dayton, Ohio
, when Strayhorn was very young. The neighborhoods were annexed by the city of Pittsburgh on December 1, 1884.
, 0.6% White
, 0.3% Asian
, 0.0% American Indian
, and 0.8% from 2 or more races. http://www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/cp/assets/census/2000_census_pgh_jan06.pdf
talks about growing up in Homewood in his book Our Time.
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, officially divided into three neighborhoods: Homewood North, Homewood South and Homewood West.
Homewood is bordered on the southwest by the Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway
Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway
The Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway is a two-lane dedicated bus-only highway serving the city of Pittsburgh and many of its eastern neighborhoods and suburbs. The original segment of the busway opened in February 1983, running between Downtown Pittsburgh and Edgewood, a length of 6.8 miles...
which follows the old Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
line in toward downtown Pittsburgh.
History
Homewood was a predominantly German AmericanGerman American
German Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...
and Irish American
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
area until the 1950s. Homewood was also the Pittsburgh residence of industrialists Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and entrepreneur who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century...
and Thomas M. Carnegie
Thomas M. Carnegie
Thomas Morrison Carnegie was a Scottish-born American industrialist. He was the brother of steel magnate Andrew Carnegie, and co-founder of the Edgar Thomson Steel Works .-Early life:...
until the late 1880s. The adjacent Brushton area had a notable and vibrant Italian American
Italian American
An Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...
community. Jazz composer Billy Strayhorn
Billy Strayhorn
William Thomas "Billy" Strayhorn was an American composer, pianist and arranger, best known for his successful collaboration with bandleader and composer Duke Ellington lasting nearly three decades. His compositions include "Chelsea Bridge", "Take the "A" Train" and "Lush Life".-Early...
and his family moved to Homewood from Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
, when Strayhorn was very young. The neighborhoods were annexed by the city of Pittsburgh on December 1, 1884.
Demographics
The 2000 Census demographics of the neighborhood are 98.3% African AmericanAfrican American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, 0.6% White
White
White is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.White light can be...
, 0.3% Asian
Asian people
Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
, 0.0% American Indian
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, and 0.8% from 2 or more races. http://www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/cp/assets/census/2000_census_pgh_jan06.pdf
Neighborhoods
Homewood is officially divided into three neighborhoods: Homewood North, Homewood South and Homewood West.- Homewood North is a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, USAUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
's east city area. It has zip codeZIP CodeZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
s of both 15221 and 15208, and has representation on Pittsburgh City Council by both the council members for District 9 (Northeast Neighborhoods).
- Homewood South is a gang neighborhood in Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, USAUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
's east city area. It has ZIP CodeZIP CodeZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
s of both 15208 and 15221, and has representation on Pittsburgh City CouncilPittsburgh City CouncilThe Pittsburgh City Council is the legislative body of the City of Pittsburgh. It consists of nine members. City council members are chosen by plurality elections in each of nine districts....
by the council member for District 9 (Northeast Neighborhoods).
- Homewood West is a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, USAUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
's east city area. It has ZIP Codes of both 15206 and 15208, and has representation on Pittsburgh City Council by the council member for District 9 (Northeast Neighborhoods).- Notable: Charles 'Teenie' HarrisCharles Harris (photographer)Charles "Teenie" Harris was an accomplished African-American photographer.Harris was born in 1908 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, the son of hotel owners in the city's Hill District. Early in the 1930s he purchased his first camera and opened a photography studio. He freelanced for the...
, photographer
- Notable: Charles 'Teenie' Harris
Further reading
John Edgar WidemanJohn Edgar Wideman
John Edgar Wideman is an American writer, professor at Brown University, and sits on the contributing editorial board of the literary journal Conjunctions.-Early life:...
talks about growing up in Homewood in his book Our Time.