Homewood (Pittsburgh)

The Homewood Branch of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh located at 7101 Hamilton Avenue in the Homewood South neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

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.

History

Homewood was a predominantly German American 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.

Demographics

The 2000 Census demographics of the neighborhood are 98.3% African American, 0.6% White, 0.3% Asian, 0.0% American Indian, and 0.8% from 2 or more races. [1]

Neighborhoods

Homewood is officially divided into three neighborhoods: Homewood North, Homewood South and Homewood West.

Homewood North
Baxter High School
Neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Coordinates: 40.460°N 79.900°W / 40.460; -79.900
Population (1990): 5331
Population (2000): 4522
Area: 0.434 sq mi (1.12 km2)

• Homewood North is a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA's east city area. It has zip codes of both 15221 and 15208, and has representation on Pittsburgh City Council by both the council members for District 9 (Northeast Neighborhoods).

Homewood South
East End Brewing Company
Neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Coordinates: 40.455°N 79.900°W / 40.455; -79.900
Population (1990): 4811
Population (2000): 3647
Area: 0.398 sq mi (1.03 km2)

• Homewood South is a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA's east city area. It has ZIP Codes of both 15208 and 15221, and has representation on Pittsburgh City Council by the council member for District 9 (Northeast Neighborhoods).

Homewood West
Westinghouse High School
Neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Coordinates: 40.460°N 79.905°W / 40.460; -79.905
Population (1990): 1369
Population (2000): 1114
Area: 0.199 sq mi (0.52 km2)
ZIP code(s): 15206, 15208

• Homewood West is a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA'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' Harris, photographer
  • Mary Cardwell Dawson, founder of the National Negro Opera Company

Further reading

Mary Cardwell Dawson's House at 7101 Apple Street in the Homewood West neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This was the original home of the National Negro Opera Company.

John Edgar Wideman talks about growing up in Homewood in his book Our Time.

Toker, Franklin (1986, 1994). Pittsburgh: An Urban Portrait. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press. ISBN 0-8229-5434-6. 

See also

• List of Pittsburgh neighborhoods

External links

• Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Homewood
• Interactive Pittsburgh Neighborhoods Map
• The Housing Authority of The City of Pittsburgh
• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette My Homewood Blog