Greensburg, Pennsylvania

Greensburg, Pennsylvania
Downtown Greensburg
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Westmoreland
Incorporated	February 9, 1799
Government
• Mayor	Karl Eisaman (D)
Area
• Total	4.2 sq mi (10.8 km2)
Elevation	1,017 ft (339 m)
Population  (2000)
• Total	15,889
• Density	3,746.1/sq mi (1,446.9/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
Website	www.city.greensburg.pa.us

Greensburg is a city in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, USA and part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. The city is named after Nathanael Greene, a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. Greensburg is the county seat of Westmoreland County, with a population of 15,889 people residing in the city, and a combined total of 57,255 people in the Greater Greensburg area.Template:GR

Located southeast of Pittsburgh, Greensburg is a major business and cultural center in Western Pennsylvania. It is evident as the city's population doubles during work hours. The city ranks seventh in Pennsylvania in terms of daytime growth, behind Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Harrisburg, King of Prussia, Lancaster, and State College. It also ranks 16th in the United States for daytime growth among towns with a resident population between 15,000 to 24,999. In 2007, Greensburg was designated as one of the "Best Places to Retire" in Pennsylvania by U.S. News & World Report.

Geography

Greensburg is located at 40°18′16″N 79°32′40″W (40.304461, -79.544511).Template:GR According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.2 square miles (11.0 km²), all of it land.

The city sits on the Allegheny Plateau in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.

History

After the end of the Revolutionary War, an inn was built along a wagon trail that stretched from Philadelphia west over the Appalachian Mountains to Fort Pitt, now the city of Pittsburgh. A tiny settlement known as Newtown grew around the inn, today the center of Greensburg's Business District at the intersection of Pittsburgh and Main Streets. At Pittsburgh, the wagon trail became Penn Avenue.

In 1782, a raid by Guyasuta-led Seneca Indians accompanied by Canadian rangers burned Hannastown, the original Westmoreland County seat, north of Greensburg, and the first county seat west of the Appalachian Mountains. Newtown became the new county seat in 1785. In 1786, the county built a log courthouse on land purchased from two residents, Christopher Truby and William Jack. The Westmoreland County Courthouse, in its various incarnations, has stood on this site. The area surrounding the courthouse became the original borough of Greensburg, named for American Revolutionary War General Nathanael Greene, and formally incorporated as a borough in 1799.

In the early 1800s, Greensburg had very little growth. After 1850, Greensburg became a growing county seat with inns, small businesses and hardworking residents. It was a railroad stop and the discovery of large areas of soft coal nearby made it the center of a vigorous mining industry in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Seton Hill College, formerly St. Joseph's Academy, became a four-year women's institution in 1918. Greensburg became a Third-Class City on January 2, 1928. After World War II, more residential areas were developed in various sections of town. Greensburg's cultural status grew as the Westmoreland County Museum of Art opened in 1959 and the University of Pittsburgh founded the branch campus, University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, in 1963, now located in Hempfield Township.

The opening of Greengate Mall and Westmoreland Mall in 1965 and 1977, respectively, marked a new era for retail shopping in the area, but negatively impacted retail businesses in Downtown Greensburg's shopping district. Changes in local shopping habits had already taken its toll by the late 1970s when Troutman's Department Store closed. By the mid-1990s, city officials shifted its revitalization plans on the cultural aspects of Downtown Greensburg, such as the restorations of the Palace Theater and the historic Train Station, as well as a new performing arts center for Seton Hill University, now under construction. As part of this ongoing transition, an expansion of the Westmoreland Museum of American Art is planned, as well as a new science center, proposed for the former Mellon Bank building downtown.

Westmoreland County Courthouse

Historical facts

• Greensburg's first log school house was located at the site of St. Clair Park.
• St. Clair Park was originally a cemetery. When the borough banned cemeteries, St. Clair cemetery was moved to its current location, just east of town.
• Mt. Odin Park was originally the estate of Dr. Frank Cowan, attorney, physician, author and former Secretary to President Andrew Johnson. Dr. Cowan willed his land to Greensburg to be used for recreational purposes.

Neighborhoods and wards

The city of Greensburg is currently composed of eight wards, most of which were formerly boroughs and are divided into several neighborhoods. Bunker Hill, now Fifth Ward, was merged into Greensburg in 1894. The name originated because of fights at the rowdy Bushfield Tavern in the early 1840s to mid-1800s that were compared to the Battle of Bunker Hill.

In 1905, Greensburg absorbed three adjacent boroughs, including Ludwick, now Sixth Ward, which was named for Ludwick Otterman, an early settler for whom the street is also named, as well as East Greensburg, now Seventh Ward, and Southeast Greensburg, unofficially known as Paradise (Eighth Ward). South Maple Avenue was originally named Kinderhook (Third Ward). Second Ward, located north of Downtown Greensburg, is the largest ward and includes the neighborhoods of Saybrook Village, Evergreen Hill, New Salem Acres, Country Club Meadows, Northmont, Devonshire Heights, Rose Fountain Farms and Academy Hill. Hilltop, a neighborhood in Eighth Ward, was originally settled by Italian immigrants and borders South Greensburg and Underwood on either side. First Ward features Chestnut Hill and Shuey Plan, and is also home to Seton Hill University. Other Greensburg neighborhoods include Eastern Estates, Underwood, Shogan and Hillcrest.

Eighth Ward was originally home to many Italian immigrants from Cercemaggiore, Italy. Today, the original Our Lady of Grace church, built by the masons from Italy, still stands although used as a residence. The Hilltop Social Club, founded by a few families who lived in the areas of Bierer, Margaret, White and Catherine Streets is also located here. Every year it has become a tradition for the firehall in the Eighth Ward to throw a carnival which includes bingo, amusement rides, and of course the famous Shuey Burgers.

Two neighborhoods have been designated as U.S. registered historic districts, the Downtown Greensburg Historic District and the Academy Hill Historic District.

Population and demographics

Pennsylvania Avenue

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 15,889 people, 7,144 households, and 3,922 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,746.1 people per square mile (1,446.9/km²). There were 7,734 housing units at an average density of 1,823.4/sq mi (704.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.43% White, 3.91% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.70% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.38% from other races, and 1.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.08% of the population.

There were 7,144 households out of which 24.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.3% were married couples living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.1% were non-families. 39.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.85.

In the city the population was spread out with 20.2% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 19.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 81.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,324, and the median income for a family was $41,112. Males had a median income of $33,306 versus $24,246 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,312. About 10.8% of families and 13.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.1% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.

City Hall, formerly headquarters of West Penn Railways

Government and politics

Greensburg is an incorporated city governed by Democratic mayor Karl Eisaman and a four-member City Council. The mayor and the City Council members serve four-year terms. The seat of government is the Greensburg City Hall.

The small size of Greensburg has not deterred it from being a player on the political scene. Greensburg has hosted its share of prominent politicians over the years, including a July 1994 visit from then-President Bill Clinton, former Democratic candidate John Kerry and his running mate John Edwards in July 2004 and Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in March 2008. It was also, according to local historians, the site of the 1854 National Republican Party convention – the first convention of the Grand Old Republican Party, despite Pittsburgh's claims.

Elected officials

As of May 2009:

• Mayor Karl Eisaman – Public Safety
• Councilman Tom Tridico – Accounting and Finance
• Councilman Robert DePasquale – Administration, Development and Public Operations
• Councilman Randy Frinfrock – Public Works
• Councilman Emil Peterinelli – Parks and Public Property

Economy

The former Troutman's Department Store on Main Street

File:Greengatecentrecorridor.jpg

U.S. Route 30 commercial corridor to the west of Greensburg

File:Westmorelandmallcorridor.jpg

U.S. Route 30 commercial corridor to the east of Greensburg

Originally a railroad stop on the Pennsylvania Railroad, Greensburg quickly became the center of the coal mining industry in the region by the late 1800s when large areas of soft coal were discovered nearby. This contributed to the growth and development of the growing county seat. Many businesses and inns flourished within Downtown Greensburg for many years, and once boasted four major department stores – JCPenney, Royers, Sears and its largest department store, Troutman's.

In August 1965, Greengate Mall opened west of the city in Hempfield Township. Greengate was part of the first wave of indoor shopping malls in the country. The mall's opening marked a new era for retail shopping in the area, but it negatively impacted stand-alone businesses in Greensburg's downtown corridor. By the late 1970s, several local stores, including Troutman's, the city's major department store, closed. The downtown area eventually rebounded as the city became a center for service industries, professional offices and banking. Today, small downtown shops and a growing number of restaurants are reviving downtown as a mercantile center.

Westmoreland Mall is currently the largest shopping complex in the Greensburg area and all of Westmoreland County. Greengate Mall suffered losses in the 1990s when anchor store JCPenney relocated to Westmoreland Mall. As the mall continued on its irreversible decline, the nationally-based Montgomery Ward and the regional chain Horne's also closed. The building was eventually razed in 2003, and a new shopping center called Greengate Centre, anchored by a Wal-Mart Supercenter, was subsequently built. Numerous shopping plazas and dining establishments also line the Route 30 corridor east and west of the city. With over 5,000,000 square feet (460,000 m²) of retail space and growing, Greensburg is one of the largest retail markets in Western Pennsylvania.

Light to moderate industry and service industries thrive in Greensburg. Housing growth continues on the northern end of the city, with the Saybrook Village and Evergreen Hill plans. The opening of the seven-story State Office Building on North Main Street, the completion of the four-story addition to the Courthouse Square Extension, and the Performing Arts Center of Seton Hill University is expected to add new jobs to the city and attract more visitors.

Major employers

These major corporations are headquartered in the Greensburg area:

• Allegheny Energy
• Excela Health
• Relex Software Corporation
• Tribune-Review

Education

University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg

The Greater Greensburg area contains two public school districts. The larger of the two is the Hempfield Area School District. The school district has a resident population of over 50,000 and spans approximately ninety-five square miles and lies thirty miles southeast of Pittsburgh. Comprising Hempfield Township, and the boroughs of Adamsburg, Hunker, Manor, New Stanton, and Youngwood, the school district completely surrounds the city of Greensburg. Hempfield is also the largest school district in Westmoreland County with approximately 7,000 enrolled students and is one of the largest in Western Pennsylvania.

The second school district servicing Greensburg itself is the Greensburg Salem School District. The school district covers an area of fifty-one square miles. With an enrollment of 3,600 students, Greensburg Salem serves the City of Greensburg, South Greensburg, Southwest Greensburg and Salem Township. Detailed information including enrollment figures and test scores about Greensburg Salem can be found on this website.

Greensburg is home to Greensburg Central Catholic High School, and Aquinas Academy, both private Catholic schools.

The immediate vicinity of Greensburg also contains two universities – Seton Hill University and the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg.

The Greensburg Hempfield Area Library serves the City of Greensburg and Hempfield Township.

Culture

YMCA

Greensburg is a major cultural center in Western Pennsylvania. It is the home of the Westmoreland Museum of American Art, which specializes in American Art circa 1750-1950. The Palace Theatre, in the heart of the city's emerging cultural district, is the site for various performances throughout the year. Additionally, it is the home of the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra, and the Summer Sounds Concert Series at St. Clair Park.

The Westmoreland Cultural Trust has played a major role in the revitalization of Downtown Greensburg in recent years. Its accomplishments include the ongoing renovation of the Palace Theatre and the restoration (Before/After Pictures) of the circa 1910 Train Station. They are also responsible for renovating several commercial buildings in the downtown area.

Seton Hill University is currently developing a Performance Arts Center in the Cultural District. This multi-million project is expected to serve as an additional catalyst for the future growth of the downtown core.

A hands-on science center, to feature a wide range of interactive exhibits, is currently being proposed for the former Mellon Bank building downtown. Titled the Discovery & Interactive Science Center, it would be a regional attraction for Westmoreland, Fayette, Indiana, Somerset and Bedford counties. It would also be the only interactive science center between the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh and the Harsco Science Center in Harrisburg.

Greensburg is also home to a burgeoning music scene, including Zao, R.Y.D., The BranDannas, Farr & Away, the grade skool felons, and The Juliana Theory as well as electronica artist RJ Eclectica. Other notable artists from the Greensburg music scene include celtic band Coming Through the Rye, Shattered, LoveBettie, and others. One such venue that has hosted many of these local bands can be found along the shopping district on South Pennsylvania Avenue. DV8 Espresso Bar & Gallery, as it's called, is a distinctive coffee shop/espresso bar that is also a lively venue for a wide variety of artists, musicians and performers.

Cultural facts

• Just north of Greensburg is Old Hanna's Town, the first county seat west of the Appalachian Mountains.
• Greensburg is home to a great deal of interesting architecture including many historic and large homes as well as many old churches and cathedrals. The inner city has many small 1950-style shops and restaurants.
• The World Conference Center for The Church of Jesus Christ is located west of Greensburg on PA Route 136. It is the third largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement.
• The national headquarters of the Kappa Delta Rho Fraternity is based in Greensburg.
• Greensburg is home to the one of the fiercest and well-known high school football rivalries, outside of professional and college football. The Greensburg Salem Golden Lions (WPIAL Class AAA) play the Hempfield Area Spartans (WPIAL Class Quad-A) every year. The two schools would often face each other for the WPIAL Class Quad-A Southern Conference championship before Greensburg Salem moved to Triple A in 1999.
• The Greensburg Salem Golden Lion Marching Band is one of only seven in the country which still marches down to its football stadium (Offutt Field – located in the middle of town) for each and every home game.

Media

Since Greensburg is overshadowed by nearby Pittsburgh, radio and television stations are mostly based out of the larger city. On a much lesser scale, some Johnstown-area media outlets are also available in parts of Greensburg. The following information is about media based exclusively in Greensburg.

• Greensburg's major newspaper is the Tribune-Review, which is owned by the Tribune Review Publishing Company. It is affiliated with the Pittsburgh Tribune Review, founded in 1992 and is a competitor to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The paper is owned by noted philathropist and conservative figure Richard Mellon Scaife. The Tribune-Review very rarely covers events in Greensburg now, instead focusing on Pittsburgh and international events.
• The Greensburg-based WGSM-FM, branded as G107, is a classic hits radio station that was reintroduced to the Greensburg market in January 2006. It was originally WHJB-FM, WOKU-FM, WSSZ-FM, and WJJJ-FM.
• LCS Hockey, a newsletter turned internationally-renowned website, was founded in Greensburg.
• In 2004, Greensburg attorney P. Louis DeRose, published the book, Greensburg through the Arcadia Publishing Images of America Series.
• In 2006, Greensburg resident Rachel E. Smith, published the book, Greensburg through the Arcadia Publishing Postcard History Series.

Greensburg in fiction

• Mystery novel writer K.C. Constantine has used various elements of Greensburg as a basis for the fictional town of Rocksburg in his novels.

Train Station

Transportation

The east-west U.S. Route 30 expressway bypasses Greensburg to the south, as does the north-south Pennsylvania Turnpike 66 to the west. A proposed Laurel Valley Expressway was supposed to be built to the east of Greensburg but that project has never materialized. The Pennsylvania Turnpike's New Stanton exit is about five miles (8 km) south of Greensburg on U.S. Route 119 where Interstate 70 splits from Interstate 76. PA Routes 66 and 136 begin in Greensburg. PA Routes 130, 819 and U.S. Route 119 pass through the city.

Westmoreland Transit is the mass transit system of Greensburg and Westmoreland County and operates a network of bus routes seven days a week throughout the city and the rest of the county, as well as Pittsburgh. Greyhound Lines runs regular scheduled bus service to and from Greensburg from many hubs, including Pittsburgh, Chicago, and New York City.

Air service is available at the Pittsburgh International Airport and at the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport east of Greensburg in nearby Latrobe.

The city has Amtrak rail service at the restored Train Station, as well as various freight railroads such as Norfolk Southern and CSX.

Greensburg is bike-friendly as it offers the Five Star Trail, which begins at Lynch Field and ends south of the city in Armbrust. It will eventually connect to the north section of the Youghiogheny River Trail, which is a part of the Great Allegheny Passage.

Notable people from Greensburg

• Karen Angle – ex-wife of professional wrestler Kurt Angle and current Total Nonstop Action Wrestling performer
• Adam Bostick – left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball
• James Clarke – third Governor of Iowa Territory
• K.C. Constantine – mystery fiction author
• Brett Detar – songwriter, musician, and record producer
• Paul Gilbert – guitarist for the bands Racer X and Mr. Big
• Zach Jackson – Major League Baseball pitcher
• Greg Jones - highly accomplished collegiate wrestler at West Virginia University
• Peggy King – 1950s and 1960s pop singer and television personality
• Rocco Mediate – professional golfer
• Roland "Bud" Mertz – politician
• Vic Mignogna – voice actor
• Bruce Weber – fashion photographer

Points of interest

Note that some of these locations reside outside the city even though they are generally considered a part of Greensburg.

• Excela Westmoreland Hospital
• Greensburg Garden and Civic Center
• Greensburg Hempfield Area Library
• Kirk S. Nevin Ice Arena
• Lynch Field
• Old Hanna's Town
• Palace Theatre
• Performing Arts Center of Seton Hill University (under construction)
• St. Clair Park
• Seton Hill University
• The Train Station
• Twin Lakes Park
• University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg
• Westmoreland County Courthouse
• Westmoreland Fairgrounds
• Westmoreland Mall
• Westmoreland Museum of American Art

Sister cities

Greensburg has two sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International:

• - (Belize)
• - Cercemaggiore (Italy)

See also

• Academy Hill Historic District
• Arnold Palmer Regional Airport
• Downtown Greensburg Historic District
• Kecksburg UFO Incident

External links

• City of Greensburg Official Website
• Song of Greensburg, an article in the Pittsburgh Quarterly magazine