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Incorporated as a town on January 9, 1892, Ben Avon has
a long and storied history. The name Ben Avon was proposed by resident
James C. Lewis who thought the area reminded him of a hamlet near his
birthplace in England. The name Ben Avon when translated by the Scots
means, “Hill by the water.”
The present Ben Avon Municipal Building was
built in 1920 for municipal purposes. Until that time, the Borough Council
had met at Ben Avon Elementary School. The Borough began with five members,
and by 1904 had increased to seven members. By 1906 twenty-eight streets
had been laid out in the borough. Since then only a few streets have been
added.
Growing populations in the early 1900’s required the
building of schools. First was a two story four room brick school at the
corner of Dickson and Sturgeon finished in the fall of 1893. A high school
building was built in 1912. In 1938, the Avonworth Union School District
was formed, becoming the first union school district in the state. Made up
of the communities of Ben Avon, Ben Avon Heights, Emsworth, and Kilbuck
Township, and later Ohio Township, it dropped Union from the name in 1970
and became as it is known today,
Avonworth School District.
At the time of
World War I, there were three churches in Ben
Avon, each in a newly constructed building. Ben
Avon Presbyterian Church was at Church and
Perrysville. Ben Avon United Presbyterian
(later Woodland U.P.) was at Dickson and
Woodland. Ben Avon Methodist Church was on
Breading Avenue. In 1987, the two Presbyterian
churches consolidated into Community
Presbyterian Church of Ben Avon. Soon
afterwards, the Methodist church closed its
doors.
Since its incorporation in 1892, Ben Avon has grown
steadily, with the largest number of residents in 1970 with 2,713.
Numerous additions and changes have made Ben Avon more accessible to
Pittsburgh. The addition of the Ohio River Boulevard in 1930 made for a
scenic drive through Avalon and Bellevue. The road was not connected in
Pittsburgh until some sixty years later. The additions of Rts. 79 and 279
have made Pittsburgh very accessible to Ben Avon residents through Camp
Horne Road.
Today, Ben Avon is as vibrant as ever, populated by a
few businesses, and over 2,000 residents who are dedicated to preserving the
storied past of Ben Avon through organizations such as the Avon Club and the
Ben Avon Area Historical Association.
If you would like to learn more about Ben
Avon's history, you can order your copy of the Centennial History of Ben
Avon 1892-1992. It costs $8.00. Your check should be made out to
the
Ben Avon Area Historical Association and sent to
BAAHA, 136 Dickson Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15202.
Also available are the 1996 Emsworth
centennial history ($5.00 each) and a book of growing up remembrances of
life long Emsworth resident Jim Knox ($10.00) which can also be purchased
from BAAHA. |
