Swissvale is a borough in
Allegheny County
Allegheny County () is a County (United States), county in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in Southwestern Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,250,578, making it the state's seco ...
,
Pennsylvania, east of downtown
Pittsburgh. Named for a farmstead owned by James Swisshelm,
during the
industrial age it was the site of the
Union Switch and Signal Company
Union Switch & Signal (commonly referred to as US&S) was an American company based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which focused on railway signaling equipment, systems and services. The company was acquired by Ansaldo STS (from 2015, Hitachi Rail ...
of
George Westinghouse. The population was 8,983 at the
2010 census.
In 1940, 15,919 people lived there.
Geography
Swissvale is located at (40.422304, -79.886185).
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of , of which is land and , or 4.76%, is water.
Surrounding and adjacent communities
Swissvale has six land borders, including
Edgewood to the north,
Braddock Hills to the east,
North Braddock to the southeast,
Rankin to the south, and the
Pittsburgh neighborhoods of
Regent Square and
Swisshelm Park
Swisshelm Park is a neighborhood located in the southeast corner of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is represented oPittsburgh City Councilby Corey O'Connor. Swisshelm Park houses PBF 19 Engine, and is covered by PBP Zone 4 and the Bureau of EMS Me ...
to the west. (The area known as Regent Square also encompasses portions of Pittsburgh,
Wilkinsburg
Wilkinsburg is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. The borough has a population of 15,930 as of the 2010 census. Wilkinsburg is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The borough was named for John Wilkins Jr., a United States Army ...
, Edgewood, and Swissvale.) Directly across the
Monongahela River to the southwest is the borough of
Munhall.
Demographics
As of the
census of 2000, there were 9,653 people, 4,679 households, and 2,390 families residing in the borough. The
population density was 8,052.0 people per square mile (3,105.9/km
2). There were 5,097 housing units at an average density of 4,251.6 per square mile (1,640.0/km
2). The racial makeup of the borough was 74.45%
White, 22.14%
African American, 0.11%
Native American, 0.91%
Asian, 0.06%
Pacific Islander, 0.60% from
other races, and 1.72% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 1.06% of the population.
There were 4,679 households, out of which 21.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.0% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 16.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.9% were non-families. 42.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.85.
In the borough the population was spread out, with 20.0% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.0 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $31,523, and the median income for a family was $35,929. Males had a median income of $29,333 versus $25,184 for females. The
per capita income for the borough was $19,216. About 14.1% of families and 15.3% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 26.2% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Swissvale is served by the Woodland Hills School District.
Transportation
Swissvale is served by the
Roslyn and
Swissvale
Swissvale is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, east of downtown Pittsburgh. Named for a farmstead owned by James Swisshelm, during the industrial age it was the site of the Union Switch and Signal Company of George Westinghouse. T ...
stations on the
Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway.
Notable people
*
Shirley Burkovich, woman's professional baseball player in
AAGPBL
The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) was a professional women's baseball league founded by Philip K. Wrigley which existed from 1943 to 1954. The AAGPBL is the forerunner of women's professional league sports in the Uni ...
, birthplace (1933-2022)
*
Billy Gardell, actor
*
David Conrad, actor
*
Frank Conrad, creator of KDKA Radio; lived In Swissvale borough 1910-15 conducting transmission experiments
*
William B. Dickson William Brown Dickson (November 6, 1865 – January 28, 1942) was an American business executive in the steel industry. Starting his career as a common laborer in the Homestead Steel Works of Carnegie Steel at the age of 15, he rose to become vice p ...
, steel industry executive and labor policy reformer
*
Michael F. Doyle
Michael F. Doyle Jr. (born August 5, 1953) is an American politician who is the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative for , serving since 1995. He is a member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party. The ...
, congressman
*
Dick Groat, baseball player for
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
and All-American college basketball player
*
Agnes Christine Johnston, screenwriter
*
Summer Lee
Summer Lynn Lee (born November 26, 1987) is an American politician and community organizer serving as the U.S. representative for Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district since 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, Lee served as a member of t ...
, politician
*
Esther Silveus, radiologist
*
Vladimir K. Zworykin
Vladimir Kosma Zworykin; or with the patronymic as ''Kosmich''; or russian: Кузьмич, translit=Kuz'mich, label=none. Zworykin anglicized his name to ''Vladimir Kosma Zworykin'', replacing the patronymic with the name ''Kosma'' as a middle na ...
, television inventor
*
Bobby Epps
Robert Hezekiah Epps (March 25, 1932 - November 14, 2014) was an American football fullback (gridiron football), fullback who played three seasons for the New York Giants. He played for them from 1954 to 1955 and in 1957; he missed the 1956 seas ...
, NFL player for the New York Giants
Government and politics
History
Swissvale is named after the Swisshelm family. John Swisshelm (1752–1838), who owned a farm where the town is located. John Swisshelm served under General
George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...
in the
Revolutionary War, and camped at
Valley Forge. Swisshelm married Mary Elizabeth Miller, and they had many children. Their son, James Swisshelm, married Jane Grey Cannon, noted abolitionist and political activist, Jane Swisshelm named the town Swissvale as the town overlooked the Monongahela River Valley. The Pittsburgh neighborhood of
Swisshelm Park
Swisshelm Park is a neighborhood located in the southeast corner of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is represented oPittsburgh City Councilby Corey O'Connor. Swisshelm Park houses PBF 19 Engine, and is covered by PBP Zone 4 and the Bureau of EMS Me ...
, adjacent to Swissvale, is named after John Swisshelm.
Since 1874, the Allegheny Car & Transportation Shops had provided well-paying jobs to local citizens and were later purchased by
George Westinghouse, the President of
Westinghouse Air Brake Company, who formed the
Union Switch & Signal company and maintained that facility in Swissvale.
References
{{S-end
Populated places established in 1898
Pittsburgh metropolitan area
Boroughs in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania populated places on the Monongahela River
1898 establishments in Pennsylvania