William Street

From Pittsburgh Streets
For other streets that have been named William Street, see William Street (disambiguation).
William Street
Neighborhoods Allentown, Mount Washington
Coal Hill Road (1830s)
Origin of name Mount Washington, formerly called Coal Hill
Washington Turnpike (1830s)
Origin of name Washington, Pennsylvania
Grays Road (1870s)
Origin of name James Gray

A road in the location of modern William Street appears in the 1830 map of Jean Barbeau and Lewis Keyon, labeled Coal Hill Road in the lower section and Washington Turnpike further up.[1] Coal Hill was the old name for Mount Washington; the turnpike was so named because it led to Washington, Pennsylvania.

This 1830 map shows that the road led to a plan of lots at the top of the hill named Gray's Gardens; according to the map, "This Village Was Laid out by James Gray Esq. of 4th St Pittsbh A. D. 1829."[1]

In the 1872 Hopkins atlas, the upper half of the street, in Mount Washington Borough, is labeled William Street, while the lower half, in South Pittsburgh Borough, is labeled Grays Road.[2] Grays Road must have been named for James Gray.

The South Side boroughs were annexed by Pittsburgh in 1872.[3] In 1881, a Pittsburgh city ordinance extended William Street by adding Grand Avenue to it; this had been the continuation of William Street on the other side of Bailey Avenue.[4][5] However, this was short-lived, as that portion was split off as Boggs Avenue the following year.[6]

See also

  • Muriel Street in the South Side Flats, part of which was named Coal Hill Street until about 1845
  • Pioneer Avenue in Brookline, formerly named the Coal Hill and Upper St. Clair Turnpike

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Jean Barbeau and Lewis Keyon. Map of Pittsburgh and Its Environs. N. B. Molineux, Pittsburgh, 1830. Historic Pittsburgh DARMAP0576; https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/36c3ab00-57aa-0136-8f4f-08990f217bc9. [view source]barbeau
  2. Atlas of the Cities of Pittsburgh, Allegheny, and the Adjoining Boroughs, pp. 22–23, 107–108. G. M. Hopkins & Co., Philadelphia, 1872. http://historicpittsburgh.org/maps-hopkins/1872-atlas-pittsburgh-allegheny; 1872 layer at Pittsburgh Historic Maps (https://esriurl.com/pittsburgh). [view source]hopkins-1872
  3. Mark A. Connelly. "Pittsburgh City 1872 Borough Mergers." Local Geohistory Project. https://www.localgeohistory.pro/en/pa/event/pittsburgh-city-1872-borough-mergers/. [view source]lgeo-south-side-annexation
  4. "An ordinance establishing the names of avenues, streets, lanes and alleys of the City of Pittsburgh." Pittsburgh city ordinance, 1881, no. 33. Passed Feb. 28, 1881; approved Mar. 4, 1881. Ordinance Book 5, p. 212. In Municipal Record: Minutes of the Proceedings of the Select and Common Councils of the City of Pittsburgh, for the Year 1880, pp. 213–234 (Internet Archive pghmunicipalrecord1880). [view source]ordinance-1881-33
  5. Atlas of the Cities Pittsburgh and Allegheny, plate 27. G. M. Hopkins & Co., Philadelphia, 1882. http://historicpittsburgh.org/maps-hopkins/1882-atlas-pittsburgh-allegheny; 1882 layer at Pittsburgh Historic Maps (https://esriurl.com/pittsburgh). [view source]hopkins-1882
  6. "An ordinance changing the name of William street in the Thirty-second ward." Pittsburgh city ordinance, 1882, no. 86. Passed Mar. 27, 1882; approved Mar. 28, 1882. Ordinance Book 5, p. 317. In Municipal Record: Minutes of the Proceedings of the Select Council of the City of Pittsburgh, for the Year 1881, p. 209, Herald Printing Co., Pittsburgh, 1882 (Internet Archive pghmunicipalrecord1881). [view source]ordinance-1882-86