Wilkinsburg is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States adjacent to the city of Pittsburgh. The population was 15,930 at the 2010 census, having lost more than 13,000 in the 70 years since 1940, when 29,853 people were enumerated. The borough was named for John Wilkins, Jr., a United States Army officer who served as Quartermaster General of the United States Army from 1796 to 1802.
History
Wilkinsburg was founded and developed by highly religious European immigrants. The borough has a remarkably high concentration of churches, mostly Protestant, which is unusual in a predominantly Catholic region of the country. Bars are prohibited within the borough limits. Wilkinsburg separated from the city of Pittsburgh in 1871. According to borough leader James Kelly, this was in order to maintain the religious integrity of the community. Wilkinsburg was known during this time by many as "The Holy City".
In 1916, the world's first commercially licensed radio station, KDKA, began broadcasting here as experimental station 8XK from a small garage owned by Frank Conrad before it was launched with its current call letters on November 2, 1920. In 1923, Wilkinsburg-based Russian immigrant Vladimir Zworykin designed and patented the iconoscope, the photocell "eye" of early television cameras. Today, ABC affiliate WTAE-TV is located in the borough on Ardmore Boulevard.
The Pennsylvania Railroad Station-Wilkinsburg is located in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, on Hay St. at the foot of Ross Ave. The building was completed in 1916 when the railroad embankment through town was elevated above street level to eliminate hazardous grade crossings. The two previous stations had been located three blocks southeast along Wood St. between Franklin and Rebecca Aves.
The 1916 station was built of brick and stone in the current Beaux-Arts architecture style with a vitrified tile waiting room and monumental wooden benches. It served three 12-car-length island platforms with enclosed seating areas situated between three pairs of tracks (main and yard leads). Originally the platform surfaces were level with the floors of the railroad passenger cars, but they were later lowered to the level of the track, reportedly due to substandard lateral clearances between the platforms and carbodies caused by the tracks' partially curved alignment when lengthier cars came into use; the change further spared train crews the inconvenience of having to lower and raise trap doors over the coach stairwells for this single station alone when platform levels of the other stations on this commuter route were not elevated to match. One of the platforms was removed altogether. Access to the platforms was available by stairways at the Penn Ave., South Ave., and Franklin Ave. underpasses, in addition to the station tunnel which also served as the Ross Ave. pedestrian underpass. There was also a separate tunnel at the station to deliver mail, express, and baggage to the platforms (a U.S. post office was later constructed across the street from the station, forming a sort of civic center in conjunction with the municipal building/public library, also across the street).
WILKINSBURG, Pa. — Police have filed multiple felony arson charges against a man in connection to an apartment fire that happened in Wilkinsburg in the summer.
WILKINSBURG, Pa. — A woman was taken to the hospital after a shooting in Wilkinsburg Thursday morning. According to Allegheny CountyPolice, 911 was notified of a reported shooting around 3.30 a.m ...ACPD is investigating this shooting ... ... ....
WILKINSBURG MAN PREVIOUSLY CONVICTED OF AGGRAVATED ASSAULT ... Kraus announced today that a Wilkinsburg man previously ... office obtained a search warrant for a residence along Belmont Street in Wilkinsburg.
WILKINSBURG, Pa. — A fugitive who was previously convicted of aggravated assault was arrested in Wilkinsburg Wednesday ... Frye-Culbreth also had an active warrant from July for a number of drug and firearms charges ... Wednesday ... WatchWPXI NOW ... ....
WILKINSBURG, Pa. — Allegheny CountyPolice are pushing for more information on a deadly shooting that happened in Wilkinsburg last year. Darryl Nelson, 35, was shot and killed inside an apartment on the 900 block of HillAvenue on Nov. 27, 2023 ... .
Wilkinsburg-Penn JointWater Authority partnered with DollarEnergy Fund to launch an initiative that provides financial relief to low-income customers struggling to pay their water bills ...Click here for more information on the program or to apply ... .
WILKINSBURG, Pa. — An inaugural turkey giveaway held in Wilkinsburg on Saturday helped families in need ...Fresh produce was also provided by the Greater Wilkinsburg Community Advancement Association.
WILKINSBURG, Pa. — A man was sentenced to life in prison Thursday after being convicted of shooting and killing a man during a home invasion in Wilkinsburg. On Nov ... >> Suspect captured on camera in deadly home invasion, shooting ... 29, 2024 ... .
A Hazelwood man convicted of breaking into a Wilkinsburghome and killing a man who had moments before been holding his 11-month-old granddaughter will spend the rest of his life in state prison ... 14, 2019 ... Both men then fled ... A wasted life.” ... ....
