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History
Part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, Wilkinsburg is a borough named after John Wilkins, Jr., a United States Army officer who served from 1796 to 1802. Wilkinsburg was historically situated on the Appalachian Plateau, near the confluence of multiple land and water transit routes, and was occupied by Native Americans for centuries. Wilkinsburg developed from a valley that ran through the hills east of the Allegheny River, Monongahela River, and Ohio River confluence. Penn Avenue, a major roadway and district in Wilkinsburg, is named after an important stretch of this ancient land route or walkway.
The area’s population continued to increase significantly from the late 1800s to the early 1900s, with numerous immigrants from various regions of Europe and African Americans of the Great Migration traveling from the Southern United States. This was a process that moved at several different paces throughout the years.
Demographics
The United States Census of 2000 shared that there were about 19,196 individuals, 9,138 households, and 4,477 families within the borough. Of the individual population, the racial diversity was:
- 66.51% African American or Black
- 29.25% White
- 0.38% Native American
- 0.81% Asian
- 1.13% Hispanic or Latino
- 0.06% Pacific Islander
- 0.55% other races
- 2.44% two or more races
The median household income for Wilkinsburg in 2000 was about $26,621 and slightly more for family median incomes at about $33,412. Males and females had just about the same median income, which shows gender equality in the workforce in their area.
Education
Wilkinsburg’s early educational system was entirely private. Various teachers formed their own schools, which they taught in their houses. Wilkinsburg Academy, established in 1852, was the first large-scale educational institution. The borough approved the Free Common School Act of 1834 in 1840, and James Kelly provided money to build the first common school, which functioned until 1850. From that point forward, the population of students grew at an exponential rate. There were 4,253 pupils enrolled in six public schools by 1910.
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Our caring professionals are ready to support potential adoptive parents, pregnant mothers, and their children from our Wilkinsburg, PA, adoption agency at AFTH. Our team can answer any questions you may have and can provide you with the knowledge that you and your family need to make the right decision.
