CARRICK HISTORY
Carrick Glossary of Terms
Carrick-on-Suir – Carrick Post Office was named after this Irish City of Dr. John O’Brien who had the honor of naming the first post office in this area of Baldwin Township in 1853.
Carrick Swan and Rock – official emblem of Carrick-on-Suir, Ireland. Rock because in Gaelic Carrick means Rock and swans because it is located on the River Suir which has many swans.
Agnew Glass Works – Located at the intersection of Brownsville Road and current E. Agnew Avenue.
Hornaday Road – Named after William Hornaday by John M. Phillips. William Hornaday was an environmentalist and naturalist and friend who accompanied John M. Phillips on many excursions to classify animals.
John Phillips – Owned a mansion that sat in the middle of current Hornaday Road and owned 12 acres of land that became known as Phillips Manor.
John M. Phillips – nephew of John Phillips, PA Game Commissioner, City of Pittsburgh Councilman, creator of Phillips Park, owned mansion at 2335 Brownville Road current site of St. Pius X Church, naturalist, environmentalist, Boy Scout Founder in Pennsylvania, owner of Phillips Mining and Manufacturing Company. In 1924 President Calvin Cooledge named him chair of a national conference on conservation.
Harriet Duff Phillips – Wife of John M. Phillips, daughter of Dr. Duff. 1913 founded Mothers Club. 1916 founded Brashear Settlement. 1934-1938 President of the PA. Federation of Woman’s Clubs. Pioneer of Planned Parenthood Program, 1956 Phillips Elementary School named after her father and her. South Side Hospital Board of Directors. Board member of Pittsburgh Board of Education.
Impton - Mansion's name of John M. Phillips and Harriet Duff Phillips
Phillips Park – named after John M. Phillips for the many donated trees and swimming pool. Also known as Dilly’s Grove, Southern Park and Carrick Park was originally a Trolley Traction Park with vaudeville acts, roller coasters, merry go rounds and other attractions. Dilly’s Grove was part of the Coffey Estate bought in 1904 for $29,000
Engleartville – One of the original names of Carrick named after the Engleart Glass Works
Raleigh Square – the land bordered by Biscayne Avenue to around Wysox Avenue to Maytide Street to Valera Street. Once a farm and sold by the farmer who had 8 children but could no longer make ends meet.
L'Enfant - Mother's statue – Originally called L’Enfant was donated to the Mother’s House and resides at the intersection of Overbrook Boulevard and Ravilla Street.
Spiketown – Comes into existance in 1868. The area around current Volunteer’s Fields. Neighborhood of homes built by miners of the Keeling Coal Company. Said to be called Spiketown because the miners used mine spikes to build their homes. Also said to be named after the Speiker Family whose large family also lived in the area.
Trolley Barns - Carrick Shopping Center where the current Foodland is located was a trolley barn and the end of the line at one time.
Lennox Gulf Station – was also a trolley barn later on and the end of the line until line extended to the current Bank site and bus turn around.
Toll Stations – First toll station was located at Knox Avenue, another at the current Italian Club and a third at current Churchview Road
Bucks Tavern – A toll booth, hotel and tavern for travelers using Brownsville Road to Brownville. Currently the Italian Club. Built in 1818, burned in 1853.
Brownsville Road – At one time was an Indian Trail was also known as Brownsville Pittsburgh Toll Road, Brownsville Plank Road, Southern Avenue and Brownsville Road. The road had at one time three toll booths, was a mud rutted road impassible in spring and fall, used by farmers to transport livestock to Pittsburgh and was a stagecoach route to Brownsville PA. John M. Phillips was called Boardwalk John because of his effort to plank Brownville Road and widened the road to its current width.
Concord Church – was one of the first churches built in Carrick in 1831.
Concord Elementary School – current location is the fifth location. Originally built on the back of Concord Church as one room and became known as Concord. Second location at Brownsville Road and Agnew Avenue, Third location on Agnew Avenue and Dowling. Forth location on Carrick Avenue. Fifth and final location on Brownsville Road and Biscayne Avenue.
Roosevelt Elementary School - Originally located on The Boulevard and named Quentin Roosevelt Elementary School after Theodore Roosevelt's son.
Stewart Avenue – named after the great Stewart Farm.
Carrick Borough Building – located next to Caruso’s Music Store
Carrick Post Office – Possibly currently Caruso’s Music Store.
Nicholodean – Currently the St. Basil’s Credit Union and was the site of Carrick Library.
St. Basil’s School and Church – Originally located on Cherryhill Street at the site of Roosevelt School. Church was built at the current location in 1907.
Brownsville Plank Road – known by that name because of the 4’ plank road for clean riding and maintained by tolls.
John J. Fleming – industrialist and inventor who lived in Carrick and worked as the chief engineer of Phillips Mining and Manufacturing Company.
John Wilson - Wilson's Farm – was one of the original settlers of this area. A revolutionary war soldier who was granted land for service in the Revolutionary war and operated a farm from current Biscayne to Parkfield to Route 51. Overbrook Boulevard was once called Wilson’s Alley.
Dr. John O’Brien – named the first US Post Office in this area in 1853 after his home town of Carrick-on-Suir.
First school in Carrick – name unknown but reference is made to a school in a house at Brownsville Road and Wynoka Street.
William Wightman’s Land – Bought from the Indians for one iron ax by William Wightman. Area from present Parkfield Street to Maytide Street along Brownsville Road then west along Saw Mill Run. Present Verizon telephone building on this land.
Rev. John Hazlett – Pastor Concord Presbyterian Church in 1872 starts academy for Higher Education at his home, Oak Grove, on Brownsville Road and corner of Stewart Avenue. Academy was the first school south of the Monongahela River to provide secondary education for older boys and girls.
Concord Presbyterian Church – First church building built in 1832.
Toll Stations – Toll System on Brownsville Road – 1st. 18th and Mission Streets, 2nd. Mt. Oliver at Bausman and Hay Streets, 3rd. Brownsville and Churchview.
“Boardwalk John” – nickname for John M. Phillips because he wanted to build a 4’ wide boardwalk from Mt. Oliver to the 3rd. toll gate. He had a vision of a future 60’ Right of Way street and sidewalk and had citizens volunteer to build the street.
Carrick Post Office – First government post office in Baldwin Township established in December 23, 1853. J. S. Stanford – First Postmaster of the Carrick Post Office in December 23, 1853
June 21, 1904 – Carrick becomes a borough.
Adam Diehl – First Borough Burgess lived 2338 Brownsville Road.
Henry Schenk – Second Burgess
John Nusser – Third Burgess
William Sankey, Jr. – Fourth Burgess
J. A. J. Haupt – Fifth Burgess
E. C. Trott – Sixth Burgess
First Council of Carrick Borough – Wm. Sankey, John M. Phillips, Phillip Benz, Richard Hartung, Jacob Dieterle, Henry Eiler, John Werner.
John Lemon – First Borough Solicitor
John Saits – First Borough Tax Collector
Robert Russell – First Borough Clerk
William McCurg Donely – First Borough Engineer
Walter Finch – First Street Commissioner
A H. Stolzenbach – First Borough Treasurer, First President of Carrick Bank
Wm. Bauman – First Police Chief
Wm. H. Sprenkle – President Principal of Schools from 1909
Ellsworth C. Trott – Last Burgess of Carrick Borough 1927.
James Wilson – First Carrick Borough Post Master
1927 – Carrick becomes the 29th ward of the City of Pittsburgh
1,015 – size in acres of Carrick in 1927
3.2 miles – distance south of Downtown Pittsburgh
Engleartville – First name of the Carrick area named after Engleart Glass Company.
1905 – Current Phillips Park becomes a “traction park.” Previously known as Dilly’s Grove and Carrick Park. Purchased as a Community Park. Dedicated at a great 4th of July celebration in 1914.
2020 to 1607 – the vote to bring Carrick into the City of Pittsburgh on 3/2/1926.
Carrick Bank – first bank to be organized in the community. A. H. Stolzenbach becomes the first President. Biddle Boys said to have robbed Carrick Bank in their bank robbing spree.
Raleigh Square – land taken in 1928 and prior to that year farm was here. The farm was not taken care and fire destroys the 2 story, frame, unpainted house of the farmer who had a wife and 8 children. Land comprised of an area along Brownsville Road from the Phillips’ residence to Willies (across from Clifton Street to Maytide Street and on back to Phillps’ residence.
A & P Store – First in now the old Isaly’s, then moved to a small room near Brentwood Bank, maybe in 1933, where the Melrose Theater was built.
Landefeld Dry Goods Store – Across from Melrose was Brentwood Bank.
Stanley’s Parlors – Bowling lanes and apartments.
Mr. Erny’s – Home and Funeral Home built in 1928 across from Raleigh Square.
Michael Dawida – State Representative, State Senator, Allegheny County Commissioner.
1904 – As a demonstration of what a 60’ Right of Way paved road and sidewalk would look like, John M. Phillips purchases the property across from his 2236 Brownsville Road home so he could lay sidewalks and widen and pave Brownsville Road.
Carrick First – First Borough to lay all streets on a six inch base. As a result there is still little need for repairs on these streets.First sanitary sewer system in Western Pennsylvania
“Open the Door to the Hilltop” – John M. Phillips’ slogan to widen 18th Street and pave it.
Nicholas Bausman -1818 sells the Carrick area to Noble Calhoun for $5,000.
Noble Calhoun -1842 sells Carrick to William Noble for $17,000
William Noble - 1855 sells 100 acres for $45,000 and in 1865 sells 100 acres for $106,000
1890 – John M. Phillips builds his homestead "Impton" on Brownsville Road.
L’Enfant – Mother and child sculpture currently residing at Overbrook Boulevard and Ravilla Street since 1966. Won second price in Paris, France. Sculpted by Roger Bloche.
Nick Markowitz – early (1976) Carrick Historian.
Joe Speiker – Carrick Historian in the 1980’s and 1990’s.
59 Carrick – Double ended trolley operated in the 1920’s during rush hour and turned around on a short track spur at the corner of Brownsville Road and Crailo Street.
Carrick Streetcar Ordinance – “If a streetcar picked up a fireman on the way to a fire, streetcar was not allowed to stop except to pick up another fireman.”
“Jumbo” – Motorcycle cop in Carrick Borough in the 1920’s
Storch’s Electric Marble and Granite Works – at what is now the Dairy Queen Property.
Carrick Telephone office – 1904 had 50 subscribers, by 1910 had 300.
Carrick First - Passionist Convent – Erected in 1910 and was one of the first of its kind in America.
1953 – John M. Phillips dies.
Phillips’ Children – 3 daughters Mrs. Joseph Shuman, Mrs. Robert C. Lutz, Mrs. Alexander C. Chalfont, 2 sons John M. Phillips, Jr. (Whitehall Borough Councilman), James M. Phillips. Also had 13 grandchildren.
British Columbia Connection – Mountain named after John M. Phillips
Carrick Library – formerly operated by the Fire Company was established in 1930.
Hotel Carrick – currently Acapulco Joes Bar at the corner of Newett Avenue and Brownsville Road
Brownsville Road names – Southern Avenue, Brownsville Plank Road, Birmingham and Brownsville Macadamized Turnpike Road, Brownsville Avenue.
1935- Two apartment buildings built across from 2236 Brownsville Road (John M. Phillips’ mansion).
Shemmelrock Funeral Home – Funeral Home in Carrick at current site of Carrick Shopping Center.
Valdiserri’s Fruit Market – across from Zimmerman Cemetery closes 1932.
Dudt’s Bakery – located at Belplain Avenue and 2552 Brownsville Road. Highly rated throughout the South Hills. Cameron Dudt owner.
Esso Station – Located at Brownsville Road and Claus Avenue.
Shell Gas Station – now Lennox Gulf
Yago’s Hardware – Located next to current Carrick Hardware.
Alpha Sign Company – first company to install billboards on Brownsville Road in Carrick. Signs called eyesores even at that time.
Peter A Devlin – one of the area’s first settlers. Log cabin moved to Phillips Park but no one remembers it there. One photo in the old South Hills Record shows it on Walton off Churchview.
1906 – Carrick Borough Building dedicated.
Carrick Mural - Currrently being painted on Vern's Electric Building. Once the site of Agnew Glass Works and Werner Moving and Storage Company.
