St Mary of the Mount High School - St Mary Yearbook (Pittsburgh, PA)

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Jiisto The construction of a ne v convent and high school is just another milestone in the consistent progress that has attended St. Mary of the Mount Parish on Mt. Wash- ington since its inception in the year 1873. That we might get a proper perspective of the growth and expansion of the Mt. Washington parish, it will be well to go back into the history of this region where Christ ' s vork for souls has so patently been blessed. What we now know as Mt. Washington was formerly known as Coal Hill. During the Revolutionary period a British soldier discovered coal vithin the cliffs of this region. In fact, it was this coal that kindled the fires of Fort Pitt and later served as the main coal supply during the early development of the city of Pittsburgh. Not until April 2, 1872, was the name of Coal Hill abandoned in favor of the name of Mt. Washington, after the Father of our country. It was atop this plateau-like land of Mt. Washington on November 28, 1753, that George Washington made a survey of Fort Pitt and foresaw the important position of Pittsburgh as the gateway to the West. Pittsburgh is a city of hills, but none is comparable to the plateau of Mt. Wash- ington Avhich commands one of the most beautiful panoramic vicAvs in the United States. Standing 1,220 feet above sea level and 500 feet above the junction of the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers, Mt. Washington remained undeveloped territory for many years, and while the city of Pittsburgh developed within the Golden Triangle and along the north bank of the Allegheny River, Mt. Washington remained farmland for the few who had settled there. The original farms on Mount Washington were purchased from John Penn, the Younger, and John Penn, the Older. Coal Hill wns part of the manor of Pittsburgh. It was one of the manors that the Common vealth of Pennsylvania permitted the Penns to retain following the Revolutionary War. The ground on which Saint Mary of the Mount Church and School are located was originally a part of the farm pur- chased by Abraham Kirkpatrick from the Penns. Abraham Kirkpatrick, a major in the Revolutionary War, played a very important part in the Whiskey Rebellion. He was married to the sister of General Neville ' s wife. On March 27, 1794 Abraham Kirkpatrick purchased from the Penns two farms designated in the original plan as farms 10 and 11. The land consisted of seven hun-

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Early Pittsburgh Waterfront Pittsburgh Sesqui-Centennial — 1908

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The map of Mount Washington and West Pittsburgh and Union drawn in 1872 shows the parish as it was when it was lounded in 1874. You will notice that the names ot the streets are quite different trom those at the present time. For ex- ample, Grandview Avenue was known as High Street. iMerrimac Street was called Maria Street. You will also note that High Street at Maria went back along the hillside. At that time it extended back ot the site ot the high school emerging near Olympia Street. Shiloh Street was called St. Clair Street: Wyoming Street was Washington Street; Natchez was called Neville Street; Belonda was named Bed- ford Street; Grace Street was Railroad Street; Omaha Street was known as White Oak Lane; Southern Street was known as the New Washington Road while Boggs Avenue was Old Washington Road; Amabell Street was Joels Lane; Kearsarge Street was called Kirkpatrick Street; Maple Terrace was Spring Street; LHysses Street was Union Street; Plymouth Street was Pine Street; Sweetbriar Street was Sarah Street; Republic Street was Fulton Street. Most of the changes in the names of the streets in Mt. Washington took place after it was annexed to the City of Pittsburgh because of the duplication of names.