Thornburg Borough

Allegheny County, Pennsylvania

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Thornburg Borough Hall is located at 1133 Dartmouth Road, Pittsburgh PA 15205.
Phone: 412‑921‑4713.

The borough was incorporated in 1909 from Robinson Township.

Beginnings [1]

Thomas Thornburg is first recorded as the owner of 1 1/2 acres in Moon Township, Allegheny County in 1797. During much of the eighteenth century, 1,000 acres of the Chartiers Valley were owned by the McKee brothers: Alexander and, after the Revolution, James. In the early nineteenth century the land on which Thornburg is located was shown to be part of a 402 acre tract deeded January 13, 1806 by James and Lydia Brisson to Thomas Thornburg. An additional 33 acres were acquired from James and Rebecca Ewing on June 7, 1831. This farm was divided and redivided among Thomas Thornburg's lineal descendants until July 12, 1900, when several parcels were combined and nearly 250 acres were sold to the Thornburg Land Company (Frank Thornburg, President and David C. Thornburg, Secretary). An additional purchase in 1908 brought Thornburg to its present size.

Advertised as "Pittsburgh's Most Attractive Suburb," the plan was begun in 1900 when Frank Thornburg had five homes built along Princeton Road. The district developed rapidly thereafter, and Thornburg was incorporated as a Borough in 1909. Sixty-three homes were built from 1900-1919, the majority being completed before 1910. These are the homes that substantially comprise the Thornburg Historic District. Subsequent developments within this original plan, including seven 1920-1940 era homes and five post-1960 homes, have not significantly altered either the size of the ambience of the district.

  1. Smith, Eliza and Donnelly, Lu, Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation, Thornburg Historic District, 1980, nomination document, National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places, Washington, D.C.

Nearby Towns: Avalon Boro • Avalon Boro • Bellevue Boro • Ben Avon Boro • Bridgeville Boro • Coraopolis Boro • Crafton Borough • Dormont Boro • Glenfield Boro • McKees Rocks Borough • Pennsbury Vlg Boro • Pittsburgh City • Ross Twp • South Fayette Twp • Stowe Township •


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