Brentwood, Pennsylvania facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brentwood, Pennsylvania
Borough
4th of July Celebration at Brentwood Towne Square
Location in Allegheny County and the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Allegheny
Incorporated	May 15, 1916
Area
• Total	1.45 sq mi (3.75 km2)
• Land	1.45 sq mi (3.75 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	1,225 ft (373 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	10,082
• Density	6,957.90/sq mi (2,687.16/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	15227
Area code(s)	412
FIPS code	42-08416
Website	http://www.brentwoodboro.com/

Brentwood is a small town, called a borough, in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. It's a residential area, meaning many people live there, and it's part of the larger Pittsburgh metropolitan area. In 2020, about 10,082 people lived in Brentwood.

History of Brentwood

Brentwood is about 6 miles (10 km) from downtown Pittsburgh. It was once part of a bigger area called Baldwin Township. This township included the villages of Brentwood, Point View, and Whitehall.

In 1914, people in Brentwood were unhappy because their area didn't have basic things like sidewalks, sewers, fire protection, police, or a school. They asked the Baldwin Township leaders for help, but nothing changed. So, a group of men met in January 1915 to talk about breaking away from Baldwin Township. They decided on the borders for a new town.

On November 6, 1915, a court in Allegheny County officially said that Brentwood could leave Baldwin Township. Then, on May 15, 1916, Brentwood officially became its own borough.

Special elections were held on December 4, 1915, to choose the first leaders. Bernard Kestner became Brentwood's first "burgess," which is like a mayor. He started his job on December 9, 1915, and served for 16 years.

A big celebration happened on Labor Day in 1928. This marked the official opening of the town's park and swimming pool. Also, Brownsville Road, a main street, was paved.

Some famous people have connections to Brentwood. Bob Cranmer, a former councilman, later became a commissioner for Allegheny County. Joe Schmidt, a Hall of Fame football player, played for Brentwood High School.

Geography and Climate

Brentwood is located at 40°22′28″N 79°58′34″W. It covers about 1.5 square miles (3.75 square kilometers) of land.

Where is Brentwood Located?

The borough is in the Allegheny Plateau region of the United States. It's about 5 miles (8 km) south of where the Allegheny River and the Monongahela River join to form the Ohio River.

Brentwood's Weather

Because Brentwood is between the Great Lakes and the Allegheny Mountains, it gets a lot of rain and snow. This helps plants grow well. It's also often cloudy, with about 203 cloudy days each year. Winters can be very cloudy, especially in December. When wind blows from Lake Erie across Ohio and Pennsylvania, it brings moist air, causing clouds and heavy snow.

Neighboring Towns

Brentwood shares its borders with three other places:

• Baldwin to the east and northeast.
• Whitehall to the south and west.
• The Pittsburgh neighborhood of Carrick to the northwest.

Population of Brentwood

In 2020, the population of Brentwood was 10,082 people. The town has grown quite a bit since it was founded.

Economy and Businesses

Brentwood has a main street called Brownsville Road with many businesses. These businesses stretch from the edge of Pittsburgh to the border of Whitehall Borough. More recently, a shopping area called Brentwood Towne Square was built along Brownsville Road and Route 51. You can find many shops, restaurants, and offices there.

Arts and Culture

Historic Roads and Buildings

Brownsville Road was once an old Native American trail. It connected an old fort with the "forks of the Ohio" (where the rivers meet). Later, it became a major road for stagecoaches and wagons, connecting Pittsburgh with Brownsville, Pennsylvania. It was very important during the Whiskey Rebellion, a historical event.

The Point View Hotel opened in 1832. Famous people like General Andrew Jackson and President James Buchanan stayed there. What's even more interesting is that the hotel's basement was a stop on the Underground Railroad in the 1850s. This was a secret network that helped enslaved people find freedom. The hotel was later a restaurant and bar, but it was torn down in 2006.

The John F. Slater Funeral Home used to be the White Hall Tavern. Many people traveling by stagecoach on Brownsville Road would stop here. It was close to a race track, making it a popular spot for visitors.

The Windsor Hotel opened in 1882 and was a popular vacation spot, even after a fire.

The Davis Farm House became a recreation center for senior citizens in 1968. Although many people thought it was a historical site, it was eventually torn down to build a new fire station.

The Cowan Farm House at 4111 Brownsville Road shows what early Brentwood buildings looked like. The Cowan family owned a lot of land in the area.

Brentwood Arboretum

The Brentwood Arboretum was started in 1997 by people in the community. It's located on the grounds of the Brentwood School District, the Brentwood Library, and Brentwood Park. It's a collection of trees, both old ones and new ones planted by the community.

The arboretum includes many types of trees, such as:

• Ginkgo (Ginkgo Biloba)
• Japanese Larch (Larix kaempferi)
• Goldenrain Tree (Koelreuteria paniculata)
• Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera)
• American Elm "Princeton" (Ulmus americana)
• Little Leaf Linden (Tilia cordata)
• Red Maple (Acer rubrum)
• Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides)
• Mulberry (Morus)
• Norway Maple (Acer platanoides)
• Redbud (Cercis)
• Spruce (Picea)
• Slippery Elm (Ulmus rubra)
• Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum)
• American Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)

Brentwood Library

Brentwood's public library is in the middle of town on Brownsville Road, right at the entrance to Brentwood Park. You can borrow books, movies, puzzles, magazines, and CDs there. The library has a special area for children and computers for public internet use.

The library also hosts many events for kids, like story times and visits from authors. For adults, there are educational classes and book clubs.

The library started in 1947 in the basement of Moore School. It later moved to the Brentwood Borough building. On July 4, 1990, the library moved into its current building, which was built specifically for it.

Parks and Recreation

The Brentwood High School Spartans play football, soccer, baseball, and softball in the local park. Brentwood Borough opened the park and pool on July 4, 1928. Later, in 1948, a football stadium, track, baseball fields, tennis courts, and basketball courts were built.

In 2013, Brentwood Park got a big upgrade, costing about $8 million. This project added new turf to the football field, a rubber track, a hockey rink, and new basketball and tennis courts. They also put in energy-efficient lighting.

Education in Brentwood

Brentwood is served by the Brentwood Borough School District.

In July 1916, Brentwood's first school board was chosen. They hired the first teachers in September of that year. Brentwood's first school was Moore Elementary School, which started as a four-room schoolhouse and is still used today. Because Moore School wasn't big enough, Elroy School was built in 1925, and both schools were updated.

The first Brentwood High School opened in the basement of Elroy School in September 1925, teaching up to ninth grade. A new high school building was built in 1932 next to Brentwood Park. More rooms and a new gym were added in 1939 and 1959 as the town grew.

In the late 1960s, there was talk of combining the Brentwood school district with another district. But this didn't happen. In 1972, a new four-story building with classrooms and an indoor pool was added to the high school.

In the 1990s, there was a big discussion about closing Moore and Elroy schools and moving all students to an expanded high school. However, people in the community wanted to keep Moore and Elroy schools open. So, in 1997, Elroy School was modernized, and Moore School got two new classrooms. A new academic wing was also added to the high school, and a second gym was built.

St. Sylvester School was a Catholic elementary school established in September 1948. It taught children from preschool to 8th grade. The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh closed the school in 2019.

Images for kids

• 

  Brownsville Road and Clairton Boulevard

• 

  Brentwood Avenue at East Bellecrest Avenue

See also

In Spanish: Brentwood (Pensilvania) para niños