Malden, Pennsylvania facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Malden, Pennsylvania
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A bedroom community in the Borough of Centerville
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Malden Inn in the borough's Centerville historic district in August 2014
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Bedroom Community of Malden in the Borough of Centerville in Washington County, Pennsylvania.
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 Malden, Pennsylvania
Location in Pennsylvania
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| Country | United States |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Washington |
| Established | 1800 |
| John Krep's Tavern | 1820 |
| Founded by | John Krep |
| Area
Malden housing developments were limited to roadside dwellings until the 1950s. Most of the lands now made residential streets off to the side from the Old National Pike were probably farm lands until after WW-II ended. |
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| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,181 ft (360 m) |
| Population
(2010)
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| • Total | several dozen houses |
| Time zone | UTC-4 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (EDT) |
| zipcode |
15417
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| Area code(s) | 724 (Southwestern Pennsylvania) |
Malden is a small community located in Centerville, Washington County, Pennsylvania. It sits on the historic Old National Pike. Malden is known as a bedroom community. This means many people who live there travel to nearby towns for work.
Malden was once an important stop for wagons. It became a small travel center as many people moved west after 1790. Malden and the wider area of Centerville share the same zip code, 15417. This zip code is for the Brownsville, Pennsylvania post office.
Malden's Early History
Malden was settled between 1780 and 1800. At this time, many people were moving west across the Allegheny Mountains. The US government was organizing new lands called the Northwest Territory.
The land in Malden is fairly flat. This made it a good place for travelers to rest their animals and set up camp. These travelers were on long journeys. The nearby town of Brownsville grew into a center for building river boats. The whole region had many industries. These included:
- Small factories that melted local iron to make iron goods.
- Glass and pottery factories.
- Businesses that made charcoal and firewood.
- Lumber companies.
With many people moving west, one of the first buildings in Malden was the Malden Inn. It was located where the main road met Malden Road. Malden Road connected the area to California, Pennsylvania and other growing towns.
Landmarks and Changes Over Time
The Malden Inn is still there today. It houses Paci's Restaurant, which has been open since the 1930s. Nearby, you can find the Cuppies Drive-In Theatre. It opened in 1947. The theater was sold in 1976 and renamed the Malden Drive-In Theater.
Malden's businesses started to decline in the early 1960s. This happened when the main road, US-40, was changed. The new US-40 bypassed Malden's main street (Market Street). It also bypassed the old National Road. This change was made to help with traffic problems in Brownsville. The new US-40 now connects to the Old National Road at the west end of Malden.
Another old building in Malden is a tavern. It was once an inn. It is known as the "John Krepps Tavern" or the "Kreppsville Inn."
Malden Today
Today, Malden sits where the new US-40 and the old historic National Highway meet. The two US-40 bridges over the Monongahela River connect their routes. These are the Lane Bane Bridge and the Brownsville-West Brownsville Bridge. They merge just west of Malden's business area.
The old US-40 turns left and goes past Brownsville's lower business district. It then turns right to cross the older Brownsville Bridge. After that, it goes through the southern part of West Brownsville and climbs to Malden's east side.
Malden's Location
Malden is located on a flat strip of land about 1.75 miles long. This land is along the Old U.S. Route 40. Houses line the road here. Two housing developments were built in the 1950s. They are on each side of the highway.
The development to the north is larger. It has streets that go uphill. The development to the south is older and smaller. It looks out over the Monongahela Valley. From there, you can see the communities of Denbeau Heights and Denbo.
The nearby town of Brownsville, Pennsylvania was an important stop. It was the first place travelers crossing the Alleghenies could reach the waters of the Ohio River and Mississippi River drainage basins. Most riverbanks were too steep for wagons. But Brownsville had streams that cut through the cliffs. These streams created a ramp-like path down to the river. The opposite shore, West Brownsville, also had slopes that wagons could climb. The two sides were connected by a shallow river crossing. This crossing was just upstream from the Brownsville Bridges. These bridges were built to support the National Road.
The Cumberland Trail continued west from Brownsville. About 2 miles from West Brownsville, the road reached a flat area through Malden. This road connected the Ohio River crossing at Wheeling, West Virginia, to the river crossing at Brownsville. The crossing at Brownsville was where the mountains ended.
The wagon road was an important path for settlers. It helped them move west to the new lands of the Northwest Territory and the Mississippi River basin. The Cumberland Pike started as a private toll road. It went between Baltimore and Cumberland, Maryland. Over time, it was extended west. The toll road never went west of Brownsville. The rest of the road, which eventually reached Vandalia, Illinois, was built with money from the US government. This was done to help people move west. The part of the road from the Monongahela River to the Ohio River crossing in Wheeling, West Virginia, generally followed an old Native American trail. This trail was known as Nemacolin's Path or "Chief Nemacolin's Trail."
