Castle Shannon

Castle Shannon, residential borough (1990 pop. 9,135), Allegheny co., SW Pa., a suburb S of Pittsburgh; inc. 1919.

Castle Shannon is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States and is part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. The population was 8,556 at the 2000 census.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of , all of it land. Its average elevation is above sea level .

Surrounding communities

• Baldwin Township
• Bethel Park
• Mt. Lebanon
• Overbrook (Pittsburgh neighborhood)
• Whitehall

History

The first families settled Castle Shannon in 1786 in pursuit of farmland and timber. The most prominent farm was owned by David Strawbridge, which he named Castle Shanahan. Over time, the farm would lend its name to the area, as "Shanahan" would evolve into "Shannon."

In 1872, The Pittsburgh and Castle Shannon Railroad line was completed, providing a direct link from Pittsburgh to what was then known as the Village of Castle Shannon. Development was stimulated by two years of free transportation and lumber transport given to anybody building a home.. In 1877, a second railroad was built from Finleyville through Castle Shannon to the West End of Pittsburgh. In 1909, the right of way through the valley containing Castle Shannon was purchased by Pittsburgh Railroad. This helped lead to Castle Shannon becoming a center for coal mining, with 8 mines in operation in 1904. The Pittsburgh and West Virginia Railroad, still active today, came shortly after.

The First National Bank in Castle Shannon was the site of a much publicized bank robbery in 1917. $18,500 was taken in the robbery, of which $10,500 was immediately recovered from one man shot during the escape. The full sum was never recovered.

Castle Shannon was incorporated as a borough in 1919, formed from parts of Baldwin Township, Mt. Lebanon, and Bethel Township.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 8,556 people, 3,859 households, and 2,288 families residing in the borough. The population density was 5,259.8 people per square mile (2,026.7/km²). There were 4,037 housing units at an average density of 2,481.8/sq mi (956.3/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 96.91% White, 1.34% African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.78% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.39% from other races, and 0.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.98% of the population.

There were 3,859 households out of which 23.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.3% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.7% were non-families. 35.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the borough the population was spread out with 19.7% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 32.9% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 18.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 90.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.5 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $38,040, and the median income for a family was $48,586. Males had a median income of $33,013 versus $27,907 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $20,518. About 5.0% of families and 7.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.4% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.

Schools

Castle Shannon’s school system, Keystone Oaks School District, is a jointure with the boroughs of Dormont and Green Tree, comprising Dormont Elementary School, Keystone Oaks Middle School and Keystone Oaks High School. Oddly enough, none of the three communities which make up the Keystone Oaks School District share a common border and the high school/middle school campus is located outside the district, being situated in the municipality of Mount Lebanon. Also, a small part of Castle Shannon is actually part of the Bethel Park School District.

Notable residents

• Dennis Miller - comedian, grew up in Castle Shannon, and attended St. Anne's Elementary School and Keystone Oaks High School
• Paul J. Wilhelm - former president of U.S. Steel, attended St. Anne School, class of 1956

References

External links

• Castle Shannon Borough