Friends of the McCandless/Northern Allegheny Heritage and Cultural Center

06/17/2026

Do you have antiques, collectibles, or historic stuff you want to know more about? Bring it to our Family Heirloom Appraisal Fair on Saturday, June 27!

Space and time is limited, so please register at https://secure.rec1.com/PA/mccandless-pa/catalog.

06/17/2026

This one is for you, Ross Township!

Who was James Ross (1762- 1847)?

Ross Township was carved out of Pine Township (just like McCandless) in 1809. It was named for attorney James Ross, who was a U.S. Senator, landowner in O'Hara Township and Pittsburgh, and personal land lawyer of George Washington.
Just like Rev. Passavant, he is an alumni of Jefferson College (now Washington & Jefferson College), where he studied law and became a land lawyer in 1784. He became Senator for Pennsylvania in 1794 to fill the vacancy caused by the Senate declaring the election of Albert Gallatin (a name seen around Fayette County/Uniontown landmarks) void and served until 1803. During his tenure, he served as President pro tempore of the United States Senate from March to December 1799.

Ross Street in Downtown Pittsburgh and Ross County in Ohio are also named in his honor. He is interred in Allegheny Cemetery.

Photo and information from the Ross Township Bicentennial 2009 publication.

06/16/2026

I wish I still had my personalized bowling pin from my 10th birthday party. 🎂

06/15/2026

According to Joe Bullick's bus tour script, Horseshoe Bend in West View originally ran from the intersection of Bellevue Road, down over the steep hill near the entrance of West View Park (now Shopping Center). The better grade of the Horseshoe Bend, with its expensive sidehill cutting, was a luxury of the plank road improvements in 1849 and was acclaimed as a famous engineering accomplishment. So take it easy around the curve!

Photo Credit: https://historicpittsburgh.org/islandora/object/pitt:20120009-hpicnpl-0136

06/12/2026

When people come to explore the HCC, many of them spend the most time looking at our old maps. This map of McCandless is from sometime between 1910s-1931. This date estimate is based on the marking of the Harmony Line that ran through McCandless from 1908-1931 and the old school houses listed.

Where is your property on this map?

06/11/2026

The HCC is closed today, June 11, due to maintenance. Thank you for your patience and understanding!

06/11/2026

Ross Park Mall turns 40 this August! This newspaper is from 1987, celebrating Ross Park Mall's first birthday. I would have loved to see a cake replica of the mall! Anyone have a picture?

To celebrate the big 4-0, Scott Baret returns to the HCC to talk about it's history on August 20. Don't miss it!

Scott Baret Educational Services

06/10/2026

Have you been in to see our collection of West View Park items? We have a carousel panel (on loan from the Heinz History Center, park bench, architectural rendering of the park, and more!

  Beware the Ides of March, a seer warned Julius Caesar. For classic amusement parks, the day of reckoning often occurred in the weeks following Labor Day, when summer’s end…

06/09/2026

Today, in things that aren't there anymore:

The Old Stone House at the top of Pine Creek Hill on Perry Highway. Once the oldest existing house in McCandless and a landmark in the community for over 150 years, the structure was razed to make way for commercial properties in the 1960s.

This article contains some notable names in North Hills history- Sarver, Duffy, Warren and Logan.