Sinnet Way

From Pittsburgh Streets
(Redirected from Fennis Alley)
Sinnet Way
Neighborhood Point Breeze
Origin of name Reversal of Tennis, the original name
Tennis Alley (1883–1910)
Heinz Alley (1910–1911)
Sinnet Alley (1911–1914)
Origin of name Reversal of Tennis

This alley was laid out as Tennis Alley in 1883.[1][2][3]

The name was occasionally miswritten as Fennis Alley, as in the Hopkins atlases of 1890 and 1898 and a 1901 city ordinance establishing its grade.[4][5][6]

In 1910, over 900 street names were changed to fix duplicates. Tennis Alley was renamed Heinz Alley because there was another Tennis Alley in Homewood West.[7] The new name was shown in the 1910 Polk directory[8] and the 1911 Hopkins atlas.[9]

However, the next year, the former Sycamore Street on the North Side, the location of the H. J. Heinz Company, was renamed Heinz Street, and so Heinz Alley had to change its name again. It was renamed Sinnet Alley;[10] this is a reversal of its former name, Tennis. (Other "backward" street names include Aidyl Avenue and perhaps Pocusset Street.) Sinnet Alley appears in the 1912 Polk directory.[11]

The final name change came in 1914, when a city ordinance changed all alleys in Pittsburgh to ways, and Sinnet Alley became Sinnet Way.[12]

The name has occasionally been spelled "Sinnett," as in the 1923 Hopkins atlas.[13]

References

  1. "Mellon Bro's plan of lots: McClintock Place near Fifth & Penn Avenues: 22nd Ward Pittsburg." Laid out Dec. 1883; recorded Aug. 6, 1884, Plan Book 7, pp. 92–93. Allegheny County Recorder of Deeds 3779669. [view source]mellon-bros-mcclintock-place-plan
  2. Real Estate Plat-Book of the City of Pittsburgh, vol. 1. G. M. Hopkins & Co., Philadelphia, 1904. http://historicpittsburgh.org/maps-hopkins/1904-volume-1-plat-book-pittsburgh; included in the 1903–1906 layer at Pittsburgh Historic Maps (https://esriurl.com/pittsburgh). [view source]hopkins-1904-vol-1
  3. Atlas of Greater Pittsburgh. G. M. Hopkins & Co., Philadelphia, 1910. http://historicpittsburgh.org/maps-hopkins/1910-atlas-greater-pittsburgh; 1910 layer at Pittsburgh Historic Maps (https://esriurl.com/pittsburgh). [view source]hopkins-1910
  4. Atlas of the City of Pittsburgh, vol. 4. G. M. Hopkins & Co., Philadelphia, 1890. http://historicpittsburgh.org/maps-hopkins/1890-volume-4-atlas-pittsburgh; included in the 1890 layer at Pittsburgh Historic Maps (https://esriurl.com/pittsburgh). [view source]hopkins-1890-vol-4
  5. Real Estate Plat-Book of the City of Pittsburgh, vol. 1. G. M. Hopkins & Co., Philadelphia, 1898. http://historicpittsburgh.org/maps-hopkins/1898-volume-1-plat-book-pittsburgh-east. [view source]hopkins-1898-vol-1
  6. "An ordinance establishing the grade of Fennis alley, from Hastings street to a point 140 feet north of Selwyn street." Pittsburgh city ordinance, 1901, no. 49. Passed Apr. 29, 1901; approved May 3, 1901. Ordinance Book 13, p. 628. Reprinted in the Pittsburg Press, May 20, 1901, p. 9 (Newspapers.com 141344907). [view source]ordinance-1901-49
  7. "An ordinance changing the names of certain avenues, streets, lanes and alleys in the City of Pittsburgh." Pittsburgh city ordinance, 1910, no. 715. Passed Mar. 31, 1910; approved Apr. 5, 1910. Ordinance Book 21, p. 342. In Municipal Record: Minutes of the proceedings of the [Select and Common Councils] of the City of Pittsburgh for the years 1909–1910, appendix, pp. 312–328, Devine & Co., Pittsburgh, 1910 (Google Books doQzAQAAMAAJ; HathiTrust uiug.30112108223832; Internet Archive Pghmunicipalrecord1909). Reprinted in the Pittsburgh Post, Apr. 19, 1910, pp. 10–11 (Newspapers.com 86611990, 86612022), Apr. 20, pp. 10–11 (Newspapers.com 86612278, 86612297), and Apr. 21, pp. 10–11 (Newspapers.com 86612601, 86612625). [view source]ordinance-1910-715
  8. R. L. Polk & Co. and R. L. Dudley. Pittsburgh Directory 1910, fifty-fifth annual issue. R. L. Polk & Co. and R. L. Dudley, Pittsburgh, 1910. DonsList.net Pgh1910M; Historic Pittsburgh 31735058193834. [view source]polk-1910
  9. Real Estate Plat-Book of the City of Pittsburgh, vol. 4. G. M. Hopkins & Co., Philadelphia, 1911. http://historicpittsburgh.org/maps-hopkins/1911-volume-4-plat-book-pittsburgh. [view source]hopkins-1911-vol-4
  10. "An ordinance changing the names of certain streets, avenues and alleys in the City of Pittsburgh." Pittsburgh city ordinance, 1911, no. 558. Passed Feb. 14, 1911; approved Feb. 16, 1911. Ordinance Book 22, p. 498. In Municipal Record: Minutes of the proceedings of the [Select and Common Councils] of the City of Pittsburgh for the years 1910–1911, appendix, pp. 322–323, Devine & Co., Pittsburgh, 1911 (Google Books 0X0zAQAAMAAJ; HathiTrust uiug.30112108223840; Internet Archive Pghmunicipalrecord1910). Reprinted in the Pittsburgh Post, Mar. 10, 1911, p. 13 (Newspapers.com 86499788), and Mar. 11, p. 13 (Newspapers.com 86499822). [view source]ordinance-1911-558
  11. R. L. Polk & Co. and R. L. Dudley. Pittsburgh Directory 1912, fifty-seventh annual issue. R. L. Polk & Co. and R. L. Dudley, Pittsburgh, 1912. DonsList.net Pgh1912M; Historic Pittsburgh 31735058193842. [view source]polk-1912
  12. "An ordinance changing the name 'Alley' on every thoroughfare in the City of Pittsburgh, to 'Way.'" Pittsburgh city ordinance, 1914, no. 402. Passed Nov. 10, 1914; approved Nov. 16, 1914. Ordinance Book 26, p. 360. Reprinted in the Pittsburgh Post, Nov. 23, 1914, p. 11 (Newspapers.com 86505785), and Nov. 24, p. 12 (Newspapers.com 86505809). [view source]ordinance-1914-402
  13. Real Estate Plat-Book of the City of Pittsburgh, vol. 2. G. M. Hopkins & Co., Philadelphia, 1923. http://historicpittsburgh.org/maps-hopkins/1923-volume-2-plat-book-pittsburgh-east-end-south; included in the 1923 layer at Pittsburgh Historic Maps (https://esriurl.com/pittsburgh). [view source]hopkins-1923-vol-2