Notes:Spencer Avenue
1851: Source:Sidney-neff: "M. E. Ch." (Methodist Episcopal) but no Spencer.
1858-04-23: Rody Patterson, "Notice in partition," Pittsburgh Gazette, [p. 2] (Newspapers.com 85649718): "NOTICE IN PARTITION.—To Thomas Lewis and Alice Spencer, of Baldwin township, Allegheny county, Penna.; Jane E. Appleton, James Wilson and Appleton Wilson, of Lycoming county, Penna.; Matilda E. Trimble and Samuel T. Trimble, of Wappalo, Louisa county, Iowa; Charles Stewart, of New Brighton, Penna.; Lydia Ann Stewart, Emma Stewart, Jane Stewart, Priscilla Stewart, Margaret Stewart, Matilda Stewart, Charles Stewart, James McKee Stewart, George Appleton Stewart, children of Priscilla Stewart, late of New Brighton, dec'd; Hiram Cleaver and Laura Matilda Cleaver, of Wappalo, Louisa county, Iowa; Susan D. Liscomb, Dr. P. D. Liscomb, of Birmingham, Allegheny county, Penna., and George E. Appleton, of New Brighton, Penna., heirs and legal representatives of Thomas Spencer, late of Allegheny county, dec'd. ¶ The parties above named, and all others interested, will take notice that in pursuance of a writ of Partition, issued out of the Orphans' Court of Allegheny county, Penna., an Inquisition will be held on the Real Estate of Thomas Spencer, dec'd, being a tract of land situate in Baldwin township, adjoining lands of Peter Devlin, Thomas Briggs, Mrs. C. Linhart and James Hays, and containing about eighty acres, on THURSDAY, the 20th day of May, A. D. 1858, at 10 o'clock, A. M., at which time and place you can attend if you think proper. ¶ RODY PATTERSON, Sheriff. ¶ ap23:4twF"
1862: Source:Beers: "M. E. Ch." and, immediately to the east, "Miss A. H. Spencer."
1876: Source:Hopkins-1876, p. 44: "Spencer M E Ch"; immediately to the east, "Spencer & Lewis." No road shown in the location of modern Spencer Avenue. "Mrs. Beckar's plan" is shown just to the east, which suggests that the level of detail in this map should have been sufficient to show a road if one existed.
1886: Source:Hopkins-1886, plate 19: Unlabeled road in the location of modern Spencer Avenue. "Spencer Ch." at the south end, on the west side of the road, in the community of Pine Grove.
1889: Source:History-of-allegheny-county, part II, p. 55: "Pine Grove is a rural hamlet on the Brownsville road, about the center of the township. There is a Methodist church at this place. ¶ North Zion German Lutheran Church was originally built in 1812. Concord Presbyterian Church was organized in 1832. Spencer Methodist Church is also an old organization, while the Roman Catholic church is of recent origin."
1899-01: Source:Pine-grove-place-plan: Spencer Avenue from Church Avenue (Churchview Avenue) to Abbot Way (no longer exists; west from Spencer Avenue opposite Modena Way).
1900-05: Source:Marysville-plan: Middle Street from opposite modern Steiner Street to Hays Alley (Custer Avenue).
1900-10: Source:Marysville-plan-add-1: Middle Street from (Waterman Avenue) to (Wendelin Way).
1901-04: Source:Suburban-land-co-plan: Spencer Avenue from South Street (Modena Way) to North Street (Waterman Avenue).
1905: Source:Hopkins-1905, plates 4, 5: "Spencer Av." south of Orchard Street (Steiner Street); "Middle St." north. Surrounding plans: Pine Grove Place, W. H. Kirk; Suburban Land Co.'s plan; Marysville plan, Wm. Waterman; Marysville add. no. 1; Chas. S. Gibbs plan (not adjacent); M. McWilliams plan (opposite).
1944-02-11: Source:Love-christening: "When a suburb is annexed, streets that have the same names as streets in the city must be renamed. But if the suburban street is an important one, and the street in the city not so important, the latter is changed. ¶ Sometimes there are complications. When Carrick was annexed, it was thought that Spencer Ave. would have to be changed because the name had been used for many years for a street in the 13th Ward. It was almost historic. But, on the other hand, a church was named for the Carrick street. So eventually the street in the city had its name changed, to Apple St." — This change was made on 1927-03-26 by Source:Ordinance-1927-205.
2012-09-07: Robert Edward Healy III, "Spencer United Methodist Church celebrates 175 years," https://patch.com/pennsylvania/baldwin-whitehall/spencer-united-methodist-church-celebrates-175-years
2012-09-17: Trib Live, "Carrick's Spencer United Methodist Church celebrates 175 . . ."
2022-07-31: Norman Carlysle Young and Naomi Kathleen Ivey Horner, "Church Records: Western Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church," p. 778, https://www.wpaumc.org/files/resource/historical_records/church+records/church+records+pittsburgh+district.pdf, linked from https://www.wpaumc.org/historicalrecords: "This congregation had its origins in a Class organized as a preaching place on the Chartiers Circuit in 1837. The nucleus of the Class were members of the Franklin Church (now Anne Ashley Memorial in Munhall). In 1850 James Stewart and his wife Nancy deeded the lot on Spencer Avenue, and a log building, measuring 22 × 32 feet, was erected and was named 'Baldwin Chapel.' The church was incorporated under that name on March 7, 1857. The congregation outgrew the little log chapel and it was torn down and replaced by a modest brick structure made possible by the generous gift of the Spencer sisters, Jane and Alice. It was completed and dedicated on December 22, 1867 and the name changed to Spencer Methodist Episcopal Church."
