Warren Street
| Warren Street | |
|---|---|
| Neighborhood | Fineview |
| Origin of name | Maybe Joseph Warren or Gouverneur K. Warren |
This street appears, unlabeled, in the 1852 map of R. E. McGowin as a northern extension of West Street (today James Street); the surrounding district is labeled "Benvilla, Thompson Bell."[1] Benvilla is also shown in an 1851 map of Allegheny County, though with a rectangular street grid rather than the layout shown in McGowin's map.[2] Bell advertised lots for sale in Benvilla in 1849.[3] An 1862 map of Allegheny County shows the same layout of streets as in the 1852 map.[4]
The earliest appearance of the name Warren Street that I can find is in an 1867 plan by Bell of the streets in this district, which emphasized that they were not public thoroughfares.[5]
The name Warren might commemorate Joseph Warren (1741–1775), a Founding Father and physician who was killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill in the Revolutionary War, or Gouverneur K. Warren (1830–1882), a Union army general in the Civil War. In a 1915 newspaper column about military origins of street names in Pittsburgh, George T. Fleming wrote that several streets had been named Warren to honor Joseph Warren but Gouverneur K. Warren was not commemorated.[6] The next year, however, he included Warren Street in a list of streets named for corps and army commanders of the Civil War and wrote a brief biography of Gouverneur K. Warren.[7] Then in 1917 he included "Warren" in a list of streets whose names came "from the War of the Revolution and Colonial wars."[8] Apparently Fleming did not really know the origin of this street name and was merely making associations. (It is not entirely clear that Fleming was even referring to this street in Fineview—there have been several other streets named Warren in Pittsburgh's history, and Allegheny City had been annexed only in 1907.)[9]
See also
- Warren Street (disambiguation), for other streets that have had this name
References
- ↑ R. E. McGowin. Map of the Cities of Pittsburgh and Allegheny and of the Boroughs of South-Pittsburgh, Birmingham, East-Birmingham, Lawrenceville, Duquesne & Manchester etc. Schuchman & Haunlein, Pittsburgh, 1852. https://collections.lib.uwm.edu/digital/collection/agdm/id/32269. [view source] mcgowin-1852
- ↑ Sidney & Neff and S. McRea. Map of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, with the Names of Property-Holders. Philadelphia, 1851. LCCN 2012592150. [view source] sidney-neff
- ↑ Thompson Bell. "Lots for sale in Benvilla." Daily Morning Post (Pittsburgh), Feb. 13, 1849, [p. 2]. Newspapers.com 86640666. [view source] lots-for-sale-in-benvilla
- ↑ S. N. & F. W. Beers. Map of Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania. Smith, Gallup & Hewitt, Philadelphia, 1862. LCCN 2012592151; https://collections.lib.uwm.edu/digital/collection/agdm/id/31783; 1862 layer at Pittsburgh Historic Maps (https://esriurl.com/pittsburgh). [view source] beers
- ↑ Plan of lots by Thompson Bell. Laid out June 1, 1867; recorded June 7, 1867, Plan Book 3, p. 171. Allegheny County Recorder of Deeds 3778607. [view source] thompson-bell-fineview-plan
- ↑ George T. Fleming. "Names recall Civil War heroes: Soldiers of national and local fame well commemorated in Pittsburgh: Battles also live." Pittsburgh Gazette Times, May 30, 1915, sec. 5, p. 2. Newspapers.com 85758872. [view source] fleming-civil-war
- ↑ George T. Fleming. "Streets named for heroes of war: Nearness of Memorial Day brings thoughts of events of the Sixties: Well known leaders." Pittsburgh Gazette Times, May 28, 1916, sec. 5, p. 2. Newspapers.com 85468043. [view source] fleming-heroes
- ↑ George T. Fleming. "Great patriots are honored in street names: Commemoration of splendid leaders of young republic is apparent here: Clay and Webster." Pittsburgh Gazette Times, Mar. 4, 1917, sec. 5, pp. 2–3. Newspapers.com 85858155, 85858158. [view source] fleming-patriots
- ↑ Mark A. Connelly. "Allegheny City–Pittsburgh City 1907 Consolidation." Local Geohistory Project. https://www.localgeohistory.pro/en/pa/event/allegheny-city-pittsburgh-city-1907-consolidation/. [view source] lgeo-allegheny-annexation
