Troy Hill is a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's North Side. It has a zip code of 15212, and has representation on Pittsburgh City Council by the council member for District 1. Troy Hill sits on a plateau above the Allegheny River on the North Side of Pittsburgh. It is approximately long from Vinial Street to the end of Lowrie Street and only wide from Wicklines Lane to Herr's Island.
History
Troy Hill was part of The Reserve Tract incorporated in 1833. Originally called the village of New Troy, it was settled by German immigrants who worked in the mills, tanneries, breweries and railroads that lined the Allegheny river. The migration up to Troy Hill began when a Catholic church opened a small cemetery in 1842. By 1866 one hundred families were officially Troy Hill residents. In 1877, Troy Hill became the thirteenth ward of the City of Allegheny, Pennsylvania. Subsequently, when the City of Allegheny was annexed, Troy Hill became a neighborhood of the city of Pittsburgh. Troy Hill is home to six historic landmarks: the Troy Hill Firehouse, Saint Anthony's Chapel, the Rectory of Most Holy Name of Jesus, the Troy Hill Incline Building, the Allegheny Reservoir Wall, and the Ober-Guehl house. In the 1830s, Troy Hill's population escalated significantly, resulting in the need of a school. In 1836, a 1-room brick school house was built in "New Troy" and named Mount Troy School #1, because at the time it was located in Reserve Township. It was sold in 1860, which then was replaced by a new, 2 room brick school house. A decade after the civil war, the pupils increased to around 200, so 2 more rooms were added in 1874. Troy Hill was now part of Allegheny's School System, and in 1883 the school was demolished and a new one was built in its place. That building was then also replaced by the Troy Hill School of 1907, but then was shut down in 1960 and demolished. The site of the original school is now a community park. Troy Hill was the home to Commissioner Thomas J. Foerster who served 10 years in the state house and 28 years as the Commissioner of Allegheny County. He also served on the first county council established in 2000. Another notable resident was Andrew Fenrich who served 9 terms in the state house, was executive secretary for the mayor of Pittsburgh, and also served as executive secretary for the Allegheny County Democrats. Until 1959 the neighborhood was served by the 4 Troy Hill trolley operated byPittsburgh Railways. Beginning in 2013, Evan Mirapaul, an art collector living in Troy Hill, commissioned two whole-house installations in the neighborhood. Both La Hutte Royal, created by German artist Thorsten Brinkmann, and Kunzhaus, by Polish artist Robert Kusmirowski, are free to tour by appointment.
Other names
While "Troy Hill" generally refers to the historically German neighborhood atop the Troy Hill plateau, the neighborhood's boundaries also encompass the narrow and flat river plain that sits between the plateau and the Allegheny River., this river plain is dominated by Pennsylvania Route 28, an expressway which begins at East Ohio Street and then follows the river north. But before Route 28 became an expressway, this plain was a Croatian neighborhood that was settled by immigrants from Jastrebarsko, who called the neighborhood "Mala Jaska" and founded St. Nicholas Parish.
Troy Hill in Hollywood Films
Several Hollywood films have scenes filmed in Troy Hill, including Hoffa,Innocent Blood, Striking Distance, and Adventureland.
