Borough of Swissvale

The Borough of Swissvale is 1.3 square miles nestled on the eastern border of the City of Pittsburgh within Allegheny County. Surrounding communities include Edgewood, Braddock Hills, North Braddock and Rankin Boroughs. Located in the historic 'Steel Valley' along the Monongahela River, the community is urban in nature and is comprised of residential, commercial and industrial occupancies with a current population of just under 9,000 residents.Swissvale’s convenient access to I-376, Braddock Ave and multiple bus routes places it just minutes away from numerous business and leisure destinations:

Early History of the Borough of Swissvale

A glimpse into the past and down through the years, as based from the 1948 Swissvale Golden Anniversary book. Swissvale celebrated 100 years in 1998.Swissvale was known as a 'Hamlet' from 1850 to 1866. Following this period, the title was changed to 'The Village' and this name clung to our community from 1866 to 1898. On the 30th day of July, 1898, the village was incorporated into a borough to be known as 'The Borough of Swissvale.'About the time the first gun was fired on Fort Sumter, announcing to the world the beginning of the Civil War, the beauties of the sylvan hamlet of Swissvale, situated in what was part of Wilkins Township, were being brought to the attention of many of the people of Pittsburgh.

Surrounded by fertile and well kept farms, the wooded hills, bountiful orchards and waving fields of grain, provided a picturesque and delightful setting for the dozen or so homes which formed the Hamlet of Swissvale.William S. Haven, whose homestead occupied what is now the Edgewood Town Center, was the proprietor of the largest printing and stationery establishment west of Philadelphia and was one of the wealthiest men in Pittsburgh.

During the Civil war, Mrs. Haven made daily trips to what was then known as Camp Copeland (which is now part of the present day Braddock Borough), where the Union soldiers were drilled before being sent to the front. At her own expense she provided soldiers with generous supplies of home-cooked food, and helped to nurse the sick and comfort the dying.The patriotism and generosity of the Haven family and their solicitude for the welfare of the soldiers, was such as to earn for them the profound respect and admiration of all who knew them.

Andrew Carnegie, who at this time was the Superintendent of the Pittsburgh division of the Pennsylvania Railroad, was an intimate friend and frequent visitor to the Haven family. On one of his last visits, having stayed later than usual, he had to run to catch the train for Pittsburgh. In his haste, he fell into an open culvert at the side of the railroad crossing but climbed out and with his temper and clothing, a little worse for the experience. The next day, the railroad carpenters came out and boarded up the culvert, as Andy did not wish to have a repetition of the occurence.Jane Grey Swisshelm lived in a log house adjoining the Haven property, in what was known as the Nine Mile Run Hollow. She so loved the beautiful hamlet, that she bestowed upon it the name of Swissvale and that is how the Borough received its present name. Mrs. Swisshelm's activities as a writer and one of the promoters of the Underground Railroad for the succor of slaves fleeing from the South to the North and into Canada for freedom, earned for her fame and prestige which will remain and endure as part of the history of Western Pennsylvania.

John McKelvy owned and operated one of the finest farms in the area, at the time. The broad acres comprising his farm covered the greater part of what is now known as the 'the 'hill' district' of Swissvale.The Robert Milligan Farm occupied that section of what is east of Dickson Street and Westmoreland Avenue to the intersection of Woodstock and S. Braddock Avenue, and from Milligan Avenue into present day Rankin Borough.The Samuel Deniston farm occupied all that territory from what is now the Kopp Glass Company, west to McClure Avenue and from Monongahela Avenue to the Monongahela River.The Thomas Dickson farm lay between what is now McClure Avenue and Nine Mile Run, and extended from Monongahela Avenue to Nevada Street in Swisshelm Park.

The Alexander Gordon and J.S. Newmyer homesteads covered from the East Busway west of Westmoreland Avenue and extended to present day Edgewood Borough.The farms of James Swisshelm, husband of Jane Grey Swisshelm, lay between the Haven property and the current day East busway on the north, and the Deniston and Dickson farms on the south, and from what is now the Kopp Glass Company to Nine Mile Run.The farm of Colonel William G. Hawkins, adjoining the Milligan farm on the west, extended east to Tassey Hollow and south into, and covering, a large portion of what is now Rankin Borough.

(Note how many of our past and present day schools and streets are named after these farms).The references herein given as to the location of the various farms are approximate and are for the purpose of giving a general idea of their relation to each other. With possible exception of the Haven family and Jane Grey Swisshelm, these good folks, both before and after the Civil War, led the quiet and peaceful lives of tillers of the soil amid scenes of true Arcadian beauty and simplicity. They have all long since ceased from their labors and entered into their final resting place, leaving behind tender memories of the happy days of yesteryears.

Other benefits of living in Swissvale:

• Direct access to two stations of the Martin Luther King Jr. East busway.
• The award winning Swissvale Farmers Market offers local fresh produce, baked goods, prepared foods and crafts May through October. Swissvale Family Market
• “Walkable” neighborhoods within walking distance of groceries, bakeries, drug stores, cleaners, tailors, jewelers, doctors, dentists, lawyers, restaurants and bars.
• The Carnegie free library of Swissvale has activities throughout the year from summer reading for kids and adults, computer tutorials, book clubs, and Legos & Robots courses.
• The Les Getz memorial park provides an outlet for recreation including baseball fields, tennis courts, basketball courts and a playground.
• Many churches and faith communities representing various backgrounds and denominations.
• The Swissvale Fire Department, made up of both paid and volunteer members, has one of the fastest average response times in Southwest Pennsylvania at 4 minutes. They are also one of only five departments to have 100% certified firefighters. The Public Protection Classification (PPC) program has recognized the SFD’s excellence as an ISO PPC “Class 3” community. Swissvale Fire Department

Garbage & Recycling

Did You Know? If all morning newspapers read around the country were recycled, 41,000 trees would be saved daily and 6 million tons of waste would never end up in landfills.   Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to keep a 100-watt bulb burning for almost four hours or enough energy to run your television for three hours.   Recycling one glass bottle causes 20% less air pollution and 50% less water pollution than when a new bottle is made from raw materials.  

Electronic Waste Update

As of January 24, 2012 it is illegal to dispose of Electronic Waste or E-Waste in a Pennsylvania landfill. All E-Waste must now be recycled and properly disposed by a licensed recycler. This includes televisions, computers, computer monitors, computer peripherals, printers and similar devices. As a result, Swissvale Sanitation cannot collect these items with weekly trash and the Borough can no longer collect and dispose of these items. Residents or property owners are responsible for assuring the proper disposal of these items.

One licensed E-Waste disposal facility in the immediate vicinity is eLoop, located at 625 Plum Industrial Court in Plum Borough. eLoop will accept E-Waste for a fee which depends on the type and size of E-Waste being disposing. Contact eLoop at (724) 519-7646 for more information.Swissvale will also continue to accept E-Waste at the annual clean-up day in May. However, the Borough does not have an appropriate facility for storage and so cannot collect such items before the scheduled date.

Household Hazardous Waste

What is Household Hazardous Waste? Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) is comprised of household products that, when mixed with other products, are either reactive, corrosive, flammable, or poisonous. These items need to be handled differently than other waste and should not be thrown in with trash or recyclables.

Some examples: Paint and Paint Products, Drain Cleaner, Oven Cleaner, Motor Oil, Ammonia, Gasoline, Antifreeze, Paint Thinner, Rat Poison, Weed Killer, Pesticides, Solvents, Household Cleaners, Pool Chemicals, Photo Chemicals, etc.

General Recycling Information

Recycling is collected every week, on the same day as your refuse collection.  Place all items in bins provided by the Borough.  If you need a bin, contact the Borough of Swissvale at 412.271.7101.  For more information about recycling requirements visit Swissvale's Solid Waste and Recycling Ordinance.

Materials recycled:

• Glass Bottles and Jars – All colors. Rinse and discard all lids. Labels may remain on.
  recycling-pdf
• Metal Cans – Steel, tin & aluminum cans such as soda, vegetable, fruit & tuna cans. Rinse all cans. Labels may remain on.
• Paper – Newspapers, office paper, brown paper bags, junk mail, magazines, paperboard (such as cereal and cracker boxes). Paper must be kept dry.
• Cardboard – Must be dry and free of food debris. Flatten boxes.
• Plastic Bottles and Containers – #1 through #5 and #7. Rinse and discard all lids.
• DO NOT INCLUDE: Food waste, plastic bags, polystyrene foam cups & containers, hangers, garden hoses, holiday lights, medical waste or hazardous waste.