Greensburg

History

Hannastown was the original Westmoreland County seat. According to historian John Boucher, after Hannastown was attacked and burned by "Indians and Tories" in 1782, efforts began to relocate the county seat. On December 10, 1785, county officials contracted with Christopher Truby and William Jack to purchase two acres of Newtown land to erect public buildings. Ludwick Otterman later subscribed to the agreement. Boucher, therefore, designates December 10, 1785, as the date Newtown became the Westmoreland County seat.

The first courthouse and jail were a single log-and-plank building. The jail portion had a heavy stone wall that extended some distance above the ground, "perhaps to keep prisoners from cutting their way out". Court was first held in this structure on January 7, 1787. By 1801, a two-story brick courthouse had been erected. A later courthouse, the fourth, was built on the same lot. The area surrounding the courthouse became Greensburg ("Greenesburgh", as some documents referred to it at the time). It was named for American Revolutionary War General Nathanael Greene. Greensburg was formally incorporated as a borough on February 9, 1799, making it the first borough in the county.

Greensburg is situated close by the Pittsburgh Seam, a rich deposit of bituminous coal. Coal mining and the production of coke fuel for steel production expanded the local economy when the Pennsylvania Railroad reached the city in 1902. The Keystone Coal and Coke Company, established in 1902, owned and operated some 15 mines in and around Greensburg, all of which were shut down by the 1960s.

Seton Hill University, formerly Seton Hill College, and previously St. Joseph's Academy, became a four-year women's institution in 1918. Greensburg became a City of the Third Class on January 2, 1928.

Greengate Mall opened in the late 1960s. It was demolished and replaced by an outdoor mall in 2005. Westmoreland Mall opened in 1977. A casino opened in 2020, bringing over 500 jobs to the area.

The city is home to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Greensburg, founded in 1951.

Neighborhoods

Two neighborhoods have been designated as U.S. historic districts, the Greensburg Downtown Historic District and the Academy Hill Historic District. Also listed on the National Register of Historic Places are the Greensburg Railroad Station and Westmoreland County Courthouse.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Greensburg had a population of 14,976. The median age was 40.9 years. 17.4% of residents were under the age of 18, and 21.9% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 83.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 80.8 males age 18 and over.

100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 6,834 households in Greensburg, of which 21.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 32.3% were married-couple households, 23.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 36.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 42.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 7,607 housing units, of which 10.2% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.3%, and the rental vacancy rate was 9.3%.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 15,889 people, 7,144 households, and 3,922 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,746.1 inhabitants per square mile (1,446.4/km2). There were 7,734 housing units at an average density of 1,823.4 per square mile (704.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.43% White, 3.91% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.70% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.38% from other races, and 1.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.08% of the population.

There were 7,144 households, out of which 24.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.3% were married couples living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.1% were non-families. 39.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11, and the average family size was 2.85.

In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 20.2% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 19.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 81.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,324, and the median income for a family was $41,112. Males had a median income of $33,306 versus $24,246 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,312. About 10.8% of families and 13.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.1% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Westmoreland Mall and the attached Live! Casino Pittsburgh is the largest shopping and entertainment complex in the Greensburg area and Westmoreland County. Nearly 300 employees of the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry work in the State Office Building on North Main Street.

Notable institutions

Westmoreland Museum of American Art

Stage Right!

Saint Emma Monastery

Government and politics

Greensburg is an incorporated city governed by a mayor and a four-member City Council. The mayor and the City Council members serve four-year terms. The seat of government is the Greensburg City Hall.

Greensburg is home to the 14th Quartermaster Detachment, a United States Army Reserve unit.

Education

The city limits are within the Greensburg-Salem School District. The private Greensburg Central Catholic High School is also in the town.

Seton Hill University and the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg are in the town.

Professional sports

American football

From 1890 to 1900 Greensburg was home to the Greensburg Athletic Association, one of the earliest professional American football teams.

Baseball

In 1907, Greensburg fielded the Greensburg Red Sox, a Minor League Baseball team in the Class D Western Pennsylvania League, which played one season. From 1934 to 1939 Greensburg was the home of the Greensburg Red Wings, a Class D Minor League Baseball team.

Notable people

Karen Angle – professional wrestling performer

Carroll Baker – actress

Paul Bartholomew – architect

Randy Bish – editorial cartoonist

Scott G. Bullock – lawyer

James Clarke – Governor of Iowa Territory

K.C. Constantine – mystery fiction author

Stephen Dau – author

Brett Detar – songwriter, record producer

Rebecca Franklin – food writer

Todd Gallagher – social scientist

Doc Gessler - baseball player

Paul Gilbert – guitarist for the bands Racer X and Mr. Big

Jesse Root Grant – father of general and 18th US President, Ulysses S. Grant

Zach Jackson – baseball player

Greg Jones – collegiate wrestler

Jasmine Jones – bobsledder and Olympic bronze medalist

Sheila Kelley – actress

Peggy King – 1950s and 1960s pop singer

Lydia B Kollins – drag queen

John Latta (1836–1913) – First Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania

Sister cities

Greensburg has two sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International:

– Belize City, Belize

– Cercemaggiore, Molise, Italy