Bayardstown

A beautiful late fall day provided the opportunity to hike from 23rd Street to 31st Street. The downriver portion of this walk remains in the first Borough of record in the area.

In his 1989 book, Miscellaneous History of Lawrenceville, Joseph A. Borkowski describes the area:

Northern Liberties was organized and laid out in 1816 and existed until March 1837 when it was annexed by the City of Pittsburgh. It was located on the southern bank of the Allegheny River bounded by Pennsylvania Canal (present Eleventh St.) extended to Grant Blvd. (presently Bigelow) followed eastward to a point midway between 25th and 26th Streets hence along Allegheny westward to Eleventh Street.

Later it became popularly known as Bayardstown for George A. Bayard, who owned several substantial tracts of land.

Recently, it has been referred to as 'The Strip,' whose boundaries are limited to present 27th Street.

Most of the inhabitants of old Bayardstown were from Northern Ireland. They wore stove pipe hats, large boots, frock coats and pantaloons with a barn door flap in front.

The streets of Old Bayardstown were all paved with cobblestones which were gathered by men and boys from the river bottom and sold to street contractors. (Miscellaneous History of Lawrenceville, page 9).

Remnant of barge moorings or a tipple between 25th and 26th street provides an overlook.

Bayardstown quickly became the location of foundries, glass works, and machine shops.

In the 1890 Hopkins Maps the Pittsburgh Junction Railroad is along the river edge...and is often drawn within the boundaries of the River. This railroad is resting on fill. Most of the riveredge property through this area is composed almost entirely of fill used to raise the land above the floodplain.