Strip District History

The Strip District got its start in 1814 as "The Northern Liberties." However it was commonly referred to as Bayardstown, after local landowner George A. Bayard. Bayard and James O'Hara established a plan of lots encompassing what is now the area between 11th and 15th Streets. In 1837, this area was annexed to Pittsburgh and became the city's fifth ward.

Its location along the river made it an ideal area for industrial development. The Strip was home to many iron mills, foundries and glass factories. After the Civil War, industrial development flourished and many "famous firsts" happened in the Strip, including industrialist Andrew Carnegie's first job in the iron and steel industries. George Westinghouse built his first factory to produce air breaks here, and ALCOA (formerly the Aluminum Company of America) began its commercial production of aluminum on Smallman Street.

Around the turn of the century, the Strip became a haven for those in the wholesale produce business. In 1906, the railroad tracks were removed from Liberty Avenue in downtown Pittsburgh, so the Strip's riverfront location and the proximity to the Pennsylvania Railroad Yards made it a perfect spot for merchants.

Through the 1920s, the Strip District thrived. But the Great Depression hit the area hard and the 1936 flood caused incredible hardship on the businesses. The Depression also brought a "Shantytown" to the area, where more than 300 unemployed people lived in makeshift homes.

After World War II, trucks became a preferred method of transportation for produce. At the same time, many chain grocery stores began to pop up, and because of this, the large wholesale produce stores started to become obsolete.

In the 1950s, there were 71 produce stores. By the 1970s, only about two dozen remained. Realizing the wholesale business was not what it once was, these survivors began to diversify, opening retail shops and restaurants. Today, the Strip District is home to many eclectic coffee houses, ethnic food stores, retail shops, food wholesalers and restaurants.