The Streets of USC
It is important to note that many of the roads in the township went to farms and were named for the farm owners. They were made according to the landscape, or lay of the land. There were many hills and valleys, streams and ponds, springs and trees. In order for the horses and wagons to go up and down and around the obstacles, the roads curved up and down and around the hills and valleys. In the 1800’s all the roads were mud roads.
Bethel Church Road was important as it has the only Protestant Church in the area. St. Agatha’s was the Catholic Church in Bridgeville.
Please click on the name of the road to see a Google Map.
Boyce Road
Boyce Road was named for Richard Boyce. In 1871, the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and St. Louis Railroad came through his property, thus the naming of Boyce Station. John Boyce was a school director in Upper St. Clair.
Brookside Boulevard was name by Freehold Real Estate Company when they began developing Brookside Farms Plan in 1913.
Cook School Road went to the Cook Farm. The second Cook School was built on Cook School Road in 1925.
Cremona Drive was named for original settlers, John Fife’s land grant, name Cremona.
Drake Road was named for the Drake Family who lived on that road.
Fife Drive was name James Fife as it goes to his house.
Ft. Couch Road was named for Nathan Couch who built the fort there in the late 1700’s.
Hays Road went to the Hays Farm.
Hasting Mill Road went to the mill along Chartiers Creek.
Johnston Road went to the Johnston Farm whose house in now on Southvue Drive.
Kelso Road runs from Robb Hollow Road to Bower Hill Road and was on the Kelso Farm. Mr. Kelso was a teacher in the township schools.
Keifer Drive was named for one of the McEwen Family’s sons.
Lesnett Road and Old Lesnett Road went to the Lesnett Farms.
Mayview Road went to the Mayview Hospital and Farm. The farm was originally called Marshallsea.
Morton Road went to the John Morton Farm called Morton’s Choice.
Morrow Road went to the James Morrow Farm called Mill Grove.
McLaughlin Run Road ran along a creek called Coal Run. The road went to the property of original patentee, James McLaughlin who assigned in to Thomas Patterson who called it Patterson’s Purchase.
McMillan Road ran from McLaughlin Run Road to Painters Run Road. There were 3 or 4 McMillan property owners on the 1876 Hopkins Map. The early residents called it “Shade of Death” Road. In the 20th Century, deaths were still occurring there.
McMurray Road started at the Washington Road cloverleaf. It did not meet with McLaughlin Run Road at this time. The road went to the McMurray property.
Old Meadow Road is on property bought by Charles and Sarah Godwin in 1898. They had a nursery and florist business. They also had farm crops and cows. Old Meadow Road is where they grew their nursery plants and flowers, thus the names of Aster Circle and Rose Drive. The Godwins sold the property to Mac & Mac who sold lots to Ryan Home and called the plan Rolling Meadows.
Old Washington Road was originally called Pittsburg Washington Stage Road until 1835. It was a mud road until 1897-98 when a strip of macadam was laid from Mt. Lebanon to Clifton, today’s cloverlead. A man named McAdam of Ayr, Scotland developed this tar and stone mixture for roads, thus the name, macadam.
Orr Road went to the Orr Farm whose homestead is on Murdstone Road.
Painters Run Road runs along a creek of that name in the Beadling area of the township. The early settlers called panthers, painters.
Quigg Drive was named for Mr. Quigg, a tax collector in the township. His house in on the corner of Ft. Couch Road and Quigg Drive.
Ruthfred Drive was name for Ruth and Fred Brown who had a 700 acre poultry farm in the area. They decided to develop lots and the area became known as Ruthfred Acres.