Allison Park, Gibsonia and Wexford Homes – McCandless Township

McCandless Township is in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania and Allison Park, Gibsonia and Wexford homes are all located within this township with a population of 29,022. The incorporation of the area as a township was changed in 1975 when McCandless adopted a new charter making it the Town of McCandless; however the state government still recognizes it as a township rather than a town.

Native American history plays a large part in the history of the residents of Gibsonia as well as Wexford and Allison Park homes. There are many artifacts that have been found in areas of McCandless, including these residential areas that are mainly from the Iroquois Nation. The early history of this part of the country includes George Washington’s visit here in 1753.

James Duff is considered to be the first settler in McCandless in 1796. He purchased 400 acres and farming became the area’s main industry at that time. Much of the area is now the location of Gibsonia homes, Allison Park homes and Wexford homes.

Daniel Vogel presided over meetings to form a local government for the town in 1849. The Township was originally formed in 1851 and at that time it was called Taylor. In 1857 the Township was incorporated as a Second Class Township. At this time it was renamed McCandless for a District Judge, Wilson McCandless. The population was 1,482.

McCandless was mainly a farming community in the 1800s. The area was also an important route for supplies that were being transported from Pittsburgh to Lake Erie during the War of 1812. Lake Erie was where Admiral Perry’s forces were based.

The interurban commuter railroad, the Harmony Line, was established about 1908, allowing residents the convenience of commuting to Pittsburgh. At about the same time, the oil boom resulted in the city’s rapid development and the railroads were in the middle of the development.

If residents of Wexford homes, Gibsonia homes and Allison Park homes had been around at this period in the history of their town, they would have seen the Harmony Line being replaced by the automobile. This occurred around 1931.

The Allegheny County Commissioner started the formation of Allegheny County’s North Park. The commissioner, E.V. Babcock bought the land and let the county purchase it from him at cost. The park was established in 1927 by the county and encompassed about 15.2% of the town of McCandless.

Between 1930 and 1950, the population of McCandless rose from 2,653 to 6,488 and by 1960 it was 14,582. The 2000 Census recorded 11,159 households in the town of McCandless. The expansion of the population brought even more varied development into this area.

Residents of these three areas are bordered by Pine Township on the north side and Hampton Township on the east. Franklin Park borough borders McCandless t o the west and Ross Township to the sout h.

If you would like more information about Wexford homes, Gibsonia homes and Allison Park homes, please feel free to contact us at (410)808-7200 or visit our Contact Us page where you can send us a message.  We’ll get back to you right away!