Washington's Landing

Infobox Pittsburgh neighborhood
name = Washington's Landing
aka = Herrs Island


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locator_

caption =
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population2000 =
latd = 40.4667
longd = 79.975
area_sqmi =

Washington's Landing, previously known as Herrs Island is an island in the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is sometimes considered part of the Troy Hill neighborhood. [http://www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/cp/assets/census/2000_census_pgh_jan06.pdf]

Herrs Island

The island was originally named Herrs Island, after an early owner, Benjamin Herr. Herr used the island for farming. Later, the island was used extensively for industrial purposes, including stockyards, saw mills, soap works, and the Pennsylvania Railroad. [ [http://www.ce.cmu.edu/Brownfields/NSF/sites/Washland/home.htm Washington's Landing Brownfield Site] ] .

Washington's Landing

George Washington reputedly slept on the island after his raft capsized in the Allegheny River while on a diplomatic mission to the French at Fort Le Boeuf near Lake Erie during the French and Indian War. [ [http://www.fortedwards.org/gwpage.htm George Washington on the Frontier] ] This story led to the renaming of the island on October 24, 1987.

Rehabilitiation

As a result of the industrial activity, Herrs Island was a brownfield site. By the 1970s most industrial activity on the island had left. During the 1980s and 1990s a major redevelopment effort was undertaken.

The island is now a showcase project of urban redevelopment for the City of Pittsburgh [ [http://www.ura.org/showcaseProjects_washLanding.html Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh] ] . It now a mixed use community, home to townhomes and business parks, as well as a marina, the [http://www.threeriversrowing.org/ Three Rivers Rowing Association] , and the [http://www.paconserve.org/ Western Pennsylvania Conservancy] .

References