Sewickley Heights, Pennsylvania

Sewickley Heights, Pennsylvania
Borough
House on Backbone Road
Location in Allegheny County and the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.
Coordinates: 40°33′40″N 80°9′20″W
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Allegheny
Government
• Mayor	John Oliver III (R)
Area [1]
• Total	7.33 sq mi (18.97 km^2)
• Land	7.33 sq mi (18.97 km^2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km^2)
Population  (2020)
• Total	857
• Estimate  (2019)[2]	807
• Density	110.17/sq mi (42.54/km^2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	15143[3]
Area code	412
FIPS code	42-69400
Website	www.sewickleyheightsboro.com

Sewickley Heights is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 857 at the 2020 census.^[4] It is a residential suburb of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. Sewickley Heights is one of the wealthiest municipalities in Pennsylvania and in the United States.^[5]

History

Sewickley Heights was established as a borough in 1935, but the area's character was largely established with the move of the Allegheny Country Club from Pittsburgh to its Sewickley Heights location in 1902. The establishment of the country club accelerated the settlement of the area as a haven for wealthy Pittsburgh residents. Many estates established in Sewickley Heights up through the 1930s occupied hundreds of acres with houses of immense proportions. Among the grandest estates was As You Like It, the estate of banker, shipper and investor William Thaw. As You Like It was featured in a 1903 print advertisement of the United States Battery Company that promoted electric lighting for country homes. Other notable estates included the Henry Robinson Rea mansion, Farmhill (which hosted Madame Curie in May 1921),^[6] and B. F. Jones' 100-room mansion, Fairacres.

Many of the grand estates in Sewickley Heights began to fall into disrepair in the 1950s and 1960s. Many of the original massive houses were demolished and the lots subdivided. Sewickley Heights preserved the country character of the borough by requiring minimum lot sizes of 5 acres (20,000 m²), though many homes are on substantially larger parcels. Many "neighborhoods" of Sewickley Heights are named after the original estate and the clusters of homes on the estate parcel are marked by unique stone fences original to the old estate.

In the 1960s and 1970s, several parcels of land were donated or purchased to form the Sewickley Heights Borough Park. The park now occupies approximately 600 acres (2.4 km²) and is renowned regionally for its hiking and horse-riding trails and other recreation areas. Sewickley Heights is also home to the Fern Hollow Nature Center and the Sewickley Heights History Center, which are co-located on a 33-acre (130,000 m²) site.

Geography

Sewickley Heights is located at 40°33′40″N 80°9′20″W (40.561091, −80.155541).^[7]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 7.3 square miles (19 km²), all land.

Surrounding neighborhoods

Sewickley Heights borders five areas, including Bell Acres to the north and northwest, Sewickley Hills to the east and northeast, Aleppo Township to the south, Sewickley to the southwest, and Edgeworth to the west.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1910	773		—
1920	654		−15.4%
1930	982		50.2%
1940	748		−23.8%
1950	679		−9.2%
1960	931		37.1%
1970	797		−14.4%
1980	899		12.8%
1990	984		9.5%
2000	981		−0.3%
2010	810		−17.4%
2020	857		5.8%
2019 (est.)	807	[2]	−0.4%
Sources:[8][9][10][11][12]

As of the 2000 census,^[11] 981 people, 336 households, and 273 families resided in the borough. The population density was 133.9 inhabitants per square mile (51.7/km²). The 355 housing units averaged 48.5 per square mile (18.7/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 97.35% White, 0.92% African American, 0.61% Asian, 0.20% from other races, and 0.92% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 0.31% of the population.

Of the 336 households, 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 75.0% were married couples living together, 4.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.5% were not families. About 16.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56, and the average family size was 2.87.

In the borough, the population was distributed as 20.6% under the age of 18, 3.5% from 18 to 24, 17.8% from 25 to 44, 30.1% from 45 to 64, and 28.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 50 years. For every 100 females, there were 74.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.3 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $115,672, and for a family was $158,756. Males had a median income of $89,473 versus $40,417 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $79,541 placing it at number 99 on the list of highest-income places in the United States. About 5.2% of families and 7.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.0% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

Sewickley Heights is a reliably Republican jurisdiction in presidential elections. In every presidential election since 1932, the GOP has carried the borough. From 1944 to 1988, every Republican nominee for president exceeded 70% of the vote in the borough, with nine of their 12 campaigns breaking 80% of the vote, in spite of only Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956 and Richard M. Nixon in 1972 actually winning Allegheny County, and multiple candidates in that span losing Pennsylvania.

The best showing for a Republican is the 89.72% of the vote won by Thomas E. Dewey in 1948.

The borough has been somewhat less Republican in the 21st century, however. Donald Trump carried the borough thrice, but by less than 20 points each time, with the best showing by a Democrat for president being the 45.47% of the vote won by Joe Biden in 2020.

In the 1912 presidential election, in addition to the totals listed for the Bull Moose Party, Republican and Democratic nominees, Socialist nominee Eugene V. Debs received eight votes and Prohibition nominee Eugene Chafin got five.^[13]

Sewickley Heights also supported the Republican in at least 15 of the last 18 gubernatorial elections, including Raymond Broderick in 1970, Scott Wagner in 2018, and Barbara Hafer in 1990, in spite of Broderick losing Allegheny County by 24 points, Wagner by 36, and Hafer by a margin of nearly 44 points. Hafer also lost the election statewide by a margin of nearly 34 points.^[14][15]

However Sewickley Heights voted for Democrat Josh Shapiro over Republican gubernatorial nominee Doug Mastriano in 2022.

Sewickley Heights borough vote
by party in presidential elections

Year	Democratic	Republican	Third parties
2024[16]	45.32% 286	52.93% 334	1.74% 11
2020[17]	45.47% 286	52.94% 333	1.59% 10
2016[17]	40.57% 226	55.12% 307	4.31% 24
2012[17]	26.46% 150	72.66% 412	0.88% 5
2008[17]	33.52% 179	66.10% 353	0.37% 2
2004[17]	28.68% 152	71.13% 377	0.19% 1
2000[17]	19.67% 95	79.50% 384	0.83% 4
1996[18]	16.63% 74	80.90% 360	2.47% 11
1992[19]	15.58% 74	69.89% 332	14.53% 69
1988[20]	15.84% 73	84.16% 388	0.00% 0
1984[21]	16.63% 78	83.37% 391	0.00% 0
1980[22]	12.23% 56	81.22% 372	6.55% 30
1976[23]	15.72% 69	84.28% 370	0.00% 0
1972[24]	15.61% 69	84.39% 373	0.00% 0
1968[25]	16.55% 71	76.00% 326	7.46% 32
1964[26]	29.61% 122	70.39% 290	0.00% 0
1960[27]	14.62% 62	85.38% 362	0.00% 0
1956[28]	20.00% 31	80.00% 124	0.00% 0
1952[29]	22.09% 36	77.91% 127	0.00% 0
1948[30]	9.89% 25	89.72% 227	0.40% 1
1944[31]	19.01% 46	80.99% 196	0.00% 0
1940[32]	39.61% 61	60.39% 93	0.00% 0
1936[33]	23.60% 76	76.40% 246	0.00% 0
1932[34]	32.67% 99	67.33% 204	0.00% 0
1920[35]	14.07% 19	82.22% 111	0.37% 5
1912[13]	24.53% 26	23.58% 25	39.62% 42
1904[36]	17.28% 14	82.72% 67	0.00% 0

Sewickley Heights borough vote
by party in gubernatorial elections

Year	Democratic	Republican	Third parties
2022[37]	51.87% 264	46.76% 238	1.38% 7
2018[38]	48.02% 231	51.14% 246	0.83% 4
2014[39]	23.48% 77	76.52% 251	0.00% 0
2010[40]	25.30% 106	74.46% 312	0.24% 1
2002[41]	22.67% 73	76.09% 245	1.24% 4
1994[42]	11.11% 42	79.89% 302	8.99% 34
1990[14]	39.67% 119	60.33% 181	0.00% 0
1986[43]	15.08% 54	84.92% 304	0.00% 0
1982[44]	8.85% 33	91.15% 340	0.00% 0
1978[45]	14.05% 52	85.95% 318	0.00% 0
1974[46]	19.42% 60	80.58% 249	0.00% 0
1970[47]	24.39% 80	75.61% 248	0.00% 0
1966[48]	11.97% 45	88.03% 331	0.00% 0
1962[49]	7.42% 31	92.58% 387	0.00% 0
1958[50]	14.29% 45	85.71% 270	0.00% 0
1954[51]	17.45% 52	82.55% 2746	0.00% 0

Education

Sewickley Heights is one of 11 communities served by the Quaker Valley School District.

References

1. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
2. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. 24 May 2020. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
3. "Sewickley Heights PA ZIP Code". zipdatamaps.com. 2023. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
4. "Explore Census Data".
5. "Magazine ranks Sewickley Heights at 57 among richest".
6. "Mme. Marie Curia Visited Pittsburgh 13 Years Ago". The Pittsburgh Press. Vol. 51, no. 12. 5 July 1934. p. 7 – via Google News Archive.
7. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 12 February 2011. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
8. "Number and Distribution of Inhabitants:Pennsylvania-Tennessee" (PDF). Fifteenth Census. U.S. Census Bureau.
9. "Number of Inhabitants: Pennsylvania" (PDF). 18th Census of the United States. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
10. "Pennsylvania: Population and Housing Unit Counts" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
11. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 31 January 2008.
12. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 20 November 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
13. Baker, W. Harry; Cochran, Thomas Baumgardner; Smull, William P.; Smull, John Augustus (2 May 2022). "Smull's legislative hand book and manual of the state of Pennsylvania".
14. "Alleghany County, 1990 gubernatorial election results". The Pittsburgh Press. 7 November 1990. p. 7.
15. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
16. "Election Night Reporting".
17. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
18. "6 Nov 1996, Page 13 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette at". Newspapers.com. 6 November 1996. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
19. "Sewickley Heights, PA election results 1992 partial". 1992.
20. "Alleghany County, PA 1988 presidential election results by town". The Pittsburgh Press. 9 November 1988. p. 9.
21. "Alleghany County, PA 1984 presidential election results by community". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 8 November 1984. p. 7.
22. "Alleghany County, PA 1980 president election results". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 7 November 1980. p. 6.
23. "Alleghany County, PA 1976 election results by community". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 4 November 1976. p. 5.
24. "Alleghany County, PA town results 1972 Nixon". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 9 November 1972. p. 9.
25. "Alleghany County, PA President boroughs and townships, 1968 president". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 7 November 1968. p. 12.
26. "Alleghany County, PA election results 1964 including Sewickley Heights". The Pittsburgh Press. 4 November 1964. p. 76.
27. "Alleghany County, PA election results, 1960". The Pittsburgh Press. 9 November 1960. p. 8.
28. "Alleghany County, PA election results, 1956 boroughs and towns". The Pittsburgh Press. 7 November 1956. p. 3.
29. "Alleghany County, PA election results, 1952". The Pittsburgh Press. 5 November 1952. p. 3.
30. "Election night results for Alleghany County, PA 1948 election dewey truman". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 4 November 1948. p. 6.
31. "Alleghany County, PA election results, 1944". The Pittsburgh Press. 8 November 1944. p. 16.
32. "Alleghany County, PA election results, 1940". The Pittsburgh Press. 6 November 1940. p. 10.
33. "Alleghany County, PA election results, 1936". The Pittsburgh Press. 4 November 1936. p. 10.
34. "Alleghany County, PA election results, 1932". The Pittsburgh Press. 9 November 1932. p. 5.
35. Baker, W. Harry; Cochran, Thomas Baumgardner; Smull, William P.; Smull, John Augustus (22 November 2021). "Smull's legislative hand book and manual of the state of Pennsylvania".
36. Baker, W. Harry; Cochran, Thomas Baumgardner; Smull, William P.; Smull, John Augustus (2 May 2022). "Smull's legislative hand book and manual of the state of Pennsylvania".
37. "Election Night Reporting".
38. "Election Night Reporting".
39. https://www.alleghenycounty.us/uploadedFiles/Allegheny_Home/Dept-Content/Elections/Results/Archive/2014%20General%20Detail%20Canvass.pdf ^{[bare URL PDF]}
40. https://www.alleghenycounty.us/uploadedFiles/Allegheny_Home/Dept-Content/Elections/Results/Archive/2010%20General%20Detail%20Canvass.pdf ^{[bare URL PDF]}
41. "Allegheny County, PA gubernatorial election results, 2002". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 6 November 2002. p. 21.
42. "Allegheny County, PA election results, 1994 3". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 9 November 1994. p. 17.
43. "Alleghany County, PA 1986 midterms part 2". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 6 November 1986. p. 9.
44. "Alleghany County, PA 1982 midterms". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 4 November 1982. p. 6.
45. "Alleghany County, PA 1978 midterms". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 9 November 1978. p. 6.
46. "Alleghany County, PA 1974 midterms". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 7 November 1974. p. 5.
47. "Alleghany County, PA 1970 midterms". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 5 November 1970. p. 6.
48. "Alleghany County, PA 1966 midterms". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 10 November 1966. p. 10.
49. "Alleghany County, PA 1962 midterms". The Pittsburgh Press. 7 November 1962. p. 18.
50. "Alleghany County, PA 1958 midterms". The Pittsburgh Press. 5 November 1958. p. 17.
51. "Alleghany County, PA 1954 midterms". The Pittsburgh Press. 3 November 1954. p. 9.