Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania

The first European settlers arrived in 1773–1774, having purchased the land from the descendants of William Penn; other pioneers soon bought land from the state government. In 1912, Mount Lebanon Township was incorporated as a "First Class Township" under Pennsylvania state law. It had formerly been a part of Scott Township, which in turn traces its origins to the long-defunct St. Clair Township. Mount Lebanon was not named for two Cedar of Lebanon trees that were planted in 1850 on Washington Road near the top of Bower Hill Road, but was named after the area from which they came, Mount Lebanon, due to the similarities between the two landscapes. Prior to the incorporation of the township, the "Mount Lebanon" name was used for the area of Upper St. Clair Township near the cedar trees. In the 1880s, a post office located near the transplanted cedar trees was named "Mount Lebanon". Incorporators of neighboring Dormont Borough initially tried to use the "Mount Lebanon" name in 1909, but were opposed by residents of the future Mount Lebanon Township. In 1928, Mount Lebanon became the first First Class township in Pennsylvania to adopt the council–manager form of government and has had an appointed manager serving as the chief administrative officer since that time. Mount Lebanon was a farming community until the arrival of streetcar lines, the first line to Pittsburgh opening on July 1, 1901 of 2020, there were 34,075 people living in Mt. Lebanon. In 1971, Muhammad Ali attempted to purchase a home in Virginia Manor, a sub-division of Mt. Lebanon; it was thought that racial discrimination prevented him from doing so. However, the rejection was due to the anticipated publicity and crowds which would result from the sale of the property to Ali. In 1974, Ali would purchase a different Mt. Lebanon home, on Orchard Drive. On May 21, 1974, the electorate approved a home rule charter, which took effect on January 1, 1975; as such, the community is no longer governed under the provisions of the Pennsylvania Township Code. Mount Lebanon became one of the first municipalities in Pennsylvania to adopt a home rule charter. In the charter, the official name of the municipality became Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania; the word "Mount" is abbreviated in all government documents, although the U.S. Postal Service continues to use "Mount." ==Geography==

Mt. Lebanon is located at (40.375, -80.05). According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , all land. Mt. Lebanon is a suburb south of downtown Pittsburgh. There are two borders with Pittsburgh neighborhoods to the northeast (Brookline) and north (Banksville). The remainder of the northeast border is with the borough of Dormont. The entire western border is with Scott Township. On the southern border there are two municipalities, Upper St. Clair to the southwest and Bethel Park to the southeast. To the east is Castle Shannon, and finally, to the east-northeast is Baldwin Township (not to be confused with the Borough of Baldwin). Commercial districts Uptown Mt. Lebanon is the central business district and has Washington Rd. (U.S. Rt. 19 Truck) as its main thoroughfare (U.S. Rt. 19 Truck continues into Pittsburgh and back out into the city's northern suburbs and beyond). Uptown Mt. Lebanon is one of the more built up central business districts outside of Pittsburgh, featuring numerous coffee shops, small galleries, pizzerias, and clothing boutiques. The neighborhood is organized as The Uptown Mt. Lebanon Business and Professional Association. Beverly Road is another prominent business district in Mt. Lebanon. The road features several local restaurants, boutiques, and shops. It is located next to Lincoln Elementary School in the Mt. Lebanon School District. Neighborhoods Neighborhoods within Mt. Lebanon include Avondale, Beverly Heights, Carleton Manor, Cedarhurst, Clearview, Foxland, Highland Terrace, Hoodridge, Hoodridge Hilands, Lebanon Hills, McNeilly, Mission Hills, Old Virginia Manor, Parker Gardens, Seminole Hills, St. Clair Terrace, Sunset Hills, Twin Hills, Uptown, Virginia Manor, Washington Park, Willow Terrace, and Woodridge. Virginia Manor is a subdivision with streets designed to follow the natural contours of the land. Future Governor James H. Duff helped found Virginia Manor in 1929. File:Historical Soc of Mount Leb jeh.jpg|Historical Society File:Mt Lebanon Methodist ch jeh.JPG|Mt Lebanon United Methodist Church File:Southminster Presbyt Ch Lebo jeh.jpg|Southminster Presbyterian Church File:St. Bernard’s Church, Mount Lebanon, 2024-03-17, 01.jpg|St. Bernard's Catholic Church ==Demographics==

As of the census ==Arts and culture==

A large portion of Mt. Lebanon is listed as the Mt. Lebanon Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places. The district contains 3,341 contributing buildings and 21 contributing sites. Most of the buildings are residential, though two commercial areas are included. The district is a significant example of the transition from a rural agricultural area to a suburb made possible first by the trolley/streetcar, , and later by the automobile in the 1920s and 1930s with the opening of the Liberty Tubes in 1924. The boundaries of the district include those areas that were developed between 1874 and . Some of the common architectural styles in Mt. Lebanon include Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, American Foursquare, Craftsman/Bungalow and Queen Anne style. ==Parks and recreation==

Mt. Lebanon provides many recreational opportunities for its residents. Fifteen parks are scattered over throughout the community. In addition to the parks, there is an Olympic-size swimming pool, open in summer, and a regulation-size ice rink and recreation building located adjacent to Mt. Lebanon Park. Mt. Lebanon also boasts one of the oldest public golf courses in western Pennsylvania and has several tennis and basketball courts, which are open year-round. Other recreational facilities include a Sand volleyball court, bocce courts, platform tennis, a plethora of picnic pavilions and over eight children's playgrounds. Mt. Lebanon School District's sports teams are a big part of the community. The mascot is the Blue Devil, which has occasionally stirred controversy. ==Government and politics==

Congressman Chris Deluzio represents the area in the United States House of Representatives as a part of Pennsylvania's 17th congressional district. Mt. Lebanon is in District 42 of the Pennsylvania Senate and is represented by Wayne Fontana. Mt. Lebanon is in District 42 of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and is represented by Mt. Lebanon resident Dan Miller. The Mt. Lebanon government takes the form of a commission, made up of 5 commissioners - one from each of Mt. Lebanon's 5 wards. ==Education==

The Mt. Lebanon School District has seven elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school: Mt. Lebanon High School. The Mt. Lebanon School District is a walking school district, meaning there is no provided school bus transportation to schools for students. Keystone Oaks High School is physically located in Mt. Lebanon but serves the adjacent communities of Greentree, Dormont and Castle Shannon. Seton-La Salle Catholic High School, the South Hills Catholic Academy, and Ave Maria Academy are prominent Pittsburgh Diocese Catholic schools located in Mt. Lebanon. The Mt. Lebanon Public Library, founded in 1932, is funded almost entirely by the municipality and county. It houses over 140,000 books, seats for 165 persons, and more than 50 public computers. ==Transportation==

Mt. Lebanon is served by the Pittsburgh Light Rail system, with Mt. Lebanon station and Poplar station located along the Red Line. The Mt. Lebanon Tunnel connects Mt. Lebanon station to Dormont. ==In popular culture==

Mt. Lebanon has been used as a filming location for various films and television productions. Directors praise and often use Mt. Lebanon due to its "picturesque" homes and streets. ==Notable people==

• Eric Angle, professional wrestler • Kurt Angle, Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling and former professional wrestler • Orlando Antigua, basketball player and coach • Troy Apke, NFL football player • Matt Bartkowski, NHL hockey player • David Bednar, MLB pitcher and all-star • Carl Betz, actor • Mia Bhuta, college soccer player, the first Indian-American to play at a FIFA tournament. • Gloria Bigelow, comedian and actress • Shane Black, screenwriter and director • Gene Breen, NFL football player • Kenyen Brown, United States attorney • Patti Burns, TV news anchor • Twink Caplan, actress, comedian, and producer • Frank Cappelli, children's musician • Christina Cindrich, actress and television host • Ruth Colker, scholar, lawyer, and distinguished professor • Susan J. Crawford, lawyer appointed by George W. Bush for the Guantanamo military commissions • Brian Cuban, attorney and author • Mark Cuban, businessman and media personality • William Sheldrick Conover, member of the U.S. House of Representatives • Gwyn Cready, author • Ave Daniell, NFL football player • Jim Daniell, NFL football player • Bill Davidson, NFL football player • Jon Delano, journalist • Todd DePastino, author and professor • Q. Todd Dickinson, Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office • Tom Donahoe, NFL executive and general manager • James H. Duff, politician and former governor of Pennsylvania • Bill Dutton, NFL football player • Daya, singer • Sandra Moore Faber, world renowned astrophysicist specializing in the evolution of galaxies and National Medal of Sciencerecipient • Greg Fenves – 21st President of Emory University and 28th President of the University of Texas • Scott Ferrall, sports talk show radio personality • Dave Filoni, filmmaker and animator (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels) • John Fitsioris, professional basketball player • John Frank, NFL football player • James G. Fulton, politician; U.S. House of Representatives • Justin Geisinger, NFL football player • Armen Gilliam, basketball player and coach • Matt Kennedy Gould, former American television personality and current basketball coach • Bruce Gradkowski, NFL football player • Ian Happ, professional baseball player, Chicago Cubs • Terry Hart, NASA astronaut, mechanical engineer, and Air Force colonel and pilot • Timothy Hauser – Economist with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Bureau of Labor Statistics; two-time winner of the Presidential Rank Award of Distinguished Executive • Eli Heidenreich, college football wide receiver • Newt Heisley, commercial artist and designer of the POW/MIA flag • Stuart A. Herrington , author and retired counterintelligence officer • Bob Hoag, record producer • David Hollander, actor and film producer • Pam Iovino, politician • Gillian Jacobs, actress • Chris Jelic, MLB baseball player • Tom Jelley, NFL football player • Donald Johnson, professional tennis player, Wimbledon doubles champion • Paige Kassalen, electrical engineer; only American, female engineer, and youngest member of the ground crew for the Solar Impulse 2 project • Don Kelly, MLB baseball player and coach, Pittsburgh Pirates manager • Austin Kitchen, MLB baseball player • Dan Klein, computer scientist, professor, and artificial intelligence researcher • Caroline Klivans, mathematician • Rich Lackner, college football coach • Christine Laitta, actress • Conor Lamb, attorney and politician; U.S. House of Representatives • Dick Lamm, former governor of Colorado and presidential candidate • Vince Laschied, organist • Mark Livolsi, film editor • Daniel London, actor • Ching Chun Li, Chinese-American human geneticist • Joe Manganiello, actor • Andrew Mason, Groupon founder • Aarti Mann, actress in The Big Bang Theory • Matt McConnell, NHL play-by-play announcer • Terri Minsky, television writer and producer • Robert H. Meneilly, megachurch pastor • Christopher Moeller, writer and painter • Linn F. Mollenauer, physicist and author • William D. Morgan, U.S. Marine and Medal of Honor recipient • Judith O'Dea, actress • John O'Hara, professional soccer player • James O'Toole, journalist and U.S. Capitol correspondent • Rick Peterson, MLB baseball coach and player • Marty Pottenger, OBIE-award-winning playwright, performer, civic engagement artist, founder of Art At Work • Amy Rigby, singer and songwriter • Denis Roddy, journalist • Art Rooney Jr, NFL football executive, Vice President of the Pittsburgh Steelers • Art Rooney II, NFL football executive, owner and President of the Pittsburgh Steelers • Dan M. Rooney, NFL football executive, former owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, philanthropist, and U.S. Diplomat • Bill Roth, sportscaster • Richard Rydze (1950-2023) - Olympic diver and doctor • Peter Safar, cardiopulmonary specialist; died in Mt. Lebanon, where he resided as an adult • George Savarese, educator and radio personality • Samuel A. Schreiner, writer • Lynn Scarlett, government official, environmental policy executive and analyst; U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Interior • John Seymour, U.S. Senator • Neal Shipley, professional golfer • Brian Simmons, MLB baseball player • Rich Skrenta, computer programmer, entrepreneur, and writer of the Elk Cloner virus • Matthew H. Smith, Pennsylvania Senator • Leah Smith, Olympic swimmer • Ketlen A. Solak, bishop; resides in Mt. Lebanon • Tom Stechschulte, actor • Paul Steigerwald, sportscaster • Anne Steytler, activist and feminist • John P. Surma, businessman, former CEO of US Steel, minority owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins • Colby Sorsdale, NFL football player • Carole Beebe Tarantelli, Italian parliament member; first American citizen elected to the Italian Chamber of Deputies • Roma Torre, TV journalist and theater critic. • Paul Tortorella, college football coach; coached at Mt. Lebanon High School • Ronald L. Thompson, politician • Gerald Bard Tjoflat, lawyer and jurist; Senior U.S. circuit judge on the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals • Art Tripp (born 1944) - percussionist for The Mothers of Invention and Captain Beefheart • Deion Turman, basketball player • Anna Tunnicliffe Tobias, Olympic sailor • Mike Turian, professional Magic: The Gathering player • Bob Ufer, University of Michigan track and field athlete and radio broadcaster • Ann M. Valentine, Yale University bioinorganic chemist and researcher • Keith Van Horne, NFL football player • Doug Walgren, politician; U.S. House of Representatives • Ming-Na Wen, actress, partly raised there and attended high school there • Patrick Wey, NHL hockey player • Brian Williams, NFL football player • Josh Wilson, MLB baseball player ==Notable residents==

• Russell H. Adams, attorney • Muhammad Ali, professional boxer, widely considered the greatest boxer of all time • Steve Apke, NFL football player • John Bazzano, mobster • Max Baer, attorney and judge • Ellen Berliner, activist and Alzheimers disease researcher • Carolyn M. Byham, philanthropist and community activist • William C. Byham, philanthropist, entrepreneur, psychologist • Rocky Bleier, NFL football player • Howard J. Burnett, former president of Washington & Jefferson College • Randy Carlyle, NHL hockey player and coach • Edmund M. Clarke, computer scientist and academic at Carnegie Mellon University • Paul Coffey, NHL hockey player and Hall of Fame • Edward Constant II, historian and professor • Kevin Constantine, NHL hockey coach • Myron Cope, sports broadcaster, journalist, and radio personality • Gerald Costanzo, poet and publisher at Carnegie Mellon University • Bruce Dal Canton, MLB baseball player • Peter F. Flaherty, mayor and attorney • Dave Giusti, MLB baseball player • Marty Griffin, investigative reporter and talk show journalist • Tony Grosso, mobster and bookmaker • Jiri Hrdina, NHL hockey player • Jaromir Jagr, NHL hockey player, fourth most goals scored in league history • Landry Jones, NFL football player • Rick Kehoe, NHL hockey player and coach • Omar Khan, Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager • Nellie King, MLB baseball player, Pittsburgh Pirates announcer • Jim Kyte, NHL hockey player • Pierre Larouche, NHL hockey player • Mario Lemieux, NHL hockey player and hall of famer • Jim Leyland, former MLB baseball player, coach and manager • Joe Manganiello, actor • Dan Miller, politician, former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives • Dave Monilari, sports journalist • Larry Murphy, NHL hockey player • Caitlin O'Connor, actress, film producer, and model • Mark Recchi, NHL hockey player • Art Rooney Sr, NFL football executive, founder of the Pittsburgh Steelers franchise • Art Rooney Jr, NFL football executive, Vice President of the Pittsburgh Steelers • Art Rooney II, NFL football executive, owner and President of the Pittsburgh Steelers • Dan M. Rooney, NFL football executive, former owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, philanthropist, and U.S. diplomat • Peter Safar, cardiopulmonary specialist, nicknamed the "Father of CPR" • William Edward Sell, former Dean of Law at the University of Pittsburgh • Sara Shepard, best-selling author of Pretty Little Liars • Jamie Silva, NFL football player • Eleanor Smeal, women's rights activist • Kevin Stevens, NHL hockey player, Pittsburgh Penguins Hall of Fame member • Ketlen A. Solak, bishop • William Tenn, author • Rick Tocchet, NHL hockey player and coach, Philadelphia Flyers head coach • Marie Torre, television personality and news anchor • Fritzie Zivic, professional boxer ==See also==