The Manchester area was undeveloped until 1832, when a group of local land owners laid out the town along the banks of the Ohio River, in what is now
Chateau. Most notable among these was Thomas Barlow, nephew of poet-diplomat
Joel Barlow. In its early years, the settlement provided supplies and services to the surrounding farms. By 1836, Manchester had grown large enough to function as a suburb of
Allegheny City. That same year, the Globe Plow Works opened, which operated until at least 1888. Its population in 1837 had risen to 500. The populace was largely employed at local factories, which included a wagon factory and the Hinds and Howard paper mill. Amenities at this time included a school, taverns, and stores. On November 2, 1843, by act of the Pennsylvania Assembly, the borough of Manchester was created out of the surrounding Ross Township. By 1868 there was a well-used wharf in the borough that needed repair. On 12 March 1867, the State Legislature enacted a statute to allow Allegheny City to annex the Borough of Manchester, adding a 9 April 1867 supplement to also annex the southern portions of
McClure and
Reserve townships. Until 1907, Manchester was a ward of Allegheny. Thereafter it is a neighborhood of Pittsburgh with boundaries that are still clearly known. Manchester enjoyed easy access to the Ohio River and the
Beaver Road, which followed approximately the same route as present-day
Pennsylvania Route 65. The area was therefore well-connected to points west such as
Sewickley and
Beaver, which contributed to its continued development through the early 20th century. Like many other predominantly
African-American areas in the
Rust Belt, the history of Manchester in the mid-20th century was defined by the effects of
urban renewal. By the late 1950s, those displaced by the leveling of the
Hill District moved to the area. The
Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh razed 164 acres in Manchester in 1961. In the 1950s and 1960s, community protests stalled plans to extend the congested
Route 65 through Manchester. Opposition to the highway culminated in the founding of the Manchester Citizens Corporation in 1965. Despite their advocacy, extensions to the highway ultimately proceeded. Construction cut through Manchester beginning in the 1970s and by January 1992 the construction of Route 65 as an elevated highway was complete. The community was devastated by the highway's construction. The once-thriving business district along Beaver Avenue was razed. As of 2025, the street now serves as a
frontage road in a desolate industrial area of Chateau. Unlike many other
elevated highways, a concrete wall was constructed under the road. It has since been dubbed "Great Wall of Manchester" due to the barrier's profound influence on the community. Manchester lost easy access to the riverfront in
Chateau, especially pedestrian access. Only a single pedestrian underpass connects the two neighborhoods. On March 31, 2023,
United States Representative Summer Lee and
United States Senator Bob Casey, Jr. announced a $1.4 million dollar grant funded by the
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to study the impacts of the Great Wall on Chateau and Manchester. As of 2025, efforts spearheaded by the Manchester Community Corporation to reconnect the two communities are ongoing. ==Geography==