Penn Hills is one of the largest municipalities in Allegheny County. The population as of the 2010 census was 42,329, making it Pittsburgh's second largest suburb by population.

In 1788, when Allegheny County was formed, the area now known as Penn Hills was part of Pitt Township.

PHOTO: Image provided by Penn Hills

Penn Hills was carved out of what was one time a massive township known as Wilkins. (Pictured: Peterman Coal Tipple)

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In 1958 Penn Township became Penn Hills Township, and in 1976 Penn Hills became a municipality.

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Penn Hills is a community comprised of a number of many neighborhoods. Some of the neighborhoods began as villages back in the 1800s, while others were planned development in the 1950s and 1960s.

Sandy Creek was once the industrial center of Penn Hills, home to coal and limestone mining, a rail depot and retail center.

PHOTO: Image provided by Penn Hills

Today, many drivers pass through this area, crossed by Coal Hollow Road and Verona Road

The village was founded in 1860 when Coleman Coal Mine opened.

PHOTO: Image provided by Penn Hills

PHOTO: Image provided by Penn Hills

Today, one of Penn Hills busiest roads slices through the area.

This stone house on nearby Lime Hollow Road is considered to be one of the oldest structures in Western Pennsylvania. Historians believe the home was built in the middle eighteenth century, possibly as early as the 1700s. The house is believed to have acted as a French trading post. George Washington is believed to have stayed in the home during one of his trips to the area.

PHOTO: Image provided by "The Changing Hills/A History of Penn Hills"

Just up the road is the Longue Vue Club and Golf Course, a historic golf course and clubhouse in Penn Hills Township. The photo above is from the 1930s.

PHOTO: Photo provided by the book, "The Changing Hills/A History of Penn Hills"

From the same perspective, a look at the Longue Vue Club in 2012.

It was added to the list of Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation Historic Landmarks in 1985 and the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.

Longue Vue Club was founded in 1920. The clubhouse was completed in December 1923, in use by 1924, but not fully finished until 1925.

Mt. Carmel Cemetery opened in the 1880s. Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Pittsburgh owned 14 acres of land outside the city, in what would become Penn Hills. When the cemetery first opened, it was difficult for horse-drawn wagons to make it up the rocky, then-muddy terrain.

PHOTO: Image provided by "The Changing Hills/A History of Penn Hills v.2"

You have a clear view of the Pittsburgh skyline from certain parts of the cemetery.

The Blackadore House on Blackadore Road was built in 1861, and was constructed of bricks made by hand on location and trees from the surrounding area.

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The house remains in very good shape more than 150 years later.

This is a shot from the back side of the home. It is considered one of the landmark structures in Allegheny County by the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation.

William Wright and Lester Finch pose for a photo in front of Wright Auto Service along Hilda Street, near the top of Brushton Avenue in 1931. It was one of the first independent auto repair shops in Penn Hills.

PHOTO: Image provided by "The Changing Hills/A History of Penn Hills v2"

Wright's Auto Service is now an apartment complex that is still Wright-family owned.

PHOTO: Image provided by "The Changing Hills/A History of Penn Hills v2"

The Vetter Homestead was home to Simon Vetter and his family, who came from Germany to the area in the 1840s. His family worked in the coal mine in nearby Sandy Creek and operated a successful horse teaming business, hauling much of the equipment used in Penn Hills' drilling operations. The photo above is from around 1890.

PHOTO: Image provided by "The Changing Hills/A History of Penn Hills v2"

Here's a look at the home in 2012, along the 900 block of Hulton Road.

Mohan's Bar and Restaurant remains one of the most well-known local businesses in Penn Hills. It opened for business in June 1963 as a 1600 square foot bar and restaurant.

PHOTO: Image provided by "The Changing Hills/A History of Penn Hills"

It has evolved into a 6400 square foot full service restaurant and package store. It remains under the same family ownership 50 years later.

McDonald's - old school look.

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McDonalds modern day.

This is what is left of the East Hills Shopping Center, once considered one of the destination shopping areas in the region. The center was located on the Penn Hills-Wilkinsburg-Pittsburgh border.

PHOTO: Bing.com

The shopping center prospered in the 1960s, but took a hit when the nearby Monroeville Mall opened in 1969. You can still see parking spot markers on the pavement. The center was knocked down in 2001.

PHOTO: Bing.com

A number of strip mall areas remain across Penn Hills. Many know this one located off Rodi Road because of the DMV offices located there.

Throughout the years, Penn Hills has been home to a variety of recreational areas. Dream City was one of several parks that were built shortly after the start of the 1900s.

PHOTO: Image provided by Penn Hills

The parks offered a wide variety of recreation just a short distance away from the city of Pittsburgh.

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The Rosedale Beach on Third Street in Rosedale has been part of the community since 1926.

The pool remains part of the community to this day.

The buildings located along Main Street in the Universal section of Penn Hills. The buildings were constructed of cement blocks from the local Universal Atlas Cement Company.

PHOTO: Image provided by "The Changing Hills/A History of Penn Hills v2"

Many of the same buildings remain standing today.

An overhead photo of the Universal section of Penn Hills. The area was home to many of the coal miners who worked in the many mines of the eastern section of Penn Hills. The small village was known as Clarksville. The Union Railroad ran along the western edge of the village.

PHOTO: Image provided by "The Changing Hills/A History of Penn Hills"

Here's a look along Main Street today.

Milltown, once located on the border of Penn Hills and Plum Township, was established when Robert Caldwell purchased land there in the mid 1800s and operated a gristmill. Years later, when Caldwell died, more mills were erected along Plum Creek, and the area became known as Milltown to the locals.

PHOTO: Image provided by "The Changing Hills/A History of Penn Hills v2"

Modern day look down Mill Street today.

Pictured in this photo is the Kerr Presbyterian Church, which traces its roots back to the late 1800s.

A look at the same church in 2012.

Milltown was home to one of the earliest oil wells in Penn Hills. By 1920, there were twenty wells in the area, producing approximately 2,000 barrels of oil per month.

An older-style home on the corner of Mill St. and Boda Rd.

The Community Super Market has roots that date back to the 1920s. The original store was known as Rosenberg's Grocery and General Merchandise store. In 1940, the store moved to a bigger location in the 2600 block of Leechburg Road and became one of the first modern 'supermarkets.'

In the 1950s, the business continued to expand, and a new store was constructed on Milltown Road. It expanded over the years, and now is close to 40,000 square feet. The family owned business has expanded into other nearby communities as well.

PHOTO: WTAE

North Bessemer was built when the Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad came to town in 1897.

Andrew Carnegie built the railroad to carry iron ore to his steel mills in Pittsburgh. As you can tell by this picture, nearly every track was filled in the North Bessemer railyard.

PHOTO: Image provided by "The Changing Hills/A History of Penn Hills"

The railroad built a roundhouse and repair shops which were a major employer in Penn Hills.

PHOTO: Image provided by "The Changing Hills/A History of Penn Hills"

The town that grew up around the railyard was known as North Bessemer.

PHOTO: Image provided by "The Changing Hills/A History of Penn Hills"

This is a modern day shot along what is Leechburg Road.

The Burns Hotel in North Bessemer

PHOTO: Image provided by "The Changing Hills/A History of Penn Hills"

Today, the railyard looks mostly deserted, with just a few train cars sitting in the yard.

PHOTO: WTAE

This historic marker, at the corner of Frankstown Road and Saltsburg Road, describes the importance of Forbes Road, one of the first roads in the area.

Forbes Road was a key link from Fort Duquesne east toward Fort Bedford. It was one of the first transportation links through Penn Hills.

Allegheny River Blvd. is one of the main routes between Penn Hills and Pittsburgh today. Plans for the new highway were unveiled in 1926. The original plan included a 1400 foot tunnel near Washington Blvd, three bridges and three scenic lookouts.

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The grand plan proved to be challenging to execute, with cost overruns, land slides and problems obtaining the right of way for the road.

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After twelve years, the road was completed from Washington Blvd. to Verona.

PHOTO: Image provided by Penn Hills

PHOTO: Image provided by Penn Hills

Three lookouts were built, however the tunnel was not part of the final plan.

PHOTO: Image provided by Penn Hills

PHOTO: Image provided by Penn Hills

PHOTO: Image provided by Penn Hills

PHOTO: Image provided by Penn Hills

PHOTO: Image provided by Penn Hills

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PHOTO: Image provided by Penn Hills