New Kensington Downtown Historic District (New Kensington City, Westmoreland County, PA)
The development of New Kensington began in 1890 when the Burrell Improvement Company, a group of Pittsburgh businessmen, purchased level land on the east side of the Allegheny River as prime location for a city. They had the land surveyed and laid out the town of "Kensington" with a rectilinear grid pattern.
The avenues paralleled the railroad and the river and ran from Second to Sixth, and the streets were numbered from Second (in Parnassus) to Nineteenth (in Arnold). The land between Second Avenue and the river was to be maintained in larger pieces for sale to industrial users.
The New Kensington Downtown Historic District occupies approximately 20 acres between the Allegheny River and Conrail rail line. The buildings are primarily two and three stories in height with taller buildings located on strategic corners within the commercial area. The buildings are constructed in a variety of architectural styles including Italianate, Beaux Arts, Egyptian Revival, Colonial Revival, Gothic Revival, Craftsman, and Art Deco.
https://www.livingplaces.com/PA/Westmoreland_County/New_Kensington_City/New_Kensington_Downtown_Historic_District.html#:~:text=The%20development%20of%20New%20Kensington,with%20a%20rectilinear%20grid%20pattern
