History Spotlight # 5 - A Brief History of Arnold PA

The community of Arnold, PA is located on land that had once been hunting reserves of the Iroquois Indians. Robert McCrea purchased 300 acres in 1781 naming the area “Resolution.” It was later owned by William Jack who passed it on to Wilson Jack. Major Andrew Arnold (1794-1860, born in Kittanning) is considered the first settler. He had served in the military as an Indian fighter. He inherited the land from Wilson Jack in 1852 living between 2nd and 3rd Avenues near 17th Street.

In 1860 he deeded the land between Valley Camp and 13th Street to his daughter Sarah wife of Colonel Robert Parks Crawford. Land further upriver that also belonged to Arnold was willed to his son Robert Parks Arnold.

This area later became known as Braeburn. Settlement of the area grew when Chambers Glass Company was established in 1891. Many Belgian immigrants settled here for the glass works. The area also housed coal miners from companies like Hillman Coal and Coke.

Alcoa expanded into Arnold in 1913 making utensils and auto parts until the plant closed in 1971. Originally a part of New Kensington, it became a borough in 1896 named after Major Arnold. In 1939 it became a third-class city.

Arnold Traffic Store One of the oldest structures in Arnold was once the Arnold Traffic Store. The building had been a general store, a meeting place, a temporary church for Arnold Presbyterians, an office for ALCOA, an amateur playhouse, a nightclub, and W.R. Gotts Furniture Store. Today it houses Arnold Furniture.

Sources: Lore of Yore: A History of Parnassus, New Kensington, Arnold & Lower Burrell by the Woman’s Club of New Kensington 1986; cityofarnoldpa.org