Prior to 1906, the land that became Ben Avon Heights was farmland belonging to Samuel Taylor and John Wilson. In 1910, Walter Pringle Fraser of Ben Avon bought 84 acres (340,000 m2) on the former Taylor farm, using forty of the acres to build the Ben Avon Country Club and golf course. The remaining 44 acres (180,000 m2) were opened for a residential development, which he named Ben Avon Heights. Like neighboring Ben Avon, Ben Avon Heights appealed to Pittsburghers looking for rural summer homes away from the city. The borough was incorporated in 1913.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Ben Avon Heights. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1906Sewickley sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Ben Avon Heights.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikimedia Commons (2), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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