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History
“Unwritten history is very hard to write, but the history told from since to
now, is as authentic as that written in books,” wrote Eleanor Gilfillan on October 21, 1926. The history Eleanor wrote about is something we experience everyday, whether in the continued quality of the community, the excellence of our schools or in the old farmhouse we all pass so often. We will probably never see these things written about in a history textbook but they are very real and have played an important part in the life of every Upper St. Clair resident. Thomas Gilfillan was born in Londonderry, Derry, Northern Ireland, the land in which the Gilfillans sought refuge from religious persecution in Scotland. His family eventually came to America in the 1770’s. His son, Alexander Gilfillan, with three brothers, emigrated to southwestern Pennsylvania. He was one of the original settlers of the area now called Upper St. Clair. The Gilfillan land stretched for more than 800 acres and included several farms. As the years passed and the area developed, the land was sold and now is home to much of the Upper St. Clair we know today—everything from St. Clair Country Club to Consol, Inc.
Beyond just land though, the Gilfillans thought it extremely important to contribute to the community around them. From the original Alexander Gilfillan serving as the first Justice of the Peace in the old St. Clair Township, an office he held for forty years, to his grandson John serving in the General Assembly of the State from 1863 to 1872 and in the State Senate in 1876, to his
The Historical Society will be sponsoring a booth at Community Day. If you are interested in learning more about the history of Upper St. Clair and preserving that history for years to come, please stop by to learn more about joining the Upper St. Clair Historical Society or call 412-833-2323.
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UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY
Summer 2002
Rachel Heins
great-great grandson Alexander serving as the President of the Pittsburgh School for the Blind. This dedication to the community and to preserving it for others can be seen today through the work of Jean Gilfillan Brown who serves as the President of the Upper St. Clair Historical Society. The well-being of the community at large was not all that was important to the original Gilfillan settlers. They were also dedicated to the well-being of their minds. From the first Alexander Gilfillan to his great-grandson Alexander, who was an engineer and a lawyer, education was important to the family. Even their wives and sisters were exceptionally well educated for the time, attending the then female seminaries or colleges. The Gilfillans that Upper St. Clair residents remember most—John, Margaret and Alexander, had the same desire to gain an education. They all began at the whiteframed Clifton school, learning from pictures and words on long sheets of paper and attached to a metal stand, reading from the McGuffey Reader and writing and doing their numbers on slate boards hung on the sides of the school room. John and Alexander would go on to study at Shadyside Academy, graduate with honors from Princeton University and finish their