About the Township

Allegheny Township is a Second Class Township with 8328 residents (as of 2020 Census), 58 miles of Township owned roadway and 42 miles of State owned roadway. The Township is 35 square miles and has an incorporation date of 1820. 

Although there are many who believe Allegheny Township was formed in 1796, it appears, according to available records, that the Township was actually formed from Washington Township in 1820. At its formation, Allegheny Township included what is now Lower Burrell, Hyde Park, Vandergrift, West Leechburg, Arnold and New Kensington. There had been an earlier Allegheny Township formed by the Westmoreland County Court of Quarter Sessions in December 1795, north of the Kiskiminetas River in what is now known as Armstrong County. The area was a hunting ground for Seneca, and later, Delaware Indians.

The European settlers of Allegheny Township were comprised mainly of Scotch-Irish and a few Germans. Some of the early settlers of the Township included the Alter, Armstrong, Boal, Butler, Chambers, Clement, Copeland, Curry, Faulk, Garver, Hawk, Hill, Klingensmith, Lynch, McCullough. Mc Geary, McKee, McLaughlin, McQuilkin, Owens, Sober, Sproull, Steele, Stewart, Trout, Vantine, Watson, Watt, Yockey, and Zimmerman families.

Today, Allegheny Township operates as a Second Class Township and is governed by the Second Class Township Code (P.L. 350. No.60). There is a three (3) member Board of Supervisors elected at large from the electorate of the Township, and is comprised of a Chair, Vice-Chair, and a Supervisor. A Township Manager is appointed to run the daily business of the Township and make daily decisions whereas the Board of Supervisors take official action on matters of Township Legislation through Ordinances and Resolutions. The powers of the Board of Supervisors are outlined in the Second Class Township Code and include policy implementation and delivering services to the community such as snow removal, police, fire, EMS and Land Use.