[1] The neighborhood takes its name from the nearby Brier Hill Farm estate of Ohio judge George Tod and former Ohio governor David Tod and the family's Brier Hill Iron & Coal Company.
[1][2][3] The area was where Youngstown's first Italian immigrants settled in the late 1800s to find work in the steel mills.
[1][4] They developed the style during the Great Depression as a use for extra bread dough.
[1] Brier Hill pizza is characterized by a breadlike dough, thick tomato sauce, bell peppers and Romano cheese rather than the more-typical mozzarella.
[1][4][5][6] The traditional toppings were used because home-canned tomatoes and peppers were common items in many Italian homes and Romano cheese can be stored without refrigeration.