The street was named for Colonel Elmer Ellsworth, the first Union officer killed in the Civil War.

[4] A mural was painted on a west-facing wall of 5883 Ellsworth Ave to commemorate Margo Lovelace’s contribution to the arts in the region.

In 2008, the Urban Redevelopment Authority approved a design by Sheila King for a footbridge to connect businesses in the Eastside of Shadyside with Ellsworth Avenue and Spahr Street.

[5] The bridge connects Ellsworth Avenue with several businesses in the Eastside, including MCN Salon, Whole Foods Market, Pure Barre, Chipotle Mexican Grill, and Fine Wine & Good Spirits.

There is a 100-foot-long mural dedicated to Martin Luther King Jr. at the corner of Ellsworth Avenue, near the busway stop in East Liberty, that was created in the summer of 2007.