A vital section of the major land road or pathway passage to the east is now Penn Avenue, still a main street of Wilkinsburg.

Subsequently, the general area became a major battleground during the French and Indian Wars, during which George Washington (who passed through what is now Wilkinsburg in 1753,[5] on a diplomatic mission to French territory), Edward Braddock, and John Forbes gained a place in history, each built roads and otherwise enhanced the land transportation routes.

The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was fought between France, England, and various Native groups for territorial control.

In 1776, the British colonies declared independence, and the Treaty of Paris (1783) confirmed the area west of the Appalachians as part of the newly formed United States.

The Treaty of Fort Stanwix (1784) resulted in the Iroquois Nations also relinquishing their claims to the area, but this was not necessarily the case for other Native American polities.

The Land Company of the Colony of Pennsylvania began to offer deeds in the general area to become Wilkinsburg in 1769.

[6] In 1788, Levy sold his deed to William Thompson (a retired brigadier general who had served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War).

In 1790, Dunning McNair laid out a village called McNairstown on the "Great Road" later known as Penn Avenue.

Within a decade, more than 70 structures were improved, a new neighborhood center was opened, and the community's supply of affordable housing was increased.

The collaborators were subsequently honored with the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation National Preservation Award to recognize their accomplishments.

In addition to restoring four vacant buildings which had been built sometime around the beginning of the 20th century, the developer had plans to open a series of new townhouses in the same area by 2016, with the collaborators again indicating that the housing would be affordable, based on United States Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD) guidelines.

[16] Modern broadcasting as known in its current form began when Wilkinsburg resident Frank Conrad spearheaded a radio laboratory at his home, coordinated with Westinghouse Electric Corporation and the United States Signal Corps, under a special war time permit (using call signs 2-WM and 2-WE).

[19] In 1916, KDKA began broadcasting, as experimental station 8XK, from the Westinghouse plant in East Pittsburgh and in a small garage owned by Frank Conrad, before it was launched with its current call letters on November 2, 1920.

In 1923, Wilkinsburg-based Russian immigrant Vladimir Zworykin designed and patented the iconoscope, the photocell "eye" of early television cameras.

The borough has a remarkably high concentration of churches, mostly Protestant, which is unusual in a predominantly Catholic region of the country.

According to borough leader James Kelly, the reversal of Wilkinsburg's annexation to Pittsburgh in the 1870s was to maintain the community's religious integrity.

Wilkinsburg Borough has a Community Art and Civic Design Commission charged with review and legislation for "new and renovated structures, infrastructure, landscapes, works of art, memorials, and monuments on all public property and on all private property designated for commercial use.

"[25] Due to its location in Allegheny County, and especially its proximity to Pittsburgh, Wilkinsburg is in the neighborhood for numerous opportunities for experiences in art and culture.

The WCDC focuses primarily on the Wilkinsburg Business District, the area around the intersection of Penn Avenue and Wood Street.

The largest is Hunter Park, which at almost nine acres includes sports courts, fields, playground equipment, and woodland.

Wilkinsburg was home to the infamous Larimer Avenue-Wilkinsburg (LAW) Gang, which the federal government indicted under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).

[33][34] On March 1, 2000, Wilkinsburg received national attention when Ronald Taylor killed three people and wounded two others in a racially motivated shooting spree that occurred in part at the local Burger King and McDonald's restaurants.

The city council has many plans to beautify the neighborhood and repair many of the vacant homes such as the apartment building on 855 Rebecca Avenue.

On that day Amtrak discontinued service, citing a total of 128 passengers boarding or alighting in the first six months of 1975, the lowest system-wide.

[44] The PennDOT-operated Parkway Limited provided commuter service to Pittsburgh for nine months in 1981 but was also canceled because of low ridership.