A peek into late-1800s O’Hara shows how drastically different life looked compared to present day.
Before the township became a draw for wealthy industrialists who summered along the Allegheny River, residents mostly consisted of farmers tending to large tracts of land.
The area’s first settler, James Powers, arrived in the area around 1785 and purchased a Depreciation land lot with his brother, Thomas, in order to stake a legal claim. Their descendants continue to live in the area.
Shown in the first photo from 1895 is the Powers barn, near the corner of Powers Run and Field Club roads. The location sits about half-mile from O’Hara Elementary School.
The second photo depicts the rapid development of the township. In 1952, a bulldozer cleared the way for suburban homes in the Orchard Hill Farm plan.
The third photo shows the current day property of the old Powers Barn, where trees now obscure its former location.
Today’s township population sits at about 9,000, according to the most recent U.S. Census data.
