Irwin in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Brush Hill
Photographed by Bradley Owen, April 9, 2025
1. Brush Hill Marker
Built 1798 by Col. John Irwin, first member of Irwin family to settle area. Bequeathed 1818 to his grandson, John Irwin Scull, son of John Scull, founder of Pittsburgh Gazette. First "mansion-scale" house west of Allegheny Mts. and the center of a 300 acre plantation. Designated a National Historic Site, Oct. 14, 1975.
Erected 1976 by I.N.N. Bicentennial Association.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Notable Buildings • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1798.
Location. 40° 19.51′ N, 79° 41.367′ W. Marker is in Irwin, Pennsylvania, in Westmoreland County. It is on Brush Hill Road north of Pennsylvania Avenue (Old Route 30), on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 739 Brush Hill Road, Irwin PA 15642, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Laurel Highlands and in Greater Pittsburgh. It is also in the American Northeast, in the Mid-Atlantic, in Appalachia, and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, and one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: In Memory of the Unknown (approx. 0.2 miles away); Union Cemetery Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.2 miles away); Immaculate Conception Parish Cemetery Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.3 miles away); Shafton Veterans Memorial
this page online
Also see . . . National Register Nomination form for Brush Hill. This form was prepared in 1975 by Patricia Maureen LaSalle and Leilani Stewart of the William Penn Museum. A snippet on page 3 shares the historical significance of the property:
Brush Hill was the home of Colonel John Irwin (1739-1822) whose family name[d] the town and area Bear. The house is importance architecturally because it is one of the earliest "mansion-scale" houses west of the Appalachians. Brush Hill was the largest of Irwin's three plantations. Irwin and his relatives and descendents were prominent in the political, social, and economic growth of the area. Col. Irwin rendered important services to the cause of the American Revolution.(Submitted on July 19, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.)
The John Scull family became the inheritors of the Brush Hill Estate through marriage. The Scull family is noted in history on both sides of the Atlantic. John Scull, Col. Irwin's son-in-law, founded the Pittsburg Gazette,the first newspaper west of the Alleghenies. Another important contribution of the Skull-Irwin relationship was the construction of the turnpike in western Pennsylvania.Photographed by Bradley Owen, April 9, 20252. Brush Hill MarkerView is looking southwest.
The Brush Hill Estate was gradually subdivided into the surrounding community. During the late 1940's the mansion passed from the family of Col. Irwin's descendents. Much of the early leadership in many important fields relating to the growth of Western Pennsylvania had its beginnings within the Brush Hill mansion.
Photographed by Bradley Owen, April 9, 2025
3. Brush Hill
Photographed by Bradley Owen, April 9, 2025
4. National Register of Historic Places Plaque
Located at the south entrance of Brush Hill.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 19, 2025. It was originally submitted on April 20, 2025, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. This page has been viewed 386 times since then and 60 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on April 20, 2025, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia.
