New Brighton was settled in 1815 when David Townsend laid out a plan of lots on the terrace above the river bank. The town was laid out by Townsend in 1828 since a new canal was going to be built along the Beaver River by the state. The borough was incorporated in 1838.
Fun facts about New Brighton:
-With proximity to the Beaver River and availability of canal water for power, many industries were established in the community producing things such as: pottery, bricks, sewer pipe, glass, flour, twine, refrigerators, bath tubs, wallpaper, nails, rivets and wire.
-The Ohio and Pennsylvania Railroad came in 1851.
-Poet, novelist and lecturer, Sara Jane Clarke Lippincott, lived in a house on Third Avenue called The White Cottage. Her pen name was Grace Greenwood.
-The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) was located in the borough.
-The American Red Cross was located in the borough before moving to its current location in Brighton Township.
-The Pennsylvania National Guard Company B Armory was established in the borough. It now houses the New Brighton Municipal Building, Police and Fire Departments.
-New Brighton High School graduate Terry Francona played for five professional baseball teams. He was manager for the 2004 and 2007 Major League Baseball World Series Champion Boston Red Sox. He is the current manager of the Cleveland Indians.
-The town is home to Merrick Art Gallery, founded by industrialist Edward Dempster Merrick. He arranged that it would be free for the public to view art work and it remains that way today.