About Charleroi

Charleroi Borough is located along the Monongahela River in the County of Washington. Located 25 miles south of Pittsburgh.

Charleroi, PA was born as an industrial town that revolved around the manufacturing of glass. The town was inhabited in 1890 and incorporated in 1891. During this time glass was in a high demand in the country, and Charleroi thrived off this need. Only a year after The Charleroi Land Company applied for their charter of incorporation, the first glass plant in Charleroi was built. The Charleroi Plate Glass Company’s plant at the time was one of the largest glass plants in the country. In the following years, Charleroi became a key segment in the Industrial Revolution of the United States. The town fueled the Industrial Era with it’s glass productions.

Just like many other counties bordering the Monongahela River the town’s community was a melting pot of nationalities. The diverse community came from as far away as across the Atlantic Ocean to meet the demand for work during the Industrial Revolution. Among the immigrants, many were Belgians, with them they brought along their glass making skills. Therefore, it’s no surprise that Charleroi, Pennsylvania was named after Charleroi, Belgium, which at the time was the glass manufacturing capitol of the world.

With this growing population came a need for a retail segment in Charleroi. What started off as just a means to accommodate the workers and their families, thrived into a massive commercial district that turned Charleroi into the Mid-Mon Valley area shopping center. Today the Charleroi Community continues to be a hybrid of Industrial, Residential, and Commercial center in the Washington County.