As a general rule in Allegheny County, boroughs are municipalities, historically and economically tied to the industry within their bounds, while townships are adjacent suburbs. But Stowe Township and the borough of McKees Rocks are an exception to this rule. The big plants north of the Rocks Bridge are actually in Stowe, and the busy, brick-paved Broadway Avenue business district transitions seamlessly from one to the other. 

Stowe Township began issuing building permits in 1905, and it is from this milestone that one of its showpieces, the 1905 Eatery, takes its name. Located in a particularly handsome brick building at the corner of Broadway Avenue and Dohrman Street, it’s marked by a tall, vertical neon sign and a plate-glass corner storefront incorporating a graceful wooden bow reminiscent of the area’s many bridges. Despite the name and lovingly restored architecture, the 1905 is a relatively new addition to downtown Stowe. As recently as five years ago, the building was run-down, with empty upper-story window openings and its gracious storefront obscured by cheesy, 1970s stucco and faux timbering.