Turtle Creek is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, 12 miles (19 km) southeast of Pittsburgh. The population was 5,114 at the 2020 census. George Westinghouse constructed a manufacturing plant nearby. Turtle Creek takes its name from a small stream that flows into the Monongahela River. Before white settlers arrived, there was a small village of Native Americans living there from the Turtle Clan of the Iroquois Nation.

Turtle Creek served as a stage coach stop in the early 1700's for those journeying west. The town is named for its Indian designation, "Tulpewi Sipi," which means "Turtle River." Obviously, there is a heavy identification with the Turtle here. The reptile appears everywhere in town: carved into the facade of the Telephone Building, as a sculpture in the park and on the place mats at Palmieri's Restaurant.

In 1924-25, Westinghouse began building homes between 6th and 11th Streets, for sale to their employees. With no down payment and the rent toward ownership deducted from paychecks, workers were guaranteed quality housing, even in times of financial hardship.

During the WABCO heyday, the merchants were Italian and Jewish. The Jewish merchants lived in Squirrel Hill. There was a movie theater downtown and three in East Pittsburgh as well that served the Turtle Creek community. Community-generated entertainment included school plays and sporting events such as baseball and football, minstrel show fundraisers and friday night dances for teenagers above the bank building (now gone). In addition, the churches and ethnic organizations were active; all had activities of one sort or another.

The Turtle Creek Fire Department No. 1 was founded in 1894. In years past, rookies had to undergo partially public initiation rites. In the late 1800's/early 1900's, the Department would also participate in serenading newly married couples. The Fire Department sponsored banquets and picnics, baseball teams and bowling leagues. It hosted other area fire departments in hose cart racing, water battles and parades. The Fire Department brought carnivals and circuses to Turtle Creek as fundraisers for the Department, as well as sponsoring dances.

Turtle Creek is also two communities under one jurisdiction. In 1941, the US government built temporary housing for defence workers in an area known as Electric Heights, swelling the Turtle Creek population to 13,000. In 1956, the Government sold the housing to a cooperative, the Electric Heights Housing Association. Today, the Association includes 94 acres on both sides of the James St Ext; a small part of Electric Heights is in Monroeville. As of 1967, the Association sponsored two Girl Scout Troops, the Hill Jacks Drum and Bugle Corps and the Hill Jills and Gents Baton, Bell and Drum Corps.

Turtle Creek Valley Final Report  October 29, 1992 by Bob Carlin and Steffi Domike