John A. Martin (1824-1892) was born a year after his parents, John and Mary (Chambers) Martin, emigrated to America from County Down, Ireland. In 1823, the elder John purchased David Kennedy’s farm of 50 acres and later expanded it by another 50-“The History of Allegheny County” lists him as an early settler with sons Samuel, James and John. The Martin family-John and Mary had at least seven children-lived there in a log cabin between what is now McNeilly and Sleepy Hollow roads in the Baldwin/Castle Shannon area. John Sr. was a whig.
In 1853, the Rev. Joseph Clokey married John to Adaline Irwin. Around 1850, Adaline’s father, James Irwin, built a house close to what is now Sunset Drive and Catalpa Place; five generations of Irwins and Martins lived there until it was torn down in 1922 to make way for the Sunset Hills development. James Irwin is buried here with wife, Eliza, and daughters Elvira, Mary Ann and son Matthew P. Matthew’s daughter Lizzie died at age 3 of dysentery.
John and Adaline’s farmhouse was located on a rise above what is now Sleepy Hollow Shopping Center. They had two children-Ella and Charles W. (who served as a Mt. Lebanon commissioner from 1916 to 1920 and lived in his grandfather Irwin’s house on Sunset with his wife, Anna). Adaline died in childbirth (the child died as well). John’s second wife, Martha Jane Long (1836-1910), was a daughter of Alexander and Mary (Roseburg) Long and granddaughter of early pioneer Alexander Long. John and Martha had six children including three who died at the age of 1-Willie M., Ada and J. Frank.
The footstone of Adaline’s grave reads: “The wife of my youth.” There are no dates on the stone for Addie.
“I, in the Lord put my trust”
St. Clair Cemetery 