In the heart of Pittsburgh in the 1960s, an aspiring gas station owner became so much more - a model of Black entrepreneurship, and a respected pillar in the Hill District’s economy and community.
Herbert Bean was born in Union Springs, Alabama in 1915 to a schoolteacher and a cotton farmer. When his father developed a heart condition, Bean left school after 4th grade to work on the farm. At age 25, Bean took a train to Pittsburgh and landed in the Hill with determination, a spirit to succeed, and a desire for a better life. Herbert Bean not only found all he was looking for, but also contributed to making the Hill District a better place.
Bean’s business ventures in Pittsburgh began with hard work at several different jobs, including several positions at the steel mill and taxi driving. As he worked these jobs, he gained experience and built connections throughout the Hill District. Bean also found work at a gas station, where he carefully observed how the business operated. This experience sparked his desire to own a gas station himself, having observed firsthand the potential of the industry.
Herbert Bean purchased the gas station at Kirkpatrick and Centre from Willie Stevenson for $1,800 in 1961, using his personal car as collateral for the loan. Bean and a few friends worked the gas station in the early months, putting in 16-20 hour days and splitting the meager profits among themselves until the business was successful enough to establish payroll. That hard work soon paid off – within its first year, the station was selling six times more gasoline than under the previous owner, and Bean soon became the biggest gasoline seller in the Hill District.
This success placed Bean among a select group of approximately 1,200 Black gas station owners nationwide, making him part of an exclusive community of Black entrepreneurs in the petroleum industry. Bean’s success led to the acquisition of a second business, when in 1966 Gulf Oil to asked him to take over a failing service station in Homewood. This, too, became a highly profitable business, and he eventually acquired a third.
Bean’s business philosophy was straightforward and practical. He believed deeply in maintaining high standards—insisting on clean uniforms, excellent service, and spotless stations. Once when asked for advice to aspiring entrepreneurs, he declared, “Don’t mess with whiskey, women or gambling…if you start doing those things, you can forget about having a successful business.” This wisdom guided his own success and the counsel he offered to others in the community.
Bean also had a unique approach to hiring. When considering someone for employment, he would offer them temporary work, then tell them that he had to step out to talk to his friend, and then send others into the station to observe what the potential employee would do when left alone. This method helped him gauge character and work ethic. Of the ten original employees at his first station, seven were still working for him a decade later, a testament to Bean’s ability to choose good people and earn loyalty.
Never one to remain still, Bean was constantly on the move, connecting with his customers and understanding their needs. Besides his service stations, he also rented spaces that would become the highlight of nightlife in the Hill and centers for entertainment and social gathering. Bean also had dreams of building a restaurant and a motel in the area. Perhaps someday, if such establishments are ever built on the Hill, someone will honor his legacy by naming them "Bean's."
Herbert Bean’s role in the Hill extended beyond just making a profit, though – he believed in supporting and encouraging Black business ownership and building up the community. In addition to his other enterprises, he operated a bondsman business and also personally provided loans to community members when financial institutions would not. The author witnessed firsthand the respect he commanded when, as a child, she accompanied her Aunt Verma to secure a loan from Mr. Bean. Years later, as an adult, she benefited from his services herself.
Inspired by Martin Luther King Jr., Bean proudly displayed his picture on the wall as a symbol of hope and determination. He was an advocate for civil rights who participated in pickets against companies discriminating against Black people. Among his many community activities, he served on the board of Pittsburgh NAACP, and as a board member of his friend Robert Lavelle’s Dwelling House Savings and Loan. He was also one of the founders of the Freedom House Ambulance Service, demonstrating his commitment to essential services for the neighborhood. His community involvement extended to spiritual life as well, as a longtime member and fund-raiser for Calvary Baptist Church.
Herbert Bean passed away in 1998, but his name is still widely known throughout the Hill. He exemplified the strong men and women who came to Pittsburgh, worked tirelessly, and built a lasting legacy in the Hill. Bean represented what true business leadership looked like in the neighborhood: committed, hard-working, and deeply invested.
In 2008, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh opened the new facility for its Hill District branch on the former site of Bean's Gulf station.
