Alexander Negley, a German immigrant and Revolutionary War soldier, chose a site along the Allegheny River for his farm. His son Jacob expanded the property to more than 1500 acres, comprising most of what is now Highland Park. Through Jacob's daughter Sarah, the descendants of these pioneering farmers included Pittsburgh's influential Mellon family. The Negley farmhouse, built just after Jacob's death, can still be visited in the southeast section of the park.