Uniontown (pop. 12,422) is the seat and largest city of Fayette County (pop. 148,644) and is part of the Pittsburgh MSA.  Uniontown is part of the Uniontown-Connellsville Urbanized Area, which has a population of 58,442.  The city is centrally located in Fayette County and occupies a scenic location at the base of Chestnut Ridge and the Laurel Highlands.  It is about 45 miles southeast of Downtown Pittsburgh, connected via PA 51.  Uniontown is 26 miles northeast of Morgantown WV (West Virginia University) and 60 miles northwest of historic Cumberland MD via the National Road.

 

Decades before Uniontown was founded, the British established Fort Necessity about 10 miles southeast of present-day Uniontown high atop Chestnut Ridge.  Lt. Col. George Washington led this effort in response to a previous encounter called the Jumonville Affair in this vicinity... which was the first military engagement of the French & Indian War... which would spread to Europe and be known as the Seven Years' War.  The French had already established a string of forts across Western Pennsylvania and were in control of the "Forks of the Ohio" (present day Pittsburgh), a critical access point to the interior of the continent.  The British were attempting to dislodge the French from this area.  The fort was completed in June 1754, and Washington commanded a garrison of 300 colonial troops and 100 British army troops.  From this base, Washington extended a wilderness road toward the Monongahela River.  On July 3, 600 French troops with 100 Indian allies attacked Fort Necessity at the Battle of Great Meadows.  Washington submitted to terms of surrender and withdrew from the fort... which was burned by the French. 

 

Uniontown was founded on July 4, 1776.  The National Road (also known as Cumberland Road) was built through Uniontown in the 1810s (connecting Cumberland MD to Wheeling WV and further points west).  Today's U.S. 40 incorporates many stretches of the National Road.  This key transportation route helped fuel Uniontown's growth in the 19th century.  The National Road was the first macadam road built in the U.S. and was an important corridor for settlers moving west. 

 

 

In the late 1800s, Uniontown boomed with coal, coke, iron and steel.  It then suffered the usual post-war economic malaise common in coal country.  After long periods of decline and disinvestment, Uniontown has been staging an impressive comeback.  It has launched the "George C. Marshall Plan II", named after its most famous son... an ambitious downtown revitalization programme.  The results are striking, as a once dormant business district has emerged from its torpor with glittering facade restorations and exciting new businesses.  Uniontown is also seizing upon its natural assets.  Its location is quite stunning, and the city has proximity to biking and hiking trails, ski resorts, whitewater, waterfalls and the lush forests of the Laurel Highlands.  A revitalized Downtown Uniontown can also benefit from the nearby Nemacolin Woodlands Resort... a posh retreat that caters to elites from Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Washington areas. 

 

 

 

 

zoomed out view showing Uniontown at the base of Chestnut Ridge... there's some nice vistas of Uniontown from atop the ridge but weather conditions were too poor for me (see PA Pride's thread for that)

 

Albert Gallatin's name is all over Fayette County.  He was born in Switzerland and settled in Fayette County in 1789.  He later became the longest-serving Secretary of the Treasury, serving 13 years. 

 

there's some gorgeous neighborhoods in Uniontown... but there's a considerable amount of blight as well... reflecting decades of struggles

 

 

 

 

 

one of the most dramatic backdrops of any Pennsylvania city

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the Richardsonian Fayette County Courthouse

 

 

I love onion domes

 

 

 

Main St.

 

 

courthouse and county building

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a cornhole tournament followed by American Band!  Sounds like my type of place

 

Woodlands World is a high-end sporting goods store that recently relocated to Downtown Uniontown from the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort.  Local billionaire eccentric Joe Hardy, founder of 84 Lumber and Nemacolin, has been heavily invested in downtown revitalization and has moved a few of the resort's retail operations here. 

 

a mileage marker from the old National Road

 

that golden dome is sweet

 

 

 

yes to windmills!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

there's a small village called Hopwood just to the southeast of Uniontown... along U.S. 40 just as it ascends the mountain.  It's one of those places where you could speed through it and not think there was anything interesting about it.  But it does have some of the oldest existing structures in the region... dating to the late 1700s. 

 

This 1790 house hosts an acclaimed French restaurant.  I apologize for the terrible angle... but it's right up against the highway... and the traffic was too relentless for me to cross and get a better angle.

 

another old structure in Hopwood

Quite nice, for the most part. The relentless traffic is something I've noticed about some Pennsylvania small towns. I'm guessing it's because the settlements grew up around crossroads and along transportation routes, and the topography leaves few economical alternatives for rerouting roads.

 

The traffic keeps growing even as the communities wane.

The hills behind Uniontown are quite beautiful.

These latest threads have really opened my eyes to the beauty in many of Pennsylvania's cities and towns.  It too bad those Appalachian Mountain people can be so gosh darn creepy.