Uniontown, Pennsylvania

Uniontown
City
A mural celebrating local hero George Marshall and the city's current revitalization efforts.
Official name: City of Uniontown
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Fayette
Elevation	999 ft (304 m)
Coordinates	39°54′0″N 79°43′28″W
Area	2.0 sq mi (5 km2)
Population	10,372 (2010)
Density	6,098.9 / sq mi (2,355 / km2)
Established	1776-07-04
Mayor	Ed Fike
Timezone	EST (UTC-4)
- summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-5)
Area code	724
Location of Uniontown within Pennsylvania
Location of Pennsylvania in the United States

Uniontown is a city in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, 50 miles (80 km) southeast of Pittsburgh and part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. Population in 1900, 7,344; in 1910, 13,344; in 1920, 15,692; and in 1940, 21,819. The population was 10,372 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat and largest city of Fayette County.

History

Popularly known as Beesontown, "The Town of Union" was founded by Henry Beeson on July 4, 1776, coincidentally the same date as the United States Declaration of Independence. The National Road, also known as the Cumberland Road, was routed through Uniontown in the early 19th century, and the town grew along with the road (now US 40). Within 10 miles of Uniontown is Fort Necessity, built by George Washington during the French and Indian War (part of the international Seven Years War).

Uniontown's role in the Underground Railroad in the antebellum years is commemorated by a marker on the corner of East Main Street and Baker Alley. Residents helped slaves escaping from the South to freedom.

In the late nineteenth century, the town grew based on the development of coal mines and the steel industry. Uniontown was the site of violent clashes between striking coal miners and guards at the local coke works during the Bituminous Coal Miners' Strike of 1894. Fifteen guards armed with carbines and machine guns held off an attack by 1500 strikers, killing five and wounding eight.

The Columbia Rolling Mill, an iron and steel works, was located in Uniontown from 1887 to 1895. The mill was the town's top industry at that time. During the Coal Boom of the early part of the 20th century, Uniontown was home to at least 13 millionaires, the most (per capita) of any city in the United States. "Coal barons" and Carl Laemmle, the president of Universal Films, sponsored the famous Uniontown Speedway board track from 1916 to 1922. It was a mile and a quarter raceway.

As with most of Western Pennsylvania, Uniontown's economy waned during the region's deindustrialization of the late 20th century, when the steel industry restructured and many jobs went elsewhere, including offshore. This decline continued into the 21st century, and the population is about half its peak of 1940.

The USS Uniontown (PF-65), a Tacoma-class frigate, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Uniontown, Pennsylvania on August 16, 1944.

In 1967 Uniontown was the birthplace of the McDonald’s Big Mac sandwich. In 2007 the Big Mac Museum was opened in North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania to the disappointment of some Uniontown residents. According to a McDonald’s spokesperson the decision was based on logistics and access, but it still did not sit well with some residents and an article was published in the Herald-Standard.

The Uniontown Downtown Historic District, Gallatin School, John S. Douglas House, John P. Conn House, and Adam Clarke Nutt Mansion are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography

Uniontown is located at 39°54'0" North, 79°43'28" West (39.900040, -79.724478).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.0 square miles (5.2 km²) The city is 999 feet (304 m) above mean sea level and rests at the base of Chestnut Ridge, the western-most ridge of the Appalachian mountains to the east. The National Pike or Cumberland Road crossed over the mountains and passed through the area which became the center of Uniontown. The route is now Business Route 40, as the mainline of US 40 bypasses the city center as a freeway loop called the George Marshall Parkway.

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1870	2,503		—
1880	3,265		30.4%
1890	6,359		94.8%
1900	7,344		15.5%
1910	13,344		81.7%
1920	15,692		17.6%
1930	19,544		24.5%
1940	21,819		11.6%
1950	20,471		−6.2%
1960	17,942		−12.4%
1970	16,282		−9.3%
1980	14,510		−10.9%
1990	12,034		−17.1%
2000	12,422		3.2%
2010	10,372		−16.5%

As of the census of 2000, there were 12,422 people, 5,423 households, and 3,031 families residing in the city. The population density was 6,098.9 people per square mile (2,351.1/km²). There were 6,320 housing units at an average density of 3,103.0 per square mile (1,196.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 76.7% White, 17.9% African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.28% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.55% of the population.

There were 5,423 households out of which 23.7% had children under the age of 18.2 living with them, 35.8% were married couples living together, 16.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.1% were non-families. 39.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.5% had someone living alone who was 75 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.791.

In the city the population was spread out with 20.9% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 22.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 86.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $19,477, and the median income for a family was $28,523. Males had a median income of $26,758 versus $20,110 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,720. About 16.0% of families and 16.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.1% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over.

Fayette Building

Fire services

The City of Uniontown is protected by a full-time career fire department, as well as volunteer firefighters from three city companies.

The department operates out of two stations. Central station, located on North Beeson, houses 40 Truck 1, 40 Engine 1, 40 Engine 4, 40 Rescue, 40 Squad, 40 Chief, 40 Assistant Chief and three medic units. The medic units housed at central station are 401, 402 and 404. The second station is the East End firehouse on Connellsville Street near Lincoln Street. The East End station houses 40 Engine 3 and 40 Truck 2. The Uniontown Fire Department also houses Medic 403 at the Hopwood Volunteer Fire Station in Hopwood, PA. Medic 403 serves North and South Union Townships and the City of Uniontown. The fire department houses a reserve engine, 40 Engine 5, at the Union Hose Company station on East Main Street in the city. Career firefighters staff both stations.

The Uniontown Fire Chief, Charles Coldren, found himself in public relations hot water after a controversial video was filmed of him cursing, abusing and threatening a citizen who is not appearing to do anything legally wrong or unsafe.

Education

K-12

• Uniontown Area School District
• Laurel Highlands School District
• Catholic Elementary Schools
• St. John the Evangelist School
• Liberty Home Educators

Higher Education

• Westmoreland County Community College, Uniontown Education Center
• The Pennsylvania State University, Fayette, The Eberly Campus
• Laurel Business Institute
• Pennsylvania Institute of Health and Technology, formerly West Virginia Career Institute

Services

• Uniontown Hospital, the larger of two hospitals in the county, is the city's and Fayette County's largest employer.

Media

• The Herald-Standard, a newspaper based in Uniontown, serves the city and much of the surrounding area.
• Fayette TV provides local programming on Atlantic Broadband Cable channel 77.
• Two radio stations are licensed to the Uniontown area on 590 AM WMBS and 99.3 FM WPKL.

Transportation

Uniontown is an important crossroads in Fayette County. The main route around town is a stretch of freeway bypass, the George Marshall Parkway, which is composed of parts of US 40 and US 119. US 119 enters the area as a two-lane route from Morgantown, West Virginia, and provides the northern half of the bypass before becoming a 4 lane route to Connellsville. US 40 enters the region as a two-lane route from Brownsville. It serves as the southern half of the freeway before becoming a mountainous route through rural parts of the county and enters Maryland and reaches Interstate 68. The old portions of US 40, now signed as Business 40, serve the downtown area.

PA 51, a main four-lane route to Pittsburgh, and PA 21, which connects Fayette County with Greene County and Waynesburg, both terminate in Uniontown. PA 43, part of the Mon-Fayette Expressway project to connect Pittsburgh with Morgantown, West Virginia is complete around the Uniontown area.

Notable natives and residents

• Henry Bidleman Bascom (1796-1850), religious circuit rider, U.S. Congressional Chaplain, Methodist Bishop, first President of Madison College.
• John Dickson Carr, mystery writer, was born in Uniontown.
• Ernie Davis, the first African-American Heisman Trophy winner, lived in Uniontown for most of his early life.
• Tory Epps, former NFL defensive lineman for the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints, was born and raised in Uniontown.
• Ronne Froman (RADM, USN, Ret.) was born in Uniontown.
• William James (American football), current NFL cornerback for the Detroit Lions, was born and raised in Uniontown.
• General George Marshall, an American military leader, Secretary of State, and the third Secretary of Defense, was born in Uniontown.
• Terry Mulholland, former Major League baseball player, was born and raised in Uniontown.
• Chuck Muncie, former NFL star running back for the New Orleans Saints and San Diego Chargers, is originally from Uniontown.
• Larry Pennell, actor of film and television, born in Uniontown in 1928
• Sandy Stephens, the first African-American quarterback for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers, was born in Uniontown.

In popular culture

• In George A. Romero's Land of the Dead (2005), the smart zombies came from Uniontown.

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Fayette County, Pennsylvania

Further reading

• James Hadden, A History of Uniontown: The County Seat of Fayette County, Pennsylvania. Akron, OH: New Werner Co., 1913.

External links

• http://www.uniontown.com - Uniontown Pennsylvania Message Forum
• Uniontown, Pennsylvania at the Open Directory Project