5/28/23, 2:07 PM Uniontown, Pennsylvania - Wikipedia

Uniontown, Pennsylvania
Coordinates: 39°54′0″N 79°43′28″W

Uniontown is the largest city in and county seat of

Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States, 46 miles Uniontown, Pennsylvania
(74 km) southeast of Pittsburgh.[2] The population was
City
9,984 at the 2020 census.[3] It is part of the Pittsburgh
metropolitan area.

History
10 miles (16  km) southeast of Uniontown is Fort
Necessity, built by George Washington during the
French and Indian War (part of the international
Seven Years' War) as well as the site of the Battle of
Jumonville Glen, where the North American branch of
the war began.

Uniontown was founded in 1776 as "the Town of

Union" by Henry Beeson, a Quaker born in Virginia in
1743 who had settled in the area in 1768, buying tracts
of land and running a sawmill.[4] On July 4
(coincidentally, the same date the United States
Declaration of Independence was adopted),[5][6]
Beeson published a plat of quarter-acre plots near his
mill to be allocated by lottery on 20 July to purchasers From left to right, from top: Downtown, State
prepared to build houses on them.[7] In early years the Theatre Center for the Arts, Adam Clarke Nutt
town was sometimes unofficially called Mansion, Gallatin School, and Hopwood
House.
"Beesonstown", though not by Beeson.[8] In 1783
Fayette County was erected and divided into
townships, of which Union Township contained the
namesake town.[9] The town was incorporated as a
borough in 1796 under the name Uniontown and
separated from Union Township,[10] which was split in
1851 into North Union and South Union Townships.
Location of Uniontown in Fayette County,
The National Road, also known as the Cumberland Pennsylvania.
Road, was routed through Uniontown in the early 19th
century, and the town grew along with the road (now
US 40). Uniontown's role in the Underground Railroad
in the antebellum years is commemorated by a marker

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniontown,_Pennsylvania 1/9
5/28/23, 2:07 PM Uniontown, Pennsylvania - Wikipedia

on the corner of East Main Street and Baker Alley.[11]

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
Uniontown
during the bituminous coal miners' strike of 1894.
Fifteen guards armed with carbines and machine guns Location of Uniontown within
held off an attack by 1,500 strikers, killing five and Pennsylvania
wounding eight.[12] Show map of Pennsylvania
Show map of the United States
The Columbia Rolling Mill, an iron and steel works, Show all
was located in Uniontown from 1887 to 1895. The mill Coordinates: 39°54′0″N 79°43′28″W
was the town's top industry at that time. During the
Country United States
Coal Boom of the early part of the 20th century,
State Pennsylvania
Uniontown was home to at least 13 millionaires, the
County Fayette
most (per capita) of any city in the United States. "Coal
barons" and Carl Laemmle, the president of Universal Established July 4, 1776
Films, sponsored the famous Uniontown Speedway Government
board track from 1916 to 1922. It was a mile and a  • Mayor Thomas "Bill" Gerke
quarter raceway.
Area[1]
As with most of Western Pennsylvania, Uniontown's  • Total 2.05 sq mi (5.32 km2)
economy waned during the region's deindustrialization  • Land 2.05 sq mi (5.32 km2)
of the late 20th century, when the steel industry  • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
restructured and many jobs went elsewhere, including
offshore. This decline continued into the 21st century, Elevation 999 ft (304 m)
and the population is about half its peak of 1940. Population (2020)
 • Total 9,984
The only United States Navy ship named for the city  • Density 4,731.74/sq mi
was USS Uniontown (PF-65), a Tacoma-class frigate (1,827.24/km2)
renamed from Chattanooga on 16 August 1944.
Time zone UTC−5 (EST)
In 1967, Uniontown was the birthplace of the  • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
McDonald's Big Mac sandwich.[13][14] In 2007, the Big ZIP Code 15401
Mac Museum was opened in North Huntingdon Area code(s) 724, 878
Township in Westmoreland County, to the
disappointment of some Uniontown residents. [15] FIPS code 42-78528
According to a McDonald's spokesperson, the decision
was based on logistics and access, but Uniontown residents complained in an article that was
published in The Herald-Standard.[16]

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.[17]

Geography

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniontown,_Pennsylvania 2/9
5/28/23, 2:07 PM Uniontown, Pennsylvania - Wikipedia

Uniontown is located slightly west of the center of Fayette County at 39°54'0" North, 79°43'28" West
(39.900040, -79.724478).[18]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total
area of 2.04 square miles (5.29 km2), all land.[19] The city is 999
feet (304  m) above sea level and rests at the base of Chestnut
Ridge, the westernmost 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 to the south and west
as a freeway loop called the George Marshall Parkway.
Looking East into Uniontown, with
Chestnut Ridge in the distance and
Climate snow on the ground

Uniontown is located in a transition between a humid continental

climate (Köppen Dfb) and a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) with cold (sometimes freezing
cold) to mild winters, owing its location near the mountains with average daytime temperatures
running in the 30s to 40s °F (0-10°C) and warm to hot and humid summers with average daytime
temperatures running in the 70s to 80s °F (20-30°C).

Uniontown located in a transition

between a humid continental and
humid subtropical climate

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniontown,_Pennsylvania 3/9
5/28/23, 2:07 PM Uniontown, Pennsylvania - Wikipedia

Climate data for Uniontown, Pennsylvania (1991-2020; Extremes 1974–present [hide]

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year

Record high 79 77 88 93 93 97 102 102 99 95 88 77 102

°F (°C) (26) (25) (31) (34) (34) (36) (39) (39) (37) (35) (31) (25) (39)

Average 39 42 51 63 72 80 84 83 76 65 54 42 63
high °F (°C) (4) (6) (11) (17) (22) (27) (29) (28) (24) (18) (12) (6) (17)

Daily mean 31 33 42 53 62 70 73 72 65 54 45 35 53
°F (°C) (−1) (1) (6) (12) (17) (21) (23) (22) (18) (12) (7) (2) (12)

Average low 20 22 28 37 46 56 60 59 51 40 32 24 40
°F (°C) (−7) (−6) (−2) (3) (8) (13) (16) (15) (11) (4) (0) (−4) (4)

Record low −22 −16 −3 15 23 33 37 34 29 16 −1 −14 −22

°F (°C) (−30) (−27) (−19) (−9) (−5) (1) (3) (1) (−2) (−9) (−18) (−26) (−30)

Average
3.10 2.79 3.67 3.68 4.46 4.26 4.57 3.52 3.35 2.98 3.66 3.07 43.11
precipitation
(79) (71) (93) (93) (113) (108) (116) (89) (85) (76) (93) (78) (1,094)
inches (mm)

Average
8.4 7.2 4.6 0.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.9 4.4 25.9
snowfall
(21) (18) (12) (1.0) (0.0) (0.0) (0.0) (0.0) (0.0) (0.0) (2.3) (11) (65.3)
inches (cm)

Source: NWS Pittsburgh - NOWData / XMACIS (https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=pbz)

Government
Uniontown's government is composed of a mayor and a five-member city council. The current mayor
is Bill Gerke.

Uniontown is in Pennsylvania's 14th congressional district and is currently represented in the United
States House of Representatives by Republican Guy Reschenthaler and in the United States Senate by
Democrat Bob Casey Jr. and Democrat John Fetterman.

Demographics
Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1800 624 —
1810 999 60.1%
1820 1,058 5.9%
1840 1,710 —
1850 2,333 36.4%
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%
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniontown,_Pennsylvania 4/9
5/28/23, 2:07 PM Uniontown, Pennsylvania - Wikipedia

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%
2020 9,984 −3.7%
Sources:[20][21][22] [19]

As of the census[22] of 2010, there were 10,372 people, 5,423 households, and 3,031 families residing
in the city. The population density was 5136 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 75.16% White, 18.90% African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.93% Asian, 0.03%
Pacific Islander, 0.30% from other races, and 3.67% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of
any race were 1.59% of the population.

The largest white ethnic groups in Uniontown: 15.4% German, 13.4% Irish, 9% Italian, 6% Dutch,
5.6% English, 5.5% Polish.

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 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over,
there were 81.5 males.

In 2012 the median income for a household in the city was $31,760, and the median income for a
family was $37,841. The per capita income for the city was $22,457.

Education

K-12
Uniontown Area School District
Laurel Highlands School District
St. John the Evangelist Regional Catholic School
Chestnut Ridge School (non- denominational)

Higher education
Westmoreland County Community College, Uniontown Education Center
Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus
Laurel Business Institute
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniontown,_Pennsylvania 5/9
5/28/23, 2:07 PM Uniontown, Pennsylvania - Wikipedia

United Career Institute, formerly West Virginia Career Institute and Pennsylvania Institute of
Health and Technology
Madison College (Pennsylvania), a former school operated by the Methodist Episcopal Church

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

The City of Uniontown operates a full-time police department. The

city police station houses a booking center used by all police agencies
within Fayette County, including the Pennsylvania State Police.

The City of Uniontown Bureau of Fire is a combination

career/volunteer department operating out of three stations (two
staffed and one reserve), and provides services including fire
suppression, fire prevention, various aspects of rescue operations,
pre fire and disaster planning, fire safety consultation services,
disaster response along with city Emergency Management personnel,
and a number of other public services. EMS service is provided by
Fayette EMS, which replaced the former Uniontown Fireman's
Ambulance in July 2013.
Fayette County Courthouse
The bureau has four engines (pumping apparatus), two Trucks
(aerial apparatus), a heavy rescue unit, a squad truck, and a
command S.U.V.

Station 1 or, Central Station, is located downtown on North Beeson Boulevard at Penn Street. Central
Station houses Engine #1, Engine #4, Truck #1, Rescue, Squad, Command Unit, and provides housing
for two Fayette EMS units as well. Station 2, or the East End Station, is located on Connellsville Street
near Lincoln Street. The East End Station houses Engine #3 and Truck "A". The 3rd station, the
Union Hose Building, located on East Main Street near Grant Street, houses the city's Emergency
Management Agency and Emergency Operations Center, and provides housing for the fire bureau's
reserve pumper, Engine #5.

The department has three accredited PA Fire Academy Local Level Instructors and a number of
professional qualifications board testing evaluators.

Media
The Herald-Standard, a newspaper based in Uniontown,
serves the city and much of the surrounding area.
Fayette TV[24] provides local programming on Breezeline
Cable channel 77.
Two radio stations are licensed to the Uniontown area on 590
AM, 101.1FM WMBS and 99.3 FM WPKL.

Transportation WMBS (AM) studio on South Mount

Vernon Avenue

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniontown,_Pennsylvania 6/9
5/28/23, 2:07 PM Uniontown, Pennsylvania - Wikipedia

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 four-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.

Local bus service is provided by Fayette Area Coordinated Transportation.

Notable people
Professional wrestler Bruiser Brody (1946-1988), known as Frank Donald Goodish outside the
ring.
Henry Bidleman Bascom (1796-1850), religious circuit rider, U.S. congressional chaplain,
Methodist bishop, first president of Madison College
Henry White Beeson (1791-1863), former member of the U.S. House of Representatives
John Dickson Carr, mystery writer born in Uniontown
Robert J. Cenker, engineer and RCA astronaut born in Uniontown
William E. Crow (1870-1922), former United States Senator
Ernie Davis (1939-1963), first African-American Heisman Trophy winner, lived in Uniontown for
most of his early life
John Littleton Dawson (1813-1870), former member of the U.S. House of Representatives
Jim Delligatti (1918-2016), Big Mac Inventor, born in Uniontown
Tory Epps (1976-2005), former NFL Defensive Lineman
Dr. Mark Esper (1964-), 27th United States Secretary of Defense under President Donald Trump,
born in Uniontown
George Bird Evans, noted illustrator, mystery novelist, gunning and bird dog writer, and dog
breeder
Ronne Froman (RADM, USN, Ret.), born in Uniontown
Gus Gerard, former ABA and NBA player
Thomas Irwin (1785-1870), former member of the U.S. House of Representatives and former U.S.
District Court judge
William James, former NFL cornerback born and raised in Uniontown
Stu Lantz, former NBA player and color commentator for the Los Angeles Lakers, played
basketball for Uniontown High School and led them to a PIAA state championship in 1964
James Lawson, civil rights leader born in Uniontown in 1928
General of the Army George C. Marshall, American military leader, Secretary of State, and the
third Secretary of Defense, born in Uniontown
Terry Mulholland, former Major League baseball player, born and raised in Uniontown
Chuck Muncie, former NFL star running back for the New Orleans Saints and San Diego
Chargers, originally from Uniontown

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniontown,_Pennsylvania 7/9
5/28/23, 2:07 PM Uniontown, Pennsylvania - Wikipedia

Nelson Munsey, former NFL cornerback for the Baltimore Colts and Minnesota Vikings, originally
from Uniontown
David Nehls, actor, singer, composer and lyricist
Larry Pennell, actor of film and television, born in Uniontown in 1928
Kaleb Ramsey, former NFL player
Wil Robinson former NBA/ABA player, also a West Virginia University all-time great
Sandy Stephens, first African-American quarterback for the University of Minnesota Golden
Gophers, born in Uniontown
Andrew Stewart (1791-1872), former member of the U.S. House of Representatives
Daniel Sturgeon (1789-1878), former United States Senator
Tom Wilson, cartoonist, noted for the comic strip Ziggy.
Gene Steratore, former NFL football and NCAA basketball referee and current a rules analyst for
CBS Sports, born and raised in Uniontown

See also
National Register of Historic Places listings in Fayette County, Pennsylvania

Sources
Hadden, James (1913). A history of Uniontown : the county seat of Fayette County, Pennsylvania
(https://archive.org/details/cu31924028864142). Akron, Ohio: New Werner.

References
1. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files" (https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_
Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_42.txt). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
2. "Find a County" (https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pag
es/FindACounty.aspx). National Association of Counties. Archived from the original (http://www.na
co.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx) on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. "Uniontown city, Pennsylvania" (https://data.census.gov/profile/Uniontown_city,_Pennsylvania?g=
1600000US4278528). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
4. Hadden 1913 pp. 9–12
5. Harrison, Elizabeth. "9 Things You May Not Know About the Declaration of Independence" (http
s://www.history.com/news/9-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-declaration-of-independence).
HISTORY.
6. "Uniontown" (http://www.fayettechamber.com/cwt/external/wcpages/visitor/) Archived (https://web.
archive.org/web/20130721133237/http://www.fayettechamber.com/cwt/external/wcpages/visitor/)
July 21, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, Fayette County Chamber of Commerce
7. Hadden 1913 pp. 12–13
8. Hadden 1913 pp. 13–14
9. Hadden 1913 pp. 13, 16
10. Hadden 1913 p. 16
11. "Underground Railroad" (http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=1115), Historic Markers
Database

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniontown,_Pennsylvania 8/9
5/28/23, 2:07 PM Uniontown, Pennsylvania - Wikipedia

12. G. E. Plumbe, "The Great Coal Strike", The Daily News Almanac and Political Register for 1895 (h
ttps://books.google.com/books?id=fRR_mxkNlsgC&pg=PA78), Chicago Daily News, 1895; pp. 77-
78
13. "McDonald's Celebrates 40 Years" (https://web.archive.org/web/20130116065807/http://www.prne
wswire.com/news-releases/mcdonaldsr-celebrates-40-years-serving-twoallbeefpattiesspecialsauc
elettucecheesepicklesonionsonasesameseedbunr-58510247.html). PR Newswire (Press release).
McDonald’s. August 22, 2007. Archived from the original (http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releas
es/mcdonaldsr-celebrates-40-years-serving-twoallbeefpattiesspecialsaucelettucecheesepicklesoni
onsonasesameseedbunr-58510247.html) on January 16, 2013.
14. A Meal Disguised as a Sandwich: The Big Mac (http://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/palitmap/BigMac.h
tml) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20130515184604/http://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/palitm
ap/BigMac.html) May 15, 2013, at the Wayback Machine Big Mac History
15. Big Mac Museum Photos
16. "The Mystery of the Curry Burger!" (http://thinkwebworks.com/ao/History.asp?ID=18) ,Herald-
Standard article, September 15, 2007
17. "National Register Information System" (https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP). National Register of
Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
18. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990" (https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/ti
me-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html). United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved
April 23, 2011.
19. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001), Uniontown city, Pennsylvania" (http
s://archive.today/20200213050324/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G
001/1600000US4278528). American FactFinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original
(http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US4278528) on
February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
20. "Number of Inhabitants: Pennsylvania" (http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1721
6604v1p40ch02.pdf) (PDF). 18th Census of the United States. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved
November 22, 2013.
21. "Pennsylvania: Population and Housing Unit Counts" (https://www.census.gov/prod/cen1990/cph
2/cph-2-40.pdf) (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
22. "U.S. Census website" (https://www.census.gov). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved
January 31, 2008.
23. "QuickFacts, Uniontown City, Pennsylvania; United States" (https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fac
t/table/uniontowncitypennsylvania,US/PST045219). United States Census Bureau. April 1, 2020.
Retrieved August 15, 2021.
24. Pennsylvania Fayette TV (http://www.fayettecountytv.org/). Fayettecountytv.org. Retrieved on July
23, 2013.

External links
Uniontown, Pennsylvania (https://curlie.org/Regional/North_America/United_States/Pennsylvania/
Localities/U/Uniontown) at Curlie

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Uniontown,_Pennsylvania&oldid=1149845313"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniontown,_Pennsylvania 9/9