Uniontown, Pennsylvania

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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 12,422 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat and largest city of Fayette County^GR6.

Contents 1 History 2 Geography 3 Demographics 4 Education 5 Employment 6 Media 7 Transportation 8 Historical Facts and Trivia 9 External links

[edit] History

The city was founded by Henry Beeson on July 4, 1776, the same date as the United States (the timing was mere coincidence.)[1] The National Road, also known as the Cumberland Road, was routed through Uniontown in the early 1800s and the town grew along with the Road. The Columbia Rolling Mill, an iron and steel works, was located in Uniontown from 1887 to 1895. The mill was the town's unquestioned 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. As with most of Western Pennsylvania, Uniontown's economy waned during the region's deindustrialization of the late 20th Century.

[edit] Geography

Uniontown is located at 39°54'0" North, 79°43'28" West (39.900040, -79.724478)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.3 km² (2.0 mi²) and none of it is covered with water. The city is 999 feet (304 m) above mean sea level and rests at the base 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. At this time, the route is now Business Route 40, as the mainline of US 40 bypasses the city center as a freeway loop, now called the George Marshall Parkway.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 12,422 people, 5,423 households, and 3,031 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,351.1/km² (6,098.9/mi²). There were 6,320 housing units at an average density of 1,196.2/km² (3,103.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 84.17% White, 13.57% African American, 0.10% 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.

[edit] Education

K-12

• Uniontown Area School District
• Laurel Highlands School District

Catholic Elementary Schools

• St. John the Evangelist School
• St. Mary (Nativity) School

Higher Education

• Laurel Business Institute

[edit] Employment

• Uniontown Hospital, the largest of three hospitals in the county, is the city's and Fayette County's largest employer
• Teletech, a telemarketing firm, operates a large call center in Uniontown
• Parametric Technology Corporation recently opened a solution center in Uniontown

[edit] Media

The Herald Standard, a newspaper based in Uniontown, serves the city and much of the surrounding area.

[edit] 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 somewhat busy 2 lane route from Brownsville. It serves as the southern half of the freeway before becoming a mountainous route through rural parts of the county, eventually reaching I-68 in Maryland. The old portions of US 40, now signed as Business 40, serve downtown.

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

[edit] Historical Facts and Trivia

• General George Marshall, a legendary figure in 20th Century history, was born in Uniontown
• Friendship HIll is nearby, the original home of Albert Gallatin
• Uniontown contains a classic early 1900s skyscraper: the 13 story Fayette Bank Building
• McDonald's most famous hamburger, the Big Mac^{[citation needed]}, was test marketed in Uniontown.
• USS Uniontown (PF-65) was named for the city.

[edit] External links

• Maps and aerial photos Coordinates: 39.90004° -79.724478°
  • Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
  • Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
  • Topographic map from TopoZone
  • Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA