"Laurel Highlands" a Uniontown Travel Page by grandmaR

Trinity Presbyterian Church dominates the skyline.

When my son and DIL were living in Pittsburgh, we would drive up from Baltimore to see them. Most of the time, people went up Route 70 and took the Pennsylvania Turnpike. But we usually went on up I-68 and turned off to go north to Uniontown on US Route 40 (the National Road). We went around Uniontown on the bypass, and came into Pittsburgh from the south.

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House outside Uniontown advertising tattoos

Sunday May 30, 2004

But, I always thought Uniontown looked like it might be an interesting place, so this time we stopped here for the night.

We got to Uniontown and registered at the Hampton Inn (the Super 8 across the road was full) by 1416 after 231 miles. The Hampton Inn is on the west side of town right on Route 40. The Hampton Inn was a bit more expensive than the Super 8 at $95.10 including tax per night, but I like it better. We rested a bit, and I did email. Then we drove out to

Searight Toll House on the National Road and then had an early dinner at Coal Barons restaurant which was $41.82 plus an $8.00 tip.

Then we went into town to get fuel (only Sweet Peas/Marathon had diesel and it was $1.83/gal for 8 gals) and drove around in historic downtown Uniontown,

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World War I monument

Memorial Day - May 31, 2004

We loaded our stuff in the car and checked out after breakfast at 0837. We drove out Route 40 through Farmington and past General Braddock's Grave (which we really didn't see because of the rain). Even though it was threatening rain, we visited Fort Necessity National Battlefield (The battle fought near here in 1754 launched the French and Indian War). Mt. Washington Tavern is also on the site.
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Other museums and sites near Uniontown include:
*Early American Farm Implements Museum
*Mount Saint Macrina
*Laurel Caverns
*Kentuck Knob and Falling Water (Frank Lloyd Wright houses)

Uniontown is the county seat of Fayette County. There are several other Uniontowns in Pennsylvania, but this is the one that is near Fort Necessity and is in the Laurel Highlands. The Laurel Highlands are in the southwest corner of Pennyslvania south of Pittsburgh. It is a very rugged area of the Alleghany Mountains..

Uniontown lays claim to being the birthplace of the Big Mac, which was invented by McDonalds franchise owner Jim Delligatti. Right in Uniontown is a Historic District.

Well-known residents have included:
* George C. Marshall, military commander, secretary of state, initiator of the Marshall Plan, which provided aid to western Europe
* John Dickson Carr, writer

Latitude: 39.9N
Longitude: -79.716W
Time zone: Eastern Daylight Saving

Population Est. July 2002: 12,212
Males: 5,752 (46.3%), Females: 6,670 (53.7%)

Land area: 2.0 square miles
Zip code: 15401

Nearest cities: Oliver, PA (1.1 miles), Leith-Hatfield, PA (1.3 miles), East Uniontown, PA (1.4 miles), Hopwood, PA (2.3 miles), Fairchance, PA (5.7 miles), New Salem-Buffington, PA (8.0 miles), Smithfield, PA (9.0 miles), Dunbar, PA (9.2 miles). Nearest city with pop. 50,000+: Pittsburgh, PA (41.3 miles, pop. 334,563).