Fayette County is a county in southwestern Pennsylvania that consists of towns like Connellsville, Uniontown, and Brownsville. With a population of around 128,800 people and a total area of 798 square miles, it is a hidden gem in Pennsylvania. We spent a wonderful few days and nights in Fayette County in the beginning of October; we visited many sites and met many amazing people. There were many ups and even a few downs, but I learned overall that Fayette County is a resilient place that is constantly bettering itself for past, present, and future communities.
We started the trip on a Thursday night. My fellow political scientist and friend, Liv, drove us up to meet the rest of the team at the Historic Summit Inn Resort, located in Farmington. We saw a beautiful view getting out of the car as we were on the top of a mountain, and we had to take some pictures of course. That night we ate the most delicious meal and had time to get to know each other better as a group. Then we drove, in the pitch black backroads which reminded me fondly of home, to Touchstone Center for Crafts to stay for the next few days. Touchstone Center for Crafts is definitely a community asset to Fayette County, one that is hidden away, a little into the woods for an inclusive cabin experience. We got to stay in cabins, roast marshmallows by the fire, and walk around the lovely forestry. It was the perfect time of year to be there as well; the leaves had started to change and fall, the morning was cold but the sun was warm, and our nights were full of log burning fires under the shining stars that were bright and visible to the naked eye. This beautiful place was not something I was even a little bit aware of being staying in early October, and I think Touchstone is an asset that could be alluring for everyday people looking to get away for a nice weekend trip, school trips, or group building workshops.
On Friday morning, after having a delicious bagel and lots of coffee, each group split to get what they wanted to get done that day while in the area. Because of this, Professor Kanthak, Liv, and I made our way to Uniontown. Our goal for this trip was really to gauge interest, see the community, make connections, and get in the know about the current issues people in the county are focused on. We did this by, honestly, just walking around in the communities and making conversation/asking questions. In Uniontown, we started at the Election Office, where a very nice woman who is a voting registration worker answered a few of our questions about what she had noticed since working there. We got a lot of insight from her, specifically about political attitudes in Uniontown. She stated that there are definitely more people voting because of the upcoming presidential election, and many citizens’ main voting issue rests on the fact that they are from a small, rural town. We even talked to someone working at the Penn State Agricultural Extension, located on the second floor of the Uniontown Post Office, who agreed that her main issue she is focusing her vote on is the disappearance of the middle class. She explained to us that if prices do not level out, the middle class will cease to exist, which is not something she can afford. We also noted, interestingly, that this Penn State Extension is one that is not funded by Penn State, but instead funded by Fayette County. This intrigued Liv and I because the Penn State Fayette branch was just a few miles down the road, and yet it was not paying for this fun and exciting resource talking all about agriculture, invasive species, plants, and bugs!
Another asset, that was personally my favorite of the trip, that we got to see was the State Theatre Center For the Arts. It’s this gorgeous, glamorous, and multi story theater in Uniontown. When we walked in and asked to peek around the place, the woman working was so kind and let us go anywhere we wanted, telling us that we had to go all the way up and see it from the balcony, which we did of course. While we were there, we saw people building the set for their upcoming performance of High School Musical. This was one asset of Fayette County that I feel is underrepresented as well, just like Touchstone. It was beautiful, spacious, and had an overall wonderful sense of atmosphere, and as a theater lover, I was having the time of my life being in there! Unfortunately, we had to leave the theater, but fortunately, we met up with Professor Kanthak once again at this bustling coffee shop called From Scratch. They had coffee, baked goods, ice cream, and other food options on the menu. When we walked in there was already quite a long line, and we found our Professor drinking a coffee in the back seating area. While we were there, we were able to speak to the owner of the place and she explained that they hold group baking classes on top of the goods that they already sell on the daily. They have quite the booming business, in fact, they are expanding and moving to a larger space in the very near future! This was an asset in the community that was swarming with both younger and older people. That was something that we noticed while in these towns, there is not much younger representation or things for high school aged kids to do, but From Scratch was busy and bustling because it was something fun for anyone of any age!
After our time in Uniontown, we made our way to Connellsville. In Connellsville we saw another favorite asset of mine from the trip, the Connellsville Canteen. The Connellsville Canteen is an experience just by being in there, then you add on the fact that they are also a cafe! When you walk into the Canteen, you immediately see each and every wall covered from top to bottom, even in the other rooms, that are full of World War II memorabilia. In a separate room they also have this huge model railroad display, that’s surrounded by mountains, vegetation, and tiny figurine people in tiny houses. We learned that this was handmade by one man named Harry Clark, and he spent years making it. It expands 55’ by 25’ and had an extensive transfer from his home to the Canteen. It’s actually so large that they took apart his house to get it out, and then built the Canteen around it. The Connellsville Canteen is not something to be taken lightly. It is a wonderful asset to Fayette County, and I could have spent many more hours there listening to and reading about the stories on the walls, or learning facts about the railroad model. The food was also delicious! At the Canteen we invited some people to chat with about Fayette County, to learn more about the county itself, but also to learn about what we can do to improve the community, both as individuals but also as the University of Pittsburgh. At this time, we got to speak a lot with someone who works in administration for Laurel Highlands School District. We learned a ton of information from him, specifically about how the younger people in Fayette County feel and what opportunities they have in the community. We learned that they think of Penn State Fayette as a community college, even though it’s not, and many students state they want to move away after high school. Something that was very interesting to hear was that his school has an “Instant Decision Day,” where recruiters from several colleges and universities as well as other post-secondary institutions will visit Laurel Highlands to interview students and offer college admittance at the end of the interview. This was something I had never heard of before! Instant Decision Day works in favor of the younger population in Fayette County because there are many barriers to getting into higher education institutes because of things like application fees.
Once we finished up in the Connellsville Canteen, we headed to get a tour of Fallingwater. Fallingwater is, arguably, the most recognizable and profitable asset in Fayette County. Fallingwater is a house designed by the architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1935, that is a National Historic Landmark. It’s known for being Wright’s most widely acclaimed works and best exemplifies his philosophy of organic architecture, which is the harmonious union of art and nature. The house itself is rich in history, and tells a story in itself, but also is very beautiful. It’s not hard to see why people come from all over to get a tour of it. They not only have tours of the house, but they also have a cafe, and a gift shop! This asset is one that brings great economic development and tourism in Fayette County.. The glamorous house is one that I do not regret walking through, and I recommend everyone see it for themselves!
Overall, my time in Fayette County was one I will remember and cherish. The people are kind, the places are astounding, the food is yummy, and the overall atmosphere is extraordinary. There are many assets that are quite well known, like Fallingwater, but my favorite assets were the ones that were a little more hidden, like the Connellsville Canteen, the State Theatre Center For the Arts, Touchstone Center for Crafts, and From Scratch. All of which are just as amazing and deserve recognition. Something that can be improved within the county is advertising for these other assets to make them be more widely known, but also more initiatives to keep younger residents engaged and active participants of the community. Our next steps as the political scientists of the 2024-2025 Cohort plan is to hold a focus group in Connellsville to hear about the needs and wants of the community. We’re looking at focusing on economic development, education, and political representation. From this, we plan to be able to recommend some solutions to the worries of the community. This is a great opportunity, and I am so grateful to be a part of it!
