WHY ARE WE NOW CALLING OURSELVES THE UNIONTOWN COLUMBIAN ASSOCIATION AND NOT THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, YOU ASK!!! Uniontown Council No. 1275 was instituted on Sunday, January 5, 1908. At the date of installation, Edward L. Hearns was Supreme Knight, James A. Flaherty was Deputy Supreme Knight, and William J. McGinley was Supreme Secretary. John W. McFayden, Esq. of Latrobe was District Deputy of Di
strict 24 and was largely instrumental in the organization of the New Council. In active charge of the formation of the New Council were residents of this community who were members of other councils. Among those were John W. Campbell, Walter B. Whaley, Patrick J. Locke and Dr. P. Larkin. All three degrees were conferred upon a large class in the hall on the third floor of the West End Theatre Building (now VFW Post 47) on West Main Street. The council meetings were held for a number of years in the lodge room on the third floor of the First National Bank building. The council next secured its own quarters in the Hagan Building on East Main Street, then moved to the third floor of the Blackstone Building, and thence to its own home at the corner of East Main Street and Coolspring Street. During the depression years this home was lost and then the council moved into quarters on the third floor of the Woolworth building on Main Street where it remained for a short time. Then meetings were held an Enany’s Garage on East Main street until a home was purchased in 1955. The old Gilmore Mansion was located atop a hill overlooking the city on McClellandtown Road. In 1969 the Council was again forced to move because of the construction of the Uniontown By-Pass. Temporary quarters were secured in the John building on East Penn Street until August 1970 when its present home was purchased
Shown are photos of the now demolished former John Brown Estate, located on the old Connellsville Road, our present location, consisted of about fourteen acres of land, several buildings, picnic area, a swimming pool, and basketball court. Because of excessive cost of repairs and upkeep, the mansion was demolished in 1982, with the swimming pool filled in a few years after. The Uniontown Knights of Columbus continued to operate at this location, using the former barn as the club room, and hall. On August 29, 2005 the Knights of Columbus Home Association was dissolved and the Uniontown Columbian Association Incorporated was formed. Today the club room operates as a social members-only association and the hall, pictured on our cover photo, is available for rentals, with a seating capacity of approximately 100 people. Handicap accessible restrooms and a separate entrance way were added to the hall in 2007. We continue today to serve our community and provide benefits to our social members, as the Uniontown Columbian Association, Inc.
