Fayette County, Pennsylvania

Fayette County is a located in the  of. As of the , the population was 148,644. The county is part of the.

Fayette County was created on, from part of  and named after the. Its is.

Historical Facts

 * When the ownership of the area was still undecided, 22-year-old fought his first battles against the  at Jumonville Glen and Fort Necessity in.
 * , Secretary of the Treasury to Jefferson and Madison built his home at Friendship Hill.
 * Secretary of State and WW II Supreme Commander of the  was born and educated through High School in the county seat, Uniontown.
 * Prolific architect constructed his crowning jewel in the mountains at Ohiopyle -, said to be the most famous home in America was a vacation retreat for the  family.  Later, he designed Kentuck Knob, a hexagonal Usonian style home, for the Hagan Family, in nearby Stewart Township, adjacent to Ohiopyle State Park.  Kentuck Knob was one of the last, if not the last home Wright designed before his death.
 * Two home-improvement families make Fayette County home. Both the Lowe family (of Lowe's) and the Hardy family (of 84 Lumber) reside in the county.  The Hardys also maintain a huge resort and golf course.
 * Rock and roller built and maintains a home in the county.

Geography
According to the, the county has a total area of 2,067 (798 ). 2,046 km² (790 sq mi) of it is land and 20 km² (8 sq mi) of it (0.98%) is water.

Government
The County of Fayette is governed by a three member publicly elected commission. The three commissioners serve in both executive and legislative capacities. By state law, the commission must have a minority party guaranteeing a political split on the commission. Each term is for four years.

The three current commissioners for Washington County are Vince Vicities, Vince Zapotosky (Democrat), and Angela Zimmerlink.

Vicities is the son of a former county commissioner, and worked in the office of the state auditor general and as director of Fayette County Waste Management prior to taking office in 1996. Zapotosky formerly worked as an aide to Congressman and later was an administrator at Douglas Business School. Zimmerlink previously held a career in real estate.

The Fayette County Court of serves as the primary judicial arm in the region. Judges are elected to ten year terms in accordance with Commonwealth law. Additionally, district judges serve throughout the county for minor offences.

Adjacent counties

 * (north)
 * (east)
 * (southeast)
 * (south)
 * (southwest)
 * (west)
 * (northwest)

Demographics
As of the of 2000, there were 148,644 people, 59,969 households, and 41,198 families residing in the county. The was 73/km² (188/sq mi). There were 66,490 housing units at an average density of 32/km² (84/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 95.30%, 3.51% or , 0.11% , 0.22% , 0.01% , 0.11% from , and 0.73% from two or more races. 0.38% of the population were or  of any race.

There were 59,969 households out of which 28.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.80% were living together, 12.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.30% were non-families. 28.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the county, the population was spread out with 22.70% under the age of 18, 7.70% from 18 to 24, 27.20% from 25 to 44, 24.20% from 45 to 64, and 18.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 91.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.60 males.

Municipalities
Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities:, , townships, and, in at most two cases,. The following cities, boroughs and townships are located in Fayette County:

Census-designated places
s are geographical areas designated by the for the purposes of compiling demographic data. They are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law. Other unincorporated communities, such as villages, may be listed here as well.



Public School Districts

 * (also in Westmoreland County)
 * (also in Washington County)
 * (also in Westmoreland County)
 * (also in Westmoreland County)
 * (also in Westmoreland County)
 * (also in Westmoreland County)
 * (also in Westmoreland County)

Fixtures

 * is a reconstructed historic stockade that was originally built by to defend against an attack during the .  Washington's loss at Fort Necessity was the only blemish on his military record.  It is now operated as a national battlefield.
 * General Edward Braddock's Grave is across the highway from Fort Necessity. He was mortally wounded attacking Fort Duquesne (at the "forks of the Ohio River" in Pittsburgh) during the French and Indian War.  It is a unit of the national battlefield.
 * The (also known as the ) bisects Fayette County.  It was the first long roadway to be paid for by the federal government and went from  to .  It was once a toll road, but it now exists as US 40.
 * Two historic fixtures from the National Road exist within Fayette County's borders. Searights Toll House is one of few remaining toll collection stops along the old route.  The Washington Tavern is a classic example of an early 19th Century inn along the National Road.
 * The town of Perryopolis was designed by George Washington during his days as a surveyor. It includes a failed grist mill that Washington attempted to operate.
 * , architect Frank Lloyd Wright's most famous home, is located within the county, atop a beautiful waterfall. His lesser known but equally impressive  is also located in the county.
 * 's home, called Friendship Hill, is maintained as National Historic Site.
 * Fayette County's southern border is marked with plaques that mark its significance as part of the

Notable Fayette Countians

 * , 1950, 1963, 1970 Edgar Allan Poe Award Winner, mystery writer
 * , Rock Drummer
 * , 1961 Winner
 * , Secretary of State, U.S. Senator, and U.S. Attorney General
 * , 1947 Heisman Trophy Winner
 * , 1953 Winner
 * , former  most notably with the
 * , former  with the  and the
 * , Fantasy Novelist
 * , Director of 
 * , pioneering steamboat captain and inventor
 * , Co-Producer of ' and director of '