Uniontown Downtown Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Why it's listed
Two commercial buildings occupy the western third of a block a half block north of Main Street in Uniontown. The larger, at 18 South Beeson Boulevard, is a two-and-a-half-story buff brick former department store with a chamfered corner at Beeson Boulevard and Peter Street, built in 1924 after a 1922 fire cleared the site. It was first the Fair Store, a small local department store, and later became a Sears store in 1934. Sears added a north addition in 1956. The second building, at 9 East Peter Street, is a two-story brown brick commercial structure also built in 1924, with a symmetrical storefront and four wooden double-hung sash windows on the upper floor. Its tenants included a billiard parlor in the 1920s, an A&P grocery in the 1930s, and a produce store and meat market in the 1940s and 1950s. Both buildings reflect the commercial growth fueled by the coal and coke economy of the 1920s.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the buildings contribute to the commercial history of Uniontown's 1920s boom, when the city's prosperity rested on coal and coke. The 18 S. Beeson Boulevard building is the former Fair Store, built in 1924 after a 1922 fire cleared the site and later used as a Sears store. The buildings are also significant for their architecture, complementing the existing district under Criterion A for commerce and Criterion C for architecture.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 03000036, listed February 14, 2003. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 18 S. Beeson Blvd. and 9 E. Peter St., Uniontown |
|---|---|
| County | Fayette County |
| Listed | February 14, 2003 |
| Reference number | 03000036 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1924-1939 |
| Architectural style | Renaissance; Moderne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The former Sears store was vacated and sold in 1975 and used as offices until 1998; in December 1998 it was purchased to be rehabilitated for a business school and other tenants. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 39.90388, -79.72515 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 03000036.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.