Open house set for Fayette Building
In honor of the 100th anniversary of its construction, the owners of the Fayette Building in Uniontown are having an open house Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. “We feel the building is an historical treasure, and we want people to come in and see it,’ said Gary Gearing, who owns the building with his wife, Lisa.
A monument to the coal and coke era, the building was constructed by J.V. Thompson, Uniontown’s most famous coal baron, in 1902 at a cost of $1.1 million.
The building, located at the intersection of Main and Morgantown streets, is the tallest in the area by far at 152 feet high with 11 stories and a large storage attic.
It was designed by Daniel H. Burnhan, one of the greatest architects of his day, in the Italian Renaissance Revival style.
Structurally the building consists of brickwork in three colors, granite and terra cotta. The corridors are still covered with the original mosaic tile on a marble base and wainscoting. The steps are marble, the stair railings are a decorative wrought iron and the wooden trim is oak.
A partial list of what Thompson bought to complete the building include:
???2,500 tons of structural steel.
? 1,000 tons of granite (from quarries in Maine).
? 1,200 tons of terra cotta.
? 2,225,000 common and pressed bricks.
? 999 windows.
For much of its existence, the first floor of the building was used as a bank. The curving of the building around the intersection resulted in a circular main banking room, which was unique for a financial institution.
Gearing said he’s worked to refurbish and update the building since buying it in 1997. The improvements he’s made include a new roof, a new smoke detector system, a new emergency lighting system and the installation of interior storm windows. Gearing said he’s also put the elevators backing in operation and restored the hallways of the top five floors.
“We’ve done a lot of work on the building over the years and we invite to people to come in and see,’ said Gearing. “But mainly we just want to open the building up to the public so they can see how beautiful it is. We think it’s a landmark that should be appreciated by everyone.’
For more information about the building call the Gearings at 438-4500.