| National Pike Festival: An 81-mile-long party A long and winding road, 81 miles of it to be exact, will become the scene of the 15th annual National Pike festival. May 20-22 community and historic around route 40 and Sommerset, Fayette and Washington counties revive the pioneer spirit as the celebrate this event. The celebration commemorates the heritage of the National Pike, a historic highway which opened the way to the west and brought prosperity to the teritoriy which it crossed. The original section of the road, completed in 1818, connected Cumberland, Maryland with Welling, West Virginia when the federal government could no longer afford to maintain the road, it was turned over to the state's through which it passed in 1835. The states erected toll houses. Later, this road became know as route 40. This years celebration will feature a perennial favorite the old Pike Wagon train, which will journey from Addison and Somerset county to Brownsville over the weekend. The wagon train will be stopping overnight and the public is invited to visit at their campsite and stop-overs. The great medows ampitheater in Farmington will host the wagon train encampment Friday evening. Entertainment will take place around the campfire. Saturday evening, they will be encamped at Mt. St. Macrina retreat center located along route 40 across from the Uniontown Mall. Again, there will be entertainment around the campfire. The Berlin Fife and Drum Corps from Berlin, Pa. will entertain Saturday at the Fayette County Courthouse and will escort the wagon train and the procession through Downtown. Tours of historic sites, such as Mt Washington Tavern, The Addison and Searights Toll Houses and Nemacolin Castle will be combine with various activities which each site. The mansion at Mt St Macrina retreat center, formally the estate of coal baron J. V. Thompson, will be open for tours Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Brier Hill, the site of a tiny building which was fromally the smallest post office in the east, will host an open house with displays, flea markets, bake sale, children's games, demostration, antique cars and a special postal cancellation for old pike days. For more information on old pike days, contact Lurel Highlands toruism at 439-5610. |
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