Residents look to revive Staunton’s Uniontown amid new area study

STAUNTON, Va. (WHSV) - Queen City residents want to bring Uniontown back to full life.

Uniontown is a Staunton neighborhood with generations of history, starting with its National Cemetery. Its legacy was stifled when the bridge on National Avenue was removed instead of repaired.

Advocates for the neighborhood want to address the root of the problem.

“I think what is wrong with what is happening is nobody went to the extent of telling the history of this entire community,” Former Vice Mayor of Staunton Ophie Kier said.

A community that started by honoring fallen Civil War soldiers grew into a village with schools, businesses, and black excellence. For many people who were born and raised in Staunton, Uniontown is part of their history.

“We were raised by the whole community down there, so it just gave us a sense of pride in something that you could look up to,” Uniontown Native Robert Stuart said.

People describe Uniontown as the best of city life and country living.

Multiple studies for housing and utilities have been done in recent years but now a study is in process for Uniontown’s entire area.

Even the president of Staunton’s NAACP doesn’t want this legacy to fade away.

“I have a very vested interest in Uniontown. As part of dealing with the consulting firm, we want to make sure that what they want done is not what the city might want done,” Staunton NAACP President Kenneth Venable said.

Maps and surveys were available to those in attendance as the consulting firm was all ears for what Uniontown supporters want to see.

“If there’s no conversation from you as to what we would like to see in Staunton, then it’s going to die again. We can’t let that happen,” Kier said.

Uniontown is a current matter as new residents in the neighborhood want to see progress and results.

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