History of the Uniontown Council No. 1275
Uniontown Council No. 1275 was instituted on Sunday, January 5, 1908. At the date of installation, Edward L. Hearns was Supreme Knight, James A. Flaherty was Deputy Supreme Knight, and William J. McGinley was Supreme Secretary.
John W. McFayden, Esq. of Latrobe was District Deputy of District 24 and was largely instrumental in the organization of the New Council. In active charge of the formation of the New Council were residents of this community who were members of other councils. Among those were John W. Campbell, Walter B. Whaley, Patrick J. Locke and Dr. P. A. Larkin. All three degrees were conferred upon a large class in the hall on the third floor of the West End Theatre Building (now VFW Post 47) on West Main Street. The first officers of the council were as follows:
Grand Knight: John W. Campbell
Chaplain: Rev. B. P. Kenna
Deputy Grand Knight: Patrick J. Locke
Chancellor: Patrick J. Callaghan
Recorder: George Gould
Financial Secretary: Walter B. Whaley
Treasurer: D. J. Murphy
Lecturer: W. F. Lane
Advocate: James R. Cray
Warden: Joseph Hofelder
Inside Guard: Patrick J. Reagan
Outside Guard: John W. Grasinger
Trustees: William J. Callaghan
Patrick Mullen
James Hart
The council meetings were held for a number of years in the lodge room on the third floor of the First National Bank building. The council next secured its own quarters in the Hagan Building on East Main Street, then moved to the third floor of the Blackstone Building, and thence to its own home at the corner of East Main Street and Coolspring Street.
During the depression years this home was lost and then the council moved into quarters on the third floor of the Woolworth building on Main Street where it remained for a short time. Then meetings were held an Enany’s Garage on East Main street until a home was purchased in 1955. The old Gilmore Mansion was located atop a hill overlooking the city on McClellandtown Road. In 1969 the Council was again forced to move because of the construction of the Uniontown By-Pass. Temporary quarters were secured in the John building on East Penn Street until August 1970 when its present home was purchased.
The new home, the former John Brown Estate shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2, on the Old Connellsville Road, then consisted of about fourteen acres of land, several buildings, picnic area, a swimming pool, and basketball court.
Figure 1: Front view of the previous Knights Of Columbus Hall.
Figure 2: Ariel view of the previous Knights Of Columbus Hall.
A Holy Shrine in honor of the American Saints was constructed and blessed by The Most Rev. William G. Connare, Bishop of the Diocese of Greensburg. Selected photos of remaining shrine areas follow:
The saints honored in the shrine are, the North American Martyrs of New York State, St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, St. Elizabeth Seton, St. John Neumann, Bishop of Philadelphia, and Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha. Also the Council received an elm tree from the Jesuit Martyr Shrine in Auriesville NY and an aspen tree from the Tekakwitha Shine of Fonda NY.
Because of Excessive cost of repairs and upkeep the mansion was demolished in 1982, with the swimming pool filled in a few years after. The Uniontown Knights of Columbus continued to operate at this location, using the former barn as the club room, and hall.
On August 29, 2005 the Knights of Columbus Home Association was dissolved and the Uniontown Columbian Association Incorporated was formed. Handicap accessible restrooms and a separate entrance way were added to hall in 2007. At St. Mary (Nativity) Church on Saturday January 5, 2008, 4:30 Mass was celebrated by our Worthy Chaplain, Father Micah Kozoil, the Uniontown Council celebrated 100 years of Columbianism in the Uniontown Area. Our Columbian Squires Circle, Rev. Thomas J. Dunn 1543 was reactivated in 2008.
The Uniontown Council continues to serve Uniontown’s six Catholic Churches; St. Mary (Nativity), St. John the Evangelist, St. John the Baptist Byzantine, St. Joseph, St. Therese de Lisieux and St. George Marionite. The Uniontown Council is a member of the Albert Gallatin Assembly No. 926, 4th Degree Knights of Columbus, the Greensburg Diocesan Chapter, and District 111.
The Council Officers for our 100th year 2007-2008, were as follows.
Grand Knight: Joseph W. Korelko III
Chaplain: Rev. Micah Kozoil
Deputy Grand Knight: Gabriel Centofanti
Chancellor: Anthony Bartock Sr. PGK
Recorder: Michael Aesoph
Financial Secretary: Kevin L. Rohm
Treasurer: Jonathan Tajc, PGK
Lecturer: John C. Schoener
Advocate: Carmen M. Galderisi
Warden: Richard P. Pikulsky
Inside Guard: Jason M. Sharp
Outside Guard: Louis Centofanti II
Trustees: John W. Stossel, PGK
Martin Gasparatz Jr.
Ronald A. Tajc
Five other councils have been formed out of the Council 1275 area and memberships. They are: 3461 - Holy Innocents, Brownsville (1951); 3569 - John F. Kennedy, Carmichaels (1952); 4261 - Masontown (1956); 7404 - St. John Neumann, Fairchance (1979) and 9584 - Great Meadow, Farmington (1987).
Charter Members
Laughlin B. Callaghan Mine Foreman Gates PA
Patrick J. Callaghan Mine Foreman Edenborn PA
William J. Callaghan Mine Driver Leckrone PA
John W. Campbell
Thomas D. Connell
James R. Cray Attorney at Law Uniontown PA
Joseph F Delehunt
Michael Donovan Motorman Searight PA
Michael V. Doyle Mine Foreman Leckrone PA
William Fallon
Thomas J. Fleckenstien
Neil Friel Mine Foreman York Run PA
George F. Gould
George J. Grasinger Laborer Uniontown PA
John W. Grasinger Foreman Foundry Uniontown PA
Michael J. Galvin Landscape Gardener Uniontown PA
Hugh Hanborn Mine Foreman Footedale PA
John Harding Supt. Coke Works Leckrone PA
James Hart Supt. Coke Works New Salem PA
Francis P. Herron
Joseph Hofelder Supt. Works Uniontown PA
Thomas M. Jeffers Pattern Maker Uniontown PA
William M. Johnston
William J. Kearns
James A. Kearney Mine Foreman Collier PA
Rev. Bernard P. Kenna Pastor, St. John Uniontown PA
William F. Lane Law Student Uniontown PA
Patrick Larkin
Joseph Malia Mine Foreman Newcomer PA
Joseph Mangen
Patrick McCabe
Charles W. McDermott Book Keeper Fairchance PA
William A. McHugh
August P. McIntyre
John Joseph McIntyre Mine Foreman Uniontown PA
H. L. McMullen Mine Driver Uniontown PA
Patrick Mullen Mine Inspector Leckrone PA
David J. Murphy Supt. Bell Phone Co. Uniontown PA
Martin F. Murphy
William G. Neulgling Glassblower Uniontown PA
John P. O’Connell
A. C. O’Neill Physician Uniontown PA
John Payton
James P. Phelan Meat Cutter Uniontown PA
Bernard W. Phillips
George F. Pie
Patrick J Reagan Laborer Lemont Furnace PA
Patrick Reynolds Mine Foreman New Salem PA
M. J. Rodgers
Joseph J. Sharfnecker Mine Foreman Smithfield PA
George F. Stadtmiller Telegrapher Uniontown PA
Daniel J. Sweeney Magr of Soft Drinks Uniontown PA
John J. Walsh
Patrick J. Walsh Mine Foreman McClellandtown PA
Matthew J. Welsh Outside Foreman Republic PA
Walter B. Whaley
Former Greensburg Chapter Presidents from Uniontown Council No. 1275
Frank A. Novotney 1961-1962
Dominic A. Galderisi 1971-1972
Carmen F. Galderisi 1973-1974
John J. Whalen 1977-1978
Joseph V. Markus 1978-1979
Zebedee A. Sparks 1980-1981
Andrew Hrebnar 1986-1987
Anthony E. Bartock 1999-2000
Former District Deputies from Uniontown Council No. 1275
Frank Lane Esq.
John W. Campbell
James E. Carroll 1936-1937; 1937-1938
George F. Pie Sr. 1943-1944; 1944-1945; 1945-1946
Joseph Rehanek Sr. 1948-1949; 1949-1950
Joseph Tama 1955-1956; 1956-1957; 1957-1958
Dr. W. Ralston McGee 1964-1965; 1965-1966
Dominick A. Galderisi 1970-1971; 1971-1972
Carmen F. Galderisi 1972-1973; 1973-1974
Jospeh V. Markus 1978-1979; 1979-1980; 1980-1981; 1981-1982; 1982-1983; 1983-1984
Thomas S. Trupkovich 1984-1985; 1985-1986; 1986-1987
Joseph V. Trupkovich 1987-1988
Arthur L. Cullen 1988-1989; 1989-1990; 1990-1991
Anthony E. Bartock 1996-1997; 1997-1998; 1998-1999; 1999-2000
Stephen Varto 2005-2006; 2006-2007
Jonathan Tajc 2007-2008; 2008-2009
