The region around Waynesburg is underlaid with several layers of coking coal, including the Pittsburgh No. 8 seam, the Waynesburg seam, and the Sewickley (Mapletown) seam. The area is also rich with coalbed methane, which is being developed from the underlying Marcellus Shale, the largest domestic natural gas reserve. Early in the 20th century, four large gas compressing stations and a steam shovel factory were located in Waynesburg.
Waynesburg c. 1865, showing the Union School (upper left) and the Old Cumberland Presbyterian Church (upper right)
In 1796, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed legislation to create Greene County, dividing Washington County into two parts with the lower part becoming Greene County. Part of the legislation required a city to take the county seat for the section of land. They chose Waynesburg as the place for the county seat because it was in the center of the county.
Thomas Slater owned the land which is now Waynesburg. According to the Living Places website, Slater purchased the land from a Native American for a two-year-old heifer and a flint-lock rifle. In that time, land development required a patent from William Penn. The town at that time was referred to as Eden, named after his wife Elanor's maiden name, according to the Angel Fire website. County commissioners bought the 158 acres of land from Slater for $2,376 for the purpose of building a jail, courthouse and other public buildings. The commissioners changed the name to Waynesburg, after Revolutionary War General Anthony Wayne. Despite selling the land, though, Slater remained in the area. He lived next to the Waynesburg VFW where two trailers now sit. Slater lived in his house until his death in 1815 at the age of 76. The state legislature incorporated Waynesburg as a borough effective April 9, 1816.
In August 1875 construction began of the 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gaugeWaynesburg and Washington Railroad, conceived by John Day in 1874 and chartered in 1875.[5] Its passenger service ended in 1929, and conversion to 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge followed in 1944 as a wartime measure. Then the railroad was renamed the Waynesburg Secondary Railroad. Regular freight service ended on this line in 1976, though part of it still serves (irregularly) for railroad access to a coal mine.
U.S. Route 19 passes through the center of the borough as High Street (westbound) and Greene Street (eastbound), turning on the north side of town to follow Morris Street (northbound) and Richhill Street (southbound). Pennsylvania Route 21 joins US 19 through downtown Waynesburg on High and Greene streets. PA 21 leads east 2 miles (3 km) to Interstate 79 at Exit 14 and continues east another 25 miles (40 km) to Uniontown. To the west PA 21 leads 6 miles (9.7 km) to Rogersville and 24 miles (39 km) to the West Virginia border. I-79 leads north from Exit 14 21 miles (34 km) to Washington and 53 miles (85 km) to Pittsburgh, while Morgantown, West Virginia, is 24 miles (39 km) to the south.
As of the census[12] of 2000, there were 4,184 people, 1,619 households, and 869 families residing in the borough. The population density was 5,038.6 inhabitants per square mile (1,945.4/km2). There were 1,811 housing units at an average density of 2,180.9 per square mile (842.1/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 96.94% White, 1.63% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.17% from other races, and 0.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.65% of the population.
There were 1,619 households, out of which 24.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.4% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.3% were non-families. 38.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the borough the population was spread out, with 18.6% under the age of 18, 24.2% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 17.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 97.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.4 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $30,990, and the median income for a family was $42,933. Males had a median income of $31,577 versus $22,458 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $15,333. About 8.0% of families and 13.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.5% of those under age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.
The Eva K. Bowlby Public Library is on Bowlby Street (originally named North Richill Street), in the former Bowlby family home. It was bequeathed by Mrs Bowlby, a prominent local citizen who died in 1957, to serve as a children's library.[19]
^"Station: Waynesburg 1 E, PA". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
