As you enter Uniontown from the north or west on a clear day, the white cross at the Jumonville retreat center is visible on the top of the ridge to the east known as Dunbar’s Knob.
I had the pleasure of spending a weekend at Jumonville recently, and waking early one morning, I decided to take a leisurely stroll through the woods before breakfast. I had no intention of hiking to the top of the mountain to the cross and purposely selected a wide, level path along the perimeter of the camp.
The lighting was phenomenal. A young cherry tree shone like copper at the edge of the path. The upper limbs of 
several older trees caught the air current and sang and they rubbed together. Individual ferns would dance in a breeze that left their neighbors unmoved. Each natural wonder drew me further along the path.
When I came to a switchback that took a decided turn uphill, I wondered whether it would be quicker to retrace my steps or to continue on the obvious loop of the path. I opted to continue onward, still not convinced my path would go to the top. The slope became steeper. I paused to catch my breath and take off my jacket. There was no question now that I was heading to the cross. Still, the first sight of it through the trees 
caught me by surprise.
The steel cross stands 60 feet high on a six-foot-high concrete foundation. Its arms stretch 33 feet from side to side. It filled my horizon.
Stepping into the clearing and looking out from the cross, the city of Uniontown and surrounding 
countryside spread out before me. I had the pleasure of viewing that same sight later that night as we drove up the road leading to the cross for a bonfire in the meadow below it. The lights of the town mingled with the stars. The cross glowed above us, making all else pale.
In all, it was a remarkable day. The site is open to the public during the day, though only those staying on the grounds are permitted there at night.
The historic Braddock’s Road passes over Dunbar’s Knob, leading north out of the clearing housing the cross. Jumonville Glen, where the French and Indian War began, is nearby. Some day when I have more than an hour before breakfast for my hike, I’d like to travel down the historic trail, as well as spend some time viewing the artifacts in the Rindfuss Museum at Jumonville. For now, I’m glad to have had the experience of enjoying a peaceful hike to the cross.
