Waynesburg was founded in 1796 as the county seat of the newly formed Greene County, Pennsylvania. The state's General Assembly approved its formation after a petition was submitted by the citizens of this southwesternmost corner of the state. The people desired a more convenient location to transact their legal affairs, not wanting to ride the rugged roads north 30 miles to the county and town of Washington. The new county and its capital were named in honor of soldiers who helped General Washington to win the Revolutionary War, Nathaniel Greene and Mad Anthony Wayne, respectively. Waynesburg travels back to the early days of the area's growing years, documenting the evolution of High Street from the time of dirt roads to brick pavers and revisiting the Downey House and its tragic fire, the men of Company K, the Waynesburg Brewery, the Soldiers and Sailors Monument as it was built, the Hookstown Cemetery, the Courthouse Square, the Waynesburg College campus, and other icons of local history.
