Dawson, PA

Dawson is a borough in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States. The 2020 census counted 352 residents. The land where Dawson was developed had belonged to John Smilie, who held multiple public offices in the government of Pennsylvania and was a member of Congress when he died in December 1812. The property remained in a trust as a part of Smilie's estate, until his last child died in 1851, when the property was sold. The Dawson Historic District and Philip G. Cochran Memorial United Methodist Church, a gothic-style structure, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Dawson makes sense once you see how its past, landscape, and current gathering spots overlap. The useful thing to know about Dawson is that its older landmarks and current settings belong to one connected place. Pennsylvania Route 819 passes through the center of town, crossing the Youghiogheny into the unincorporated community of Liberty on the other side. Dawson includes a historic district. Dawson includes the Dawson Historic District.