A small borough with a rural vibe and public resources in Franklin County
Wagons traveling between Baltimore and Pittsburgh in the 18th and 19th centuries often stopped in Waynesboro, a small Pennsylvania village near the Maryland border. Surrounded by farmland, the town grew as machinists set up shop in the area during the late 1800s. Joshua Mummert, broker/owner of Iron Valley Real Estate and Waynesboro native, says Waynesboro still has the feel of a rural farming town, but its primary employers have changed. “Through the 1960s and ‘80s, it was all the machine shops,” Mummert says. “Those have closed, and now we’re a bedroom community for warehouses down the 81 corridor.” The Franklin County borough is now a community of about 11,000 people with a historic downtown area and plenty of public services and recreational opportunities. Waynesboro has its own police force and fire department, and the local medical center, WellSpan Waynesboro Hospital, is another major employer in the area.
Around the edges of Waynesboro, houses sit on larger lots of land and are adjacent to the rural areas.
WellSpan Waynesboro Hospital is the local medical center and one of the area's major employers.
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Public parks with a pool, sports courts and walking trails around Waynesboro
A few public parks, ranging from landscaped gathering places like downtown Main Street Park to green spaces with sports courts and playgrounds, are scattered across Waynesboro. During the warmer months, residents go to the public swimming pool at Northside Park or walk on the trails at Renfrew Museum and Park, a historic outdoor museum and farmhouse that depicts life on a 19th-century German farmstead. Golfers may join the private Waynesboro Country Club, which has an 18-hole course and a swimming pool on the property. Waynesboro experiences all four seasons, including temperate summers and cold, snowy winters, but activities don’t stop when the cold sets in. “We have pretty much every youth sport available with quality instructors,” Mummert says. “I always say if your kids can’t find something to do all four seasons, they’re not looking.” The local YMCA has an indoor gym, swimming pool and pickleball courts. He adds that old-school membership clubs like the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars still have strong presences in the community.
The local Waynesboro YMCA has two gyms, indoor basketball courts and a full sized pool.
Renfrew Museum and Park in Waynesboro has miles of nature trails, some of which run along Antietam Creek.
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Historical homes near downtown and newer builds on quiet streets
Houses tend to be older and have smaller yards near the center of town, where gridded streets are lined with Second Empires, Colonial Revivals and American Foursquares from the early 1900s. Around the edges of town, lots are slightly bigger and homes are newer. Here, there are split levels and ranch-style homes from the mid-20th century, as well as New Traditional townhouses and single-family homes. The median listing price in Waynesboro is about $280,000, which is lower than the national median. According to FBI statistics, violent crime rates in Waynesboro trend higher than the national average, but property crime rates are slightly lower than the national average.
New Traditional townhouses and single-family homes are being built in new subdivisions on the outskirts of Waynesboro.
A lot of the houses in Waynesboro go back to the early 1900s and range in styles from Colonial Revivals to American Foursquares.
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Clubs at Waynesboro Area Senior High School
The Waynesboro Area School District serves about 4,300 students. The district scores an overall B-minus rating from Niche, as does the Waynesboro Area Senior High School. “We’ve grown to the point of being a small city, but we still only have about 300 kids per graduating class,” Mummert says. High school students may join extracurricular activities like art club, book club, weightlifting club, debate club and more.
Waynesboro Area Senior High School sits next to Waynesboro Middle and Summitview Elementary School.
Fairview Elementary School is one of 2 public elementary schools in the Waynesboro Area School District, which serves about 4,300 students.
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Small businesses downtown and chain restaurants along Main Street
Downtown Waynesboro has red brick sidewalks and historical storefronts that house locally owned coffee shops, breweries and restaurants. Other small businesses, like vintage shops and art galleries, are interspersed along Main Street, and over fifteen houses of worship are clustered near downtown. Just southeast of the downtown area are more commercial spaces with chain restaurants and supermarkets like Martin’s. Big box stores are a couple of miles from the downtown area.
Downtown Waynesboro features red brick sidewalks and storefronts that house locally owned boutique shops, cafes and breweries.
Over fifteen houses of worship are clustered near downtown Waynesboro.
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Community events hosted by Main Street Waynesboro
Waynesboro has two organizations that host community events: the town’s Chamber of Commerce and Main Street Waynesboro, a revitalization group focused on downtown. “They do a fantastic job of generating activity down there,” Mummert says. “I would say there’s at least one big event downtown every month, whether it's sip and strolls or parties at Main Street Park.” Other activities include indoor and outdoor farmers markets, First Friday events when businesses have extended shopping hours and a Christmas tree lighting and holiday parade.
State routes connect to the Interstate 81 corridor
Residents rely on cars to get around; State routes 316, 997 and 16 all go through town, connecting drivers to other areas of Franklin County. Interstate 81, the major highway that goes north through Pennsylvania and south through Maryland, is about 12 miles west of Waynesboro. The highway goes 70 miles northeast to Harrisburg, where the nearest major airport, Harrisburg International Airport, is located.
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