Condos for Sale in Lock Haven, PA

A small riverfront hamlet surrounded by protected land and mountain vistas, Lock Haven was established in 1833 as a timber and logging town before it transitioned into a paper mill town. Its name blends the canal’s “lock” with the river’s safe “haven,” although the town has seen several floods, the biggest of which occurred when Hurricane Agnes blew through in 1972, damaging much of Lock Haven’s industry, including the Piper Aircraft Corporation. “A seminal moment in Lock Haven is when Piper pulled out and moved the manufacturing site to Florida,” says Melanie McLane, Owner/Realtor at Jackson Real Estate who has lived near Lock Haven her whole life. “It made our employment take a big hit.” A levee now helps to protect the town from potential future natural disasters, but industry has shifted. Today, Lock Haven University and UPMC Hospital, both located on the west side, are the area’s largest employers for the 8,500 residents who call Lock Haven home. Piper Aviation Airport takes up the east end, with an aviation museum on site. McLane, who left her parents’ house by boat on the West Branch Susquehanna River, notes that Lock Haven maintains an old-world, small-town atmosphere.