Aspers is a rural Adams County community in the Fruit Belt
South Mountain’s ridgeline arcs across the Maryland border into south central Pennsylvania; tucked into the rolling foothills are the countless orchards of the Adams County Fruit Belt and a scattering of rural communities like Aspers. “Aspers is very agricultural, like upper Adams County is in general. You’ll see farms doing all kinds of things, but we’re known for fruit farming, like apples and peaches,” says Megan Cellucci, a Realtor at Jeff A. Shaffer Real Estate with over 14 years of experience specializing in Adams County. “Aspers kind of means different things – there's the village, and then there’s the post office where the larger area is based out of.” Paired with the borough of Bendersville and other neighboring communities along State Route 34, Aspers forms a bit of an industrial, small-town buckle for the Fruit Belt. Not far from the county seat of Gettysburg, Aspers roots residents in a slower paced country lifestyle thanks to the fertile soil of South Mountain’s foothills and the many groups that bolster community and commercial life throughout the county.
The National Apple Harvest Festival and other community traditions
Naturally, one of the Fruit Belt’s biggest events for local growers and out-of-state fruit fans is the National Apple Harvest Festival. Tens of thousands of attendees swarm the fairgrounds in nearby Arendtsville on the first two weekends of October, excited to spend a day eating apple-based fair food and browsing crafts and antique cars displayed by locals. “I don’t even remember how much tickets cost; if you’re involved with the Upper Adams School District, you’ll probably end up volunteering at that festival at some point. I always want to do the morning shift because at zero dark thirty, there’s no problem parking,” Cellucci says. "People know to do all their errands during the week when the festival’s going on. It’s a big deal.” Community life in Aspers proper also tends to revolve around volunteerism and farms, like fundraising for the Bendersville Community Fire Company at their annual summertime carnival or heading down to Fields of Adventure Farm for an Easter egg hunt or to race through the corn maze.
Nearby recreation from South Mountain trails to Oakside Community Park
In Aspers, many residents are hunting, fishing and spending time outdoors on their own properties. Just outside the community, State Game Lands 249 offers expansive acres for deer and pheasant hunting, trout fishing on Conewago Creek and hiking on paths through the gently rolling terrain. Within ten miles to the north and west, residents can head up to the recreation-rich slopes of South Mountain. Michaux State Forest covers tens of thousands of acres across multiple counties, known as the home of many shorter high-point hiking trails as well as the Center Point Knob, a marker at the midpoint of the Appalachian Trail. A couple of golf courses and plenty of campgrounds also fill the foothills and higher altitude areas of South Mountain. About 5 miles south in Biglerville, Oakside Community Park offers nearly 100 acres of manicured athletic fields, playground equipment and hiking and biking paths to explore. Much of the money raised at the National Apple Harvest Festival goes toward maintaining the park.
A mix of homes on smaller lots and rural acreages
Many of the single-family homes in the more closely plotted center of Aspers were built in the late 1800s through mid-1900s. Move-in-ready properties sell for around $200,000 to $255,000, while fixer-uppers can go for much less. New Traditional homes built in the last couple of decades in a couple of suburban subdivisions or on individual acreages sell for around $250,000 to $420,000. Farther from State Route 34, plenty of ranch-style homes and other custom construction stand far back on larger properties, going for $180,000 to $520,000, depending on the state of the home and whether the lot is under 5 acres or well over 30 in size. Throughout Aspers, buyers can find homes that offer wooded seclusion or clear views of rolling apple orchards. Residents may have access to public water and sewer utilities in the borough of Bendersville and other densely populated pockets, while rural properties often have private wells and septic systems.
Shopping and dining in Bendersville, Aspers and Biglerville
In the village of Aspers and the borough of Bendersville, churches like Bendersville United Methodist outnumber local restaurants. The Elkhorn Inn serves diner-style breakfasts and lunches in a historic, rustic interior. Claudio’s Pizza is the area’s longtime takeout and delivery pizza joint. State Route 34 is a little bit more commercial, placing more restaurants and stores like Dollar General within a couple miles of home. Several miles south in Biglerville, Kennie’s Market is the nearest grocery store. Smaller stands and the larger Hollabaugh Bros. Inc. Farm Market stock farm-fresh produce, baked goods and artisan products across rural Adams County.
Taking state routes to Adams County hubs
State Route 34 offers a more than 10-mile drive to both WellSpan Gettysburg Hospital and Gettysburg College. Carlisle is closer to 20 miles in the opposite direction, while the eastern U.S. Route 15 offers a roughly 30-mile drive to Harrisburg. Adams County’s significant food manufacturing sector scatters smaller industrial centers in and around Aspers. Amish and Mennonite communities live all around the agricultural areas of Adams County, so motorists should be sure to safely share the road with those riding horse-drawn buggies. Harrisburg International Airport is more than 40 miles from home.
Attending Upper Adams School District
Biglerville Elementary Schools serves kindergarten through third grade and earns a B-plus from Niche. Fourth through sixth graders attend the B-rated Upper Adams Intermediate School, and seventh and eighth graders attend B-minus-rated Upper Adams Middle School. Biglerville High School earns a B-plus and gives older students the opportunity to choose career and technical education pathways that focus coursework on vocations from agriculture to business and technology.
Flood risk on the Opossum and Conewago
Following unusually heavy rain, waterways like the Opossum and Conewago creeks may flood roadways and homes throughout Aspers. Buyers can consult maps to understand their potential risk and need for flood insurance.
Written By
Julia Szymanski
