Small-town charm with generational homes and rural pride
Surrounded by the Kiski River to the east and the Beaver Run Reservoir to the west, Bell Township is a small rural area in Westmoreland County, about 30 miles east of downtown Pittsburgh. “We consider ourselves country bumpkins,” says Lori Weig-Tamasy, a Bell resident and Realtor with Century 21 American Heritage Realty. “It has that small-town feel, and we take care of our own. If you don’t need that glitz and glamour of city life or mind living in an older home, it is a really great place to live."
Traditional brick homes are commonplace throughout Bell Township.
A shared library can be found in Saltsburg, on the edge of Bell Township.
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Buyers can find older homes on large lots for under $300,000
In western Pennsylvania's winding, rolling hills, properties are spread throughout the township, sometimes allowing buyers to buy on multiple acres. The home inventory includes ranch-style, Cottages and American Foursquare homes. While you can find some small streets lined with several properties, it is common to see houses built on multiple acres of land with rolling yards. Prices are below the national average, and buyers can find properties on less than an acre for less than $100,000, while ranch homes on almost two acres rise to about $280,000. "Bell is unique because families have lived here for generations, and houses usually pass down through families. If something does come up, it is an older home, so a specific person is looking to move into that style of home,” Weig-Tamasy says.
While most of Bell Township is rural, certain areas are more densely populated than others.
Various bungalows and foursquares sit side by side in the rural Bell Township.
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Kiski Area schools provide steady academics and enrichment
Children attend the Kiski Area School District, which scores a B on Niche and serves 3,600 students from four townships and five boroughs. Students attend Kiski Area South Primary School for kindergarten through fourth grade, Kiski Area Upper Elementary School for fifth and sixth grade, Kiski Intermediate School for seventh and eighth grade and Kiski Area High School to earn their diploma. According to Niche, the primary school scores a B-plus, the upper elementary and intermediate grades a B-minus, and the high school garners a B. The high school offers a lunch and learn program, which provides opportunities for students to participate in various clubs and intermural activities during the school day.
Kiski Area Intermediate School is located on the same property as the high school.
Students can play soccer at the Kiski School.
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Trails and game lands attract hikers, bikers and hunters
With multiple areas of open land, the area is excellent for avid outdoors people. Hunting is a big pastime, and Bell Township is in Pennsylvania Wildlife Management Unit 2D, 84.5 square miles of game land nearby. When the weather warms up, anglers can take advantage of the proximity to the Kiskiminetas River, where they can fish for Smallmouth Bass, Walleye and Trout. Hikers and bikers also flock to the area's many trails, including the Roaring Run Trail, a short route that the former Main Line Canal and across a wooden suspension bridge.
A man takes a peaceful stroll down Roaring Run Trail on the outskirts of Bell Township.
Beaver Run Reservoir runs along the edge of Bell Township as Route 286 crosses it.
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Rural living with limited retail and casual dining options nearby
Being a rural suburb, the only grocery store option is the Dollar General on Pennsylvania 981. “We call it the mall of Bell Township,” Weig-Tamasy says. The good news is that it's only about a 5-mile drive to the Shop ‘n Save in the neighboring Saltsburg. Bell’s other retail benefit is it is located about the same distance (20-minute drive) to either Murrysville or Greensburg, which both have malls for more shopping. “On weekends, people like to stay on their properties, have friends over and maybe have a bonfire,” Weig-Tamasy says. With just a handful of restaurants, locals enjoy heading to the Lonestar Inn for a bite to eat or a pint after a hard week of work.
Photography Contributed By
Patrick Graham
Video By
Anne Sheridan
Interested in learning more about homes in this area?
Reach out to
John Marzullo,
an experienced agent in this area.
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