East Freedom is a small village center for a rural township
South of the factories, railyards and narrow streets of Altoona, the scenery changes as houses become more spaced out and farms begin to dot the landscape in Freedom Township. East Freedom is a compact village that’s one of the only developed communities within Freedom Township, an otherwise mountainous region of South Central Pennsylvania. East Freedom isn’t much more than homes, churches and a handful of businesses. However, the community’s location alongside Interstate 99 means it’s a direct 10-mile drive north to shops, restaurants and employers in Altoona.
Vintage homes packed into a small community
Many of East Freedom’s homes date back more than 100 years, and bungalows, American Foursquares and Craftsman houses have been built close together along streets branching off Dunnings Highway and Johnstown Road. There’s also a mobile home community along Dunnings Highway. Homes are more spaced out on the southern end, where horses and barns are visible. Homes sell for a median of $140,000, well below the national median.
The CAP Index Crime Score is 2 out of 10, lower than the U.S. average of 4.
Attending the Spring Cove School District
Children can go to Spring Cove Elementary School about 4 miles away in the borough of Roaring Spring. Spring Cove Elementary gets a C-plus from Niche, and neighboring Spring Cove Middle School receives a C. About 4 miles farther away in Martinsburg, Central High School scores a B-minus. Central High has a popular agriculture program, and many students are involved with FFA, the organization formerly called Future Farmers of America. Central High students have competed at national FFA competitions from Indiana to Massachusetts.
Ice cream, pizza and shopping off Dunnings Highway
The few businesses along Dunnings Highway in East Freedom include auto shops, a tattoo parlor and The Milky Way, which has scooped ice cream from a roadside stand since 1960. Dunnings Highway continues northward from the community to Walmart and Don’s Pizza, a 50-year-old, no-frills restaurant that sells nothing but pizza and stromboli. It doesn’t serve drinks; instead, customers use the vending machines outside. Along Plank Road in Altoona, there’s a wider shopping selection including Target, Sam’s Club and Logan Valley Mall. Four miles from East Freedom, Conemaugh Nason Medical Center has an emergency room and specialists.
Ministries, teams practices and education at New Life Alliance Church
There are a few churches in the community, including New Life Alliance Church. The congregation meets in what used to be East Freedom Elementary. The former school now serves as a community center, says Mike Jones, a pastor at New Life Alliance and the church’s family and community director. The building houses the church’s ministries, such as the Wood Ministry that donates firewood to locals who otherwise can’t afford to heat their homes. Meanwhile, Merakey, an education center for people with autism, rents out part of the building, which also hosts practices for Spring Cove Elementary cheerleaders and the Twilight Twirlers, a competitive baton twirling team based in Altoona. “Our goal is to keep the building open as much as possible,” Jones says. “We don’t just want to be a church on Sunday mornings.”
Nearby recreation includes playground, hunting and more
It’s about 4 miles to Claysburg Area Community Park, where people can play baseball, basketball and volleyball, and the playground includes a firetruck with slides. In between Claysburg Community Park and East Freedom, Three Valley Sportsman Club runs a gun range and hosts shooting matches. East of the community, State Game Lands No. 147 draws hunters in search of deer and black bears.
Connected to Altoona by I-99
Drivers can take Interstate 99 north to Altoona and reach the city in less than 15 minutes. Altoona-Blair County Airport, about 10 miles from East Freedom, offers nonstop flights to Charlotte.
Written By
Alex Soderstrom
