Hegins is a quiet, rural community with historic architecture
Farms and state-protected lands surround Hegins, a township about 50 miles from the state capital at the base of the Appalachian Mountains. New developments are slow to enter the area, as many of the homes and buildings have been in place since the late 1970s, and some since the late 1800s. “People living over 20 minutes outside the area have probably never heard of it. Hegins is definitely rural, might even use the word remote because it’s a small town,” says John Garber, a Realtor with Magnolia Realty Service, licensed since 2009. “There are many people who are looking for a more rural lifestyle, to get away from the big city and clients saying they’re trying to escape crazy high property taxes […] Many people now take advantage of working from home, so why not live somewhere quiet?”
Century-old homes in the valley, many with mountain views
Foursquare, Colonial Revival and ranch-style homes are common. Sitting in the valley, many homes offer views of distant mountain peaks from wide front porches. Prices range from about $150,000 to $320,000. “There's not much new construction. Most homes were built anywhere between 1890 and 1900, and then all the way up to the 1970s,” Garber says.
The CAP Index Crime Score in Hegins is a 1 out of 10; compared to the national average of 4.
Sports, a pool and playgrounds from Hegins Park to Valley View Park
Hegins Park is home to pickleball courts, baseball fields and the Tri-Valley Community Pool. The park’s play equipment includes a wooden train, a ship and dinosaur structures. On Gap Street, Valley View Park has a playground and an outdoor amphitheater that hosts annual events and summer concerts. Christmas in the Park takes place on a Saturday in December and features a live Nativity play, ornament decorating stations and horse-drawn wagon rides. State Game Lands No. 132 spans over 1,300 forested acres just north of the area and is home to various species, including deer and turkey.
Schooling and transferable credits at Schuylkill Technology Center
Tri-Valley School District serves the area. It consists of two elementary schools with kindergarten through sixth-grade classrooms and Tri-Valley Junior-Senior High School. Hegins-Hubley Elementary School is in the area, and Mahantongo Valley Elementary School is in Klingerstown. Both elementary schools earn a C grade from Niche. The high school also scores a C overall. Students who have completed ninth grade can take career-based courses, such as cosmetology, at the Schuylkill Technology Center. All the programs have agreements with higher educational institutions, giving students the opportunity for transferable credit.
Main Street’s local shops and restaurants plus Fairlane Village Mall
Main Street has the Country Junque & Stuff consignment shop and restaurants, such as Nino’s Pizza. A Redner’s grocery store is on Forest Drive, a road branching off Main Street. Nearby, All Stars Ice Cream serves soft serve and hand-dipped cones during the summer. Kohl’s, T.J. Maxx and Boscov’s department store occupy storefronts in Pottsville’s Fairlane Village Mall, nearly 20 miles away.
Interstate 81 connects the township to Allentown and other cities
Medical centers are in the area, and approximately 20 miles away, Pottsville has Lehigh Valley Hospital-Schuylkill. The outskirts of Hegins are less developed than central Hegins with open farmland near creeks, and some roads have an elevated risk of flooding. Interstate 81 connects the area to surrounding metropolitan areas, including the capital city of Harrisburg, home to Harrisburg International Airport. “We have pretty harsh winters here, so on the way to Harrisburg, you’re driving over two or three mountains and see wildlife. It's not uncommon to hear someone hit a deer,” Garber says. Philadelphia, which includes the Philadelphia International Airport, is around 120 miles away.
