LaGrange, a county seat with rural character and a historic downtown
Farmland and Amish communities surround LaGrange, an area named after the county for which it is the county seat. “The town features a beautiful main street filled with locally owned businesses, historic buildings and community-focused events throughout the year,” says Ian Mullen, the director of marketing and operations for the Chamber of LaGrange County. “Many people choose to move to LaGrange because of its proximity to larger cities while maintaining a rural, small-town feel. I believe people stay, not just in LaGrange, but throughout the county, because of the laid-back lifestyle.”
Local restaurants on Detroit Street and shops in Sturgis
State Highway 9 — locally known as “Detroit Street” — is the center of the downtown area, which consists of several blocks of historic Italianate buildings. “As the county seat, LaGrange is home to many professional service offices downtown. It also boasts a restaurant row, a stretch of locally owned restaurants, each offering its take on classic favorites,” Mullen says. Linder’s Tavern on Main incorporates barbecue into dishes varying from sandwiches to pizza. Fireside Craft Burgers & Brews is nearby. Miller’s grocery store is in the area, and traveling to nearby communities may be necessary since LaGrange has limited retail offerings. Sturgis has a Walmart and local shops, such as From Moments to Milestones scrapbooking store, about 12 miles away.
Final Fridays and Corn School are crowd-drawing events
Downtown is the site for community events, such as the Final Fridays summer concert series. Corn School is an annual festival during the first week of October. It originated as a one-day event showcase of corn. According to Mullen, today, it has become a week-long highlight, drawing crowds interested in live events at the courthouse, carnival rides and parades.
Historic, rCape Cod and rach-style homes
Traditional two-story homes, some Victorian-inspired, were built between the early 1900s and mid-1960s. Their prices range from about $80,000 to $240,000. Many ranch-style homes constructed after 1950 are priced from nearly $130,000 to $440,000. Some Cape Cods were erected between the 1990s and early 2000s, and they go from around $320,000 to $500,000.
Athletic facilities, a splash park and the Heron Creek Golf Club
LaGrange Town Park spans a baseball field, basketball courts and playground. It is located between LaGrange Splash Park and LaGrange Skate & Bike Park. In Spreuer Community Park, a path loops around baseball fields. Heron Creek Golf Club is a public course in the area, hosts a scramble league and offers memberships. LaGrange County 4-H Fairgrounds open July Fourth weekend and hosts events for a week, including donkey races and truck and tractor pulls.
General and vocational education in Lakeland schools
Lakeland School Corporation has three schools in LaGrange. Lakeland Primary is a kindergarten through second-grade school that Niche has not yet graded. Lakeland Intermediate serves grades three through six. It earns a C-plus grade from Niche, and Lakeland Jr. Sr. High, a seventh through 12th-grade school, receives a B-minus. During a student's last two years of high school, they may enroll in vocational and technical courses in subjects such as construction.
Highways to nearby cities like Fort Wayne and South Bend
State Highway 9 connects the area to Sturgis in the north and Fort Wayne nearly 40 miles south. The Fort Wayne International Airport is about a 55-mile drive south, and the South Bend International Airport is around 60 miles west. U.S. Highway 20 connects the area to South Bend and the University of Notre Dame, roughly 55 miles away.
