At first visit, Lancaster doesn’t seem to have much to offer. This rural town doesn’t have a vibrant restaurant scene or exciting nightlife. However, for remote or hybrid workers looking for an escape from the city, a sleepy country town is exactly what they may be looking for. “In this new world of working from home, it’s appealing to have a very rural community with larger lots and more of a farm town atmosphere,” said Nicolas Pelletier, a real estate agent with Keller Williams who has worked in the area for more than 10 years.
Aerial view looking south over Lancaster.
Welcome to Lancaster, was incorporated in 1653.
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Houses in the countryside
The streets of Lancaster still have a rural feel, but the well-kept houses, from tidy bungalows to grand estates, feel upscale. The area is largely car-dependent, as many of the rural streets are narrow and winding, with few sidewalks for pedestrians, and no streetlights. There are few planned subdivisions in the region, so the styles and prices of homes vary from around $360,000 for two-bedroom single-story homes, and $800,000 for vast three-bedroom traditional homes.
A quiet street in Lancaster.
A row of two-story homes in Lancaster, MA.
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Commune with nature at the Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge
Lancaster is surrounded by conservation areas and wildlife management areas, which means that residents have abundant options for outdoor recreation. Visitors to the Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge can go hiking through the scenic forest, or kayaking along the Nashua river. The Cook Conservation Area has wide, well-maintained walking paths that are ideal for walking dogs, as well as side trails for mountain biking. Progin Park, at the northwest corner of the town, contains the Massachusetts Youth Soccer Fields which attract players of all ages to practice their skills on the state-of-the-art fields.
The Nashua River in Oxbow National Refuge.
Imagine all the picnics you can have in Central Park in Lancaster.
A family enjoying a nice day at Central Park, Lancaster.
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Nearby Clinton offers shopping and dining
Occasionally, small towns can offer a surprising amount of nightlife among their historic streets; Lancaster is not one of those towns. “Lancaster is pretty quiet,” Pelletier says. “If someone’s looking for access to shopping or restaurants, they’d typically go to Leominster or Clinton.” Within city limits, a local favorite destination is Kimball Farm, where visitors can get slow-churned ice cream as well as classic New England fried seafood. Residents can also travel the 3 miles into Clinton for dinner and cocktails at Clintons Bar & Grille for unique dishes like Angus beef lasagna or a dry-aged pork chop. Sterling Street Brewery features a selection of locally-brewed beers and hosts food trucks for hungry visitors. Hannaford Grocery in Clinton provides all the staples for a weekly shopping trip, while smaller farm stands like the Harper's Farm & Garden provide fresh-from-the-farm produce and meats.
Fresh produce and specialty items are found at Hannaford Grocery.
Top-ten schools in the Nashoba Public Schools district
Students in Lancaster may attend Mary Rowlandson Elementary School, which has a B grade from Niche and a 11-to-1 student-teacher ratio, before going on to Luther Burbank Middle School, which is ranked as the 7th-best public middle school in Worcester County and has an A-minus grade from Niche. Nashoba Regional High School, also ranked 7th-best high school in Worcester County, has an A grade from Niche.
Mary Rowlandson Elementary School encourages creativity and critical thinking.
The staff at Luther Burbank Middle School, in Lancaster, are caring and supportive.
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Between two interstates
Lancaster is located right between Interstate 190, which takes travelers directly south to Worcester within 20 miles, and Interstate 495, which can take travelers to Providence within 60 miles. Residents can travel around four miles west to get on I-190, or 5.5 miles east to I-495. The area is heavily car-dependent and isn’t served by transit; however, the commuter rail station in North Leominster is only 8 miles from Lancaster and can connect residents to Boston within 90 minutes. A UMass Memorial medical center located in Clinton is only 3 miles from the heart of Lancaster, and UMass Memorial Hospital in Worcester is 20 miles away.
Lancaster was incorporated in1653.
Year-round excitement at the Bolton Fairgrounds
The local fair may only be up and running for two weeks, but the Bolton Fairgrounds host year-round activities. In the winter, the grounds hosts the Celebration of Lights at the fairgrounds – a one-mile driving tour through a holiday light display that features a 90-foot Christmas Tree and 300-foot multi-colored tunnel. The Thayer Memorial Library hosts several community events, from art classes to yoga to a Nintendo game night. In nearby Clinton, four miles south of Lancaster, The Icon Museum & Study Center hosts a rotating schedule of exhibitions that feature stories and artifacts from local history.
Taylor Healey represents the third generation of Healeys to work for Foster-Healey Real Estate. Growing up, Taylor always knew that he would one day join the family business and, as if it were in his blood, has been recognized every year as a member of the Realtor’s Top Producer’s Club. Taylor has assisted families at every price point and stage of life by effectively integrating his understanding of emerging technologies and old fashioned face to face conversation, depending upon the needs and desires of his clients. His infectious personality, an easy sense of humor and can-do attitude quickly has earned him a reputation as someone who will do anything to assist his clients to ensure a smooth transaction.
Taylor is a 2009 graduate of St. Michaels College in Vermont where he pursued his love of skiing, excelled at rugby and was chosen to represent the Vermont Select Team. He met his future wife, Lauren, at St. Michaels and they now live in Fitchburg with their young daughters, Madison & Chloe, and their bulldog Bluto. Lauren is a nurse at Emerson Hospital in Concord, so as a two-career family, Madison & Chloe often makes an appearance at the office to visit their grandparents as Taylor heads off to another appointment…perhaps generation number four?
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
