Millersburg offers quaint living with a classic layout
Organized like a traditional New England hamlet, complete with a town square, Millersburg provides the type of intimate central Pennsylvania atmosphere that some homebuyers covet. “They just want a small-town feel,” says Bob Hoobler, a local Realtor with Re/Max 1st Advantage who has about 30 years of realty experience. “As crazy as the world is today, I think parents would want to have more of a finger on the pulse, knowing what their kids are doing in small-town America. That can be very appealing for somebody.” The community has its own school system, a diverse mix of homes and its location by the Susquehanna River provides the foundation for its array of outdoor attractions.
Well-established houses provide architectural character
The bulk of Millerburg’s homes were built between the mid-19th century and the mid-20th century. The area is full of sidewalk-lined streets packed tightly with classic colonials, four-squares, bungalows, ranch-style and Victorian-style houses. “I think people are going to gravitate to the area for the old-school charm of the homes that have been in existence for years,” Hoobler says. “There are some really nice Victorian homes.” Some properties farther from the center of town offer lots of an acre or more. Traditional single-family houses in Millersburg garner $130,000 to $410,000. Units in duplexes can go for $70,000 to $170,000, and manufactured homes sell for $30,000 to $130,000.
Restaurants and more orbit Millersburg’s central square
True to its New England-style blueprint, Millerburg’s Market Square Park marks the core of the community’s downtown area. It’s a part of Millersburg loaded with locally owned restaurants and other businesses. “It does have an old-town feel,” Hoobler says. “That’s more appealing to me than a modern metropolis, per se.” Williams French Fries, directly across from the square, dates to 1945 and specializes in sandwiches and fresh-cut fries. The shop also offers over four dozen ice cream flavors. Nearby Wooden Nickel is known for its crab cakes, and Max's Grille & Sports Bar is a hot spot for burgers. Other businesses in the area include Millersburg Pharmacy and Johnson's Jewelry & Gifts, which has been in operation since 1939. There’s a Weis Markets location on the east side of Millersburg for groceries.
Area schools offer hands-on learning
The Millersburg Area School District gets a B-minus grade from Niche. Students at Lenkerville Elementary can take part in hands-on activities like raising Monarch butterflies. Millersburg Area Middle has its own band and chorus programs and a student council. The Millersburg Area High School offers a conservation club in which students get experience maintaining and exploring the community’s waterways and other outdoor spaces. All three Millersburg schools have B-minus Niche ratings.
Regional river is a signature piece of the community
Part of the Susquehanna River snakes by Millersburg, a waterway that stretches 444 miles in total through the Mid-Atlantic. The 20-acre Riverfront Park runs along the shore, offering benches, swinging chairs and walking paths. “I’d say most people are probably going to go down to the riverfront and watch the sunset or watch the ferry come in and out, and hang out for a relaxed evening,” Hoobler says. Locals can catch rides on the Millersburg ferries at the park from May through mid-October. The ships, dubbed The Roaring Bull V and The Falcon III, are believed to be the nation’s oldest wooden double stern-wheel paddle ferries still in operation. The Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art, built in honor of the legendary wildlife artists from Millsburg, borders the Wiconisco Creek, an offshoot of the Susquehanna. The center houses multiple galleries and is surrounded by 500 acres of public land open to hiking and hunting. The 10-acre Seal Park features a playground, and the adjacent Millersburg Swimming Pool is open from late May through the beginning of September.
Nature and art center is a community gathering spot
Millerburg’s Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art hosts an assortment of events each year. The Nature and Arts Festival in June is among them, a free fair with live music, nature-themed exhibitions, a corn maze and vendors. The center’s DeSoto Amphitheater is home to a summer concert series with performances once a month from May to September. Other community events in Millersburg include the Cherry Blossom Festival in May, a celebration of the start of spring with food, music and a car show.
Bigger locales are a relatively quick drive away
Millersburg may be an area of only about 2,500 people, but more populous communities — and the associated amenities — are relatively close. The Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center, which has an emergency department, is about 30 miles away in Enola using Pennsylvania state Routes 147 and 225, U.S. Route 22 and Interstate 81. Harrisburg, a city of over 50,000, is a roughly 24-mile trip on routes 147, 225 and 22. The Harrisburg International Airport facilitates nonstop flights to 17 destinations.
![Wayne Epps Jr.]()
Written By
Wayne Epps Jr.
