Ongoing revitalization in the former coal mining town of Minersville
Minersville is a quaint borough that lives up to its name as a former industrial town of Northeastern Pennsylvania’s Anthracite Coal Region. Like many other communities in the area, it has struggled with depopulation and deindustrialization following the decline of the coal industry and is working to reimagine its sense of community today through the revitalization of its 20th-century homes and downtown business district. “All of the towns deteriorated after coal wasn’t as prominent, but they’re working to come back,” says Nada Laguna, a Realtor with EveryHome Realtors and a Schuylkill County native. Alongside its rich industrial history, Minersville offers comparatively low home prices relative to the surrounding area and a central location in the Schuylkill County area, less than 15 miles northeast of the county seat of Pottsville.
Housing options range from rowhouses to detached single-family homes
Residential streets feature a mix of rowhouses, twin homes and detached single-family homes. Most properties were built during the early 20th century, and while some are over a century old, many have been renovated to improve their value and functionality. Street parking is the norm in Minersville, although some homes have attached or detached rear garages. Prices typically range from $40,000 for investment properties needing repairs to $200,000 for updated detached single-family homes. The borough also has a strong rental market, with renters accounting for around 40% of its residents.
Shops and restaurants on Sunbury Street, with big-box retailers nearby
Sunbury Street is the borough’s main thoroughfare and was once a busy commercial corridor lined by shops and restaurants. Several of its storefronts are now vacant, but small businesses like Strenkoski’s Barber Shop and Minersville Pharmacy continue to serve the community. For the essentials, Minersville has Dollar General and Rodnick’s Discount Groceries. Sunbury Street also features various local restaurants. The dining scene ranges from traditional Slavic and Polish dishes at Kat’s Café & Restaurant to elevated pub grub at The Little Brown Barrel. When residents need to run errands, bigger stores such as Boyer’s Food Markets, Walmart and Home Depot are within 7 miles of the borough.
Local public schools receive C-range ratings from Niche
The Minersville Area School District earns an overall grade of C from Niche and has an average student-teacher ratio of 12-to-1. "Minersville is the main school district and town in that area," Laguna says. Llewellyn Early Childhood Center serves prekindergarten and kindergarten students, while Minersville Area Elementary Center covers first through sixth grade. Both schools receive a C-plus from Niche. Older kids can attend the C-rated Minersville Area Junior/Senior High School, where juniors and seniors can take Advanced Placement and dual enrollment courses for college credit. The borough is also home to the private Saint Nicholas School, a Catholic institution serving prekindergarten through eighth grade.
Community parks include playgrounds, a pool and athletic facilities
The Fourth Street Recreation Complex is a popular destination for outdoor activities. It features a playground, community pool, a paved walking path, basketball courts and several ballfields known as the Minersville Little League Complex. In 2020, Dustin’s Adventureland was added to the recreation complex and became the first all-inclusive playground in Schuylkill County. Skateboarders can practice tricks at the Minersville Area Skatepark, while residents of all ages can check out books from the Minersville Public Library. Schuylkill County offers abundant hunting and fishing opportunities, and spots like State Game Lands 106 are less than 25 miles from the borough.
Minersville Area Lions Club hosts year-round celebrations
The Minersville Area Lions Club hosts community events year-round. Popular festivities include their annual Fourth of July celebration, which takes place at dusk and features a dazzling fireworks show that illuminates the sky above the Minersville Little League Complex. On the first Sunday after Labor Day Weekend, Minersville Spirit Day shuts down North Street for a neighborhood block party complete with live music, food trucks and family-friendly activities.
Local bus and highway access throughout Schuylkill County
Narrow sidewalks connect many of Minersville’s hilly streets, where local bus service is available courtesy of the Schuylkill Transportation System. The bus travels between Minersville and Pottsville every day of the week except Sunday and connects riders to destinations like Lehigh Valley Hospital–Schuylkill S. Jackson Street, which is about 5 miles away.
Commuters can follow Sunbury Street, also known as Pennsylvania Route 901, north to Interstate 81 or south to U.S. Route 209. These thoroughfares provide access to the rest of Schuylkill County and beyond, and residents are within 55 miles of bigger cities like Reading, Harrisburg and Allentown. For flights, Harrisburg International Airport and Lehigh Valley International Airport are both less than 60 miles from Minersville.
Written By
Sally Stimpson
