New Sewickley

Home to Big Knob, the highest point in Beaver County, New Sewickley Township is the height of Western Pennsylvania country living. “We’re this rural area nestled right next to the suburbia of Cranberry. If you want the hustle and bustle, it’s right down the road. If you want the peace and quiet, it’s here,” says Ron Leindecker, the township’s manager who has lived in New Sewickley for 30 years. “The Big Knob Grange is a big center of the community. They have one of the last fairs in Pennsylvania with free parking and admission – going to the Butler Fair is like going to Kennywood anymore.” The proud home of seasonal celebrations, farm-fresh markets and Freedom Area youth sports, New Sewickley Township provides a rural home base among forested hills for Pittsburgh commuters and local farmers year-round. Even the township’s more densely plotted streets set single-family homes on half an acre to 3 acres of grassy, tree-dotted land. Styles range from simple prewar vernacular homes to 1960s and 1970s ranch-style homes to large New Traditional homes built in the past 20 years, selling for $130,000 to $600,000 depending on lot size and renovation levels. For larger parcels, prices range from $330,000 to $850,000 depending on whether the lot is closer to 10 or 50 acres and whether the home was built toward the end of the 20th or 21st century. Condos in patio home subdivisions come with perks like community clubhouses, pools and gated access, selling for $290,000 to $550,000 plus HOA fees. While some larger production farms operate within the township, hobby farms with a few cows, horses or chickens are also common. Excepting a few developments near Freedom Borough and the Tri County Commerce Park, all properties rely on private septic and well water systems. New Sewickley Township has a CAP Index crime score of 1 out of 10 compared to the national average of 4. The paved walking path at Green Valley Park dips along Brush Creek and encircles a playground and sprawling athletic fields. "Springtime at the park – it gets extremely busy with all the sports events,” Leindecker says. Freedom Area youth leagues schedule games and practices across seven ball diamonds and three soccer fields. While more than 70 acres of playing fields are open for private bouts throughout the year, Three Rivers Paintball is best known for the Zombies of the Corn weekends throughout the Halloween season. Sharpshooters man paintball guns mounted to a haunted hayride and set out through the dark woods, taking aim at any zombies they run into along the way. A few casual restaurants are found throughout New Sewickley Township, including Bakers Buck Hut, a true hometown bar known for rotating dinner specials, outdoor deck seating and Sunday night Bar Bingo overseen by dozens of hunting mounts. Generations of soft-serve enthusiasts rejoiced when Young’s Custard Stand, an unassuming roadside ice cream shop that was family operated for 75 years, reopened for the 2024 season under new ownership. Brenckle’s Farm is known for seasonal displays of organic fruits and veggies and greenhouses packed with rows of colorful flowers. Several churches hold services throughout the township, including Oak Grove Lutheran Church which also runs a community garden in order to donate fresh produce to charity. For essentials beyond what’s available at the Dollar General or Guy’s Market on 68, shoppers head to dozens of retailers like Costco and Walmart 8 miles away in Cranberry Township. Main street-style commercial districts supplement Cranberry’s sprawling plazas in neighboring Zelienople and Rochester. Freedom Area Elementary School earns a C from Niche as does Freedom Area Middle School. Freedom Area High School earns a C-plus and lets students get a head start on earning an associate's degree from the Community College of Beaver County through six different High School Academy Programs. More than 40,000 people attend the Big Knob Grange Fair at the end of each August, a five-day event with over 80 years of history in New Sewickley Township. New and return-act performers provide the soundtrack for days filled with carnival rides, games, and track events like the tractor pull and demolition derby. Toward the beginning of the year, the Big Knob Grange gives back at the Pancake and Sausage Benefit Dinner. “Maybe somebody has cancer, or their house burned down. The whole community comes together and makes sure to go to that dinner. All the proceeds go to whoever’s having a hard time,” Leindecker says. The Pennsylvania Turnpike cuts through New Sewickley Township, but the closest onramps are in Homewood Borough and Cranberry Township. Cranberry commuters can find corporate offices and medical centers like UPMC Passavant Hospital along routes 19 and 228, while those heading into Pittsburgh hop onto Interstate 79 during the 28-mile drive downtown. Homes and roadways along the narrow creeks, runs and streams that snake throughout New Sewickley Township fall into higher risk flood plains. Brush Creek floods and shuts down parts of Brush Creek Road during unusually heavy rain.