Why choose Seward, a riverfront Westmoreland County borough
Seward is a tiny borough set in a curve of the Conemaugh River and the forested foothills of Laurel Mountain. It has a gridded, small-town, but blocks of historic houses and small businesses are within eyesight and earshot of the distant ridgeline and rushing water. It’s a quiet place with a slow pace, thanks to its position on the rural outskirts of Westmoreland County. But between the commuter centers and enormous recreation areas near the crux of Westmoreland, Cambria and Indiana counties, it’s easy to walk to a social at the fire hall, drive closer to city comforts in Johnstown or set out into the wild beauty of the Laurel Highlands.
Walkable blocks of historic homes
Old-fashioned blocks of early 20th-century homes are close to the small industrial areas and railroad tracks that historic Seward residents walked to for work. Sidewalks connect some roads, but even streets without them are typically quiet enough to take a walk through the neighborhood. Simple National homes from the prewar era are common, but you can also find midcentury ranch-style homes, Cape Cods and colonials built in later decades. Prices range from around $50,000 to the upper $200,000s, depending on the home’s square footage, condition and property size.
Surrounded by forested trails, hunting grounds and the Conemaugh
Laurel Ridge State Park covers more than 13,000 acres of Laurel Mountain. Seward is the endpoint of the park’s 70-mile Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail, a scenic path that crosses over highways and explores deep forests blooming with mountain laurel and rhododendron. “Seward is close to state game lands, so people are interested in that,” says Dan Waterhouse, an associate broker at Realty One Group Landmark who’s specialized in Indiana, Westmoreland and Cambria counties for five years. “It’s western Pennsylvania: it has all your hunting seasons, walking trails and whatever else you want to do there.” To go canoeing, kayaking or fishing on the Conemaugh River, you can go to a boat launch maintained by Conemaugh Valley Conservancy off Fifth Street. Sports courts and swings are in the Seward Community Playground next to the Seward Area Community Center.
Commuting to rural commuter hubs or Pittsburgh
“Historically, people have worked locally at the power plant, the mines and whatnot,” Waterhouse says. “For any other professions, you need to travel a little bit.” Seward is positioned between larger industrial, healthcare and higher education hubs in Westmoreland, Cambria and Indiana counties. A Westmoreland Transit bus offers limited service from the Westmoreland County seat of Greensburg and the Cambria County seat of Johnstown. You're about:
- 10 miles from Johnstown
- 20 miles from Indiana
- 30 miles from Latrobe
- 35 miles from Greensburg
- 60 miles from Pittsburgh
Local businesses and shopping in Johnstown
Small businesses pop up along state Routes 56 and 711. Family-owned Stiles Koolit Korner draws crowds of ice cream fans when it reopens each spring. Next door, Stiles Market & Pro Hardware stocks home improvement supplies. You can pick up groceries at Dollar General or Ideal Market. Homestyle taverns and cozy diners are in nearby communities like Armagh and New Florence. Johnstown’s revitalizing downtown offers more specialty shops and restaurants within a roughly 15-minute drive. You can go to the city's surrounding strip malls for big-box stores such as Walmart and Lowe’s.
Enjoying small-town events and rural recreation challenges
The Seward Volunteer Fire Company hosts many of the small-town traditions that help the borough remain close-knit, including weekly Sunday bingo nights and seasonal events like Lenten fish fry dinners and an adult Easter egg hunt. A couple of multi-day recreation events pass through Seward, including The Crucible charitable Laurel Highlands hike and the annual Stony-Kiski-Conemaugh Rivers Sojourn canoe float.
Ligonier Valley schools and Eastern Westmoreland career programs
Seward is served by the Ligonier Valley School District. Kids attend schools like Ligonier Valley High School, located about 20 miles away in Ligonier. Older students can also apply to a half-day vocational school program at Eastern Westmoreland Career and Technology Center in Latrobe.
![Julia Szymanski]()
Written By
Julia Szymanski
![Patrick Graham]()
Photography Contributed By
Patrick Graham
