Reflecting past growth and future plans
The community of Shiremanstown in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania is desirable, in part, because of its central location. “It’s an easy commute to Harrisburg,” says Beth Masland, Realtor with RE/MAX Realty Associates and resident of the capital region for over three decades. “It sits on the edge of Routes 581, 11 and 15, and you can jump on those to get pretty much anywhere—while Route 83 South takes you down to York.” Nestled at the heart of Cumberland County’s expanding suburbs, Shiremantown’s location between Harrisburg and Carlisle makes it perfect for commercial and industrial businesses, which continue to drive growth in and around the area. Shiremantown’s Main Street corridor parallels the former Cumberland Valley railroad line and offers a mix of old and new, featuring humble colonials and row homes intermingled with Cape Cods and ranch-style homes
Midcentury suburbia comes to the Shire
The main street of Shiremanstown borough is lined with colonial-style foursquares and row homes with red brick or pale vinyl exteriors. While the area remained largely rural for many generations, growth in the early 20th century and the post-World War II boom resulted in the construction of Cape Cod and Ranch-style homes throughout the surrounding neighborhood. These sit on small square lots, usually around a fifth of an acre, just enough for a tree and a swing set, with most having a one-car garage or car port. This leads to a fair amount of on-street parking, but the wide suburban roads allow for it without causing congestion. The relative similarities across the housing options means a relatively narrow price band – the majority of homes sell for between $200,000 and $300,000. Combined with the location, this makes for a competitive market, and homes generally sell after only two weeks on the market.
A tale of two districts
Shiremanstown has a bit of a quirk when it comes to schools. Students in the borough of Shiremanstown proper attend the Mechanicsburg Area School District – but those on the outskirts, even those who live closer to Mechanicsburg, will attend the West Shore School District. Students in the Mechanicsburg Area School District attend Northside Elementary School, which receives a B-plus from Niche. Mechanicsburg Middle School receives a B grade, while Mechanicsburg Area Senior High School is ranked as the third-best high school in Cumberland County and earns an A-minus. Those in the West Shore School District will attend Rossmoyne Elementary School, graded a B-minus by Niche, then move on to Allen Middle School, which earns a B grade. Cedar Cliff High School, known for excellent extra-curricular programs and competitive sports teams, gets a B as well.
Mixed transportation options
Capital Area Transit offers some stops within the Shiremanstown neighborhood, and walking and biking to get to work or for recreation is certainly a possibility. In the end though, as with many suburbs, most folks in Shiremanstown rely on a car for the majority of their travels. When they want to get away, Harrisburg International Airport is the closest commercial airport, roughly 15 miles away, offering flights throughout the country. For round-the-clock emergency services, Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center is 4 miles away, generally a drive of 10 to 15 minutes.
Scouring the Shire for shopping and dining
“The Capital City Mall is probably the best mall in the region,” says Masland, “They maintain the store fronts, the shopping center retains anchor stores and continually evolves over the years while other malls are fading. It continues to be a draw for the area.” It’s a retail hub, with national and local store sharing space. There are plenty of local dining options however, from the traditional diners like Track’s End to global cuisines including Thai, Mexican, Pakistani and more. For casual upscale dining, Tatiana’s serves traditional European dishes like chicken and sausage stroganoff, Osso Buco and hearty goulash in a historic 19th-century building. Of course, one can’t eat out every day - “Trader Joe’s came in and has been a huge feather in the cap for the neighborhood, it’s the only one in the region,” says Masland. The cult favorite is one of numerous grocery options including Weis Markets and Grocery Outlet.
Space to play amongst the trees
Small parks dot the Shiremanstown region, including Shiremanstown Memorial Park in the heart of the borough with a playground and a basketball court. With a paved walking path, multiple playgrounds, and tennis and pickleball courts – the latter installed in 2022 – Vernon Wass Park offers more open space for activities.
Community events in Memorial Park throughout the year
“The local community all comes out for National Night Out, to talk with the local police departments,” says Masland. This is one of many events held at Shiremanstown Memorial Park, also which includes the Christmas in the Park event with the borough Christmas tree lighting, and Easter Egg Hunt, and Fall Fun in the Park. For larger events Harrisburg’s City Island and Riverfront Park hold multi-day festivals like Kipona Fest, a century-old harvest festival that takes place the first weekend of September, and Ice and Fire Fest, which takes place the first weekend of March.
A slightly noisy industrial and transport hub
The proximity to major routes makes Shiremanstown a great spot for commuting – however, this also makes it a popular hub for commercial traffic through the region. On the northern edge of the neighborhood, numerous distribution centers, transport hubs and the Shiremanstown railyard bring jobs to the region, but also come with 24-hour commercial and train traffic.
Written By
Christopher Suarez
Photography Contributed By
Danny Lambert
