Singers Glen is a former religious settlement outside of Harrisonburg
Set against the lush Little North Mountain, Singers Glen was once home to a thriving gospel music publishing house in the mid-19th century. The hymns and choral songs printed here would attract prominent Mennonite, Baptist and Methodist families over the years. And while that publishing house is now shuttered, the town’s religious roots are well-maintained, with several churches on the National Register of Historic Places. But despite this history, the community’s rural landscape is what initially attracts most homebuyers. “There’s so much land in Singers Glen,” says Mary Miller Turner, a Realtor with Funkhouser Real Estate Group who sold several homes in the area. “Whether you own farmland or not, most houses are really spread out.” As locals drive through the area, they’ll often see horses and cows wandering wide-open fields and pass by wheat and corn crops covering the rolling terrain. Several mountainous recreation spaces are nearby, and when locals want to buy groceries or go out to eat, Harrisonburg is a 10-mile drive south.
Century-old homes and large lots are in Singers Glen
Homebuyers will find Colonial Revivals, bungalows and Queen Annes from the late 1800s in Singers Glen. Ranch-style homes built between the 1980s and early 2000s are also common. Some houses can sit on half-to-two-acre lots, though properties with working farms often have more land. The median home price here is around $260,000, which is lower than Harrisonburg's. Several creeks flow through the area, and homes closest to those waterways may be at a flood risk.
Locals attend mass at longstanding churches
Singers Glen is home to several century-old houses of worship, and religion is a big part of life here. “Going to church every Sunday is a given for people in Singers Glen,” Turner says. Several Mennonite churches are in the area, including Morning View Mennonite Church, established in 1923. Bells ring before mass at Donovan Memorial United Methodist Church, located in a red-brick Romanesque Revival-style building. Singers Glen Baptist Church has been in its Victorian Gothic-style structure since 1888.
Singers Glen Community Center is a local event venue
Once the community’s namesake elementary school, Singers Glen Community Center’s gymnasium and baseball diamond are now available to rent for birthday parties, family gatherings and community events. Bounce houses, live musicians and a beauty pageant celebrate the Singers Glen Lawn Party, which the local volunteer fire department hosts at the center every June. The community is also home to a few rural recreation and entertainment spaces. For instance, Snapps Creek Stables offers horse boarding and training arenas. Rows of spruces, firs and pines grow at Ostlund Christmas Tree Farm, where locals can cut down their own trees. Guests wear lederhosen and sip beer at the Heartland Christmas Market, a German-style festival held in one of the farm’s barns for two weekends in December.
Fishing, camping and hiking spots are nearby in national forests
Locals are less than 25 miles from several mountainous hiking trails, fishing spots and campgrounds, with George Washington and Jefferson National Forests on the community’s western edge. “Everybody who lives in this area is obsessed with nature,” Turner says. After a short hike, anglers can cast lines off Slate Lick Dam’s grassy shoreline to catch catfish, sunfish and largemouth bass. Tent camping sites surround the water at Hone Quarry Recreation Area, which also has hiking trails with waterfall views along rugged Shenandoah Mountain cliffs.
Kids go to Rockingham County Public Schools
Singers Glen is zoned for Rockingham County Public Schools, which earns a B from Niche. The district educates around 11,500 students with a 14-to-1 student-teacher ratio. There are no public schools located in Singers Glen, so students have to take the bus or get a ride to school. Eastern Mennonite University and James Madison University are both less than 10 miles south.
There’s only one store in town, but Harrisonburg is close
Next to the town post office, Grandle’s Glen View Market is a country store with a few snacks and a deli. But besides this locally owned establishment, Singers Glen doesn’t have any other restaurants or retailers. “Everything shopping and dining related is based in Harrisonburg,” Turner says. Food Lion, 7 miles south, is the closest big-box grocery store. Locals can go out to eat in downtown Harrisonburg, where burger joints, coffee shops and lively college bars fill Italianate-style buildings. The Sentara Rockingham Memorial Hospital is also in that area. More grocery stores and restaurants are available in Broadway and Timberville, both about 15 miles north.
Drivers may see deer and horseback riders here
Without bus stops and sidewalks, Singers Glen is a car-dependent community. White tailed deer running from the woods and horseback riders trotting along the area’s cracked asphalt roads may occasionally hold up traffic. Harrisonburg is a 10-mile drive south on state Route 42. Interstate 81, 15 miles east, connects with cities like Roanoke and Winchester, both about 70 miles away. The closest major airport is in Charlottesville, 55 miles south.
