From rural Summit Township roots to a suburban boom outside Erie
Historic settlers hiked up a ridgeline several miles south of Lake Erie to reach Summit Township, ready to build rural sawmills and clear fruitful farmland in the countryside. Thanks to its proximity to the city of Erie, and the modern phenomena of through-traffic on Interstates 79 and 90, this once-sleepy stretch of creek-strewn forests and agricultural land has also developed new heights of suburban convenience. “In Summit Township, you’re centrally located to everything in Erie, minutes from Millcreek Mall and Peach Street shopping, and there are all types of recreational things, the biggest being Presque Isle Downs and Casino,” says Jake Scheloske, vice president of sales at Agresti Real Estate, who’s served the Erie County market for 14 years. “You can find these new construction subdivisions, or you can go toward Waterford and still be in a rural area where you can have your own land.”
A market that ranges from manufactured homes to large new construction
A truly diverse housing stock rolls along the wooded hills of Summit Township, lining quiet back roads and set in denser developments designed for convenience to nearby highways or seclusion in the countryside. Cape Cods, ranch-style and split-level homes built from the 1940s through 1970s are common, but buyers can also find farmhouses built earlier in the 20th century. Prices for these older homes range from around $150,000 to $520,000, depending on condition and whether they’re set on half-acre or multi-acre properties. Manufactured homes, many of them in the 55-plus community of Summit Heights, can go for about $10,000 to $140,000. Patio home condos were built in low-maintenance subdivisions like The Meadows from the 2000s through the 2020s, where prices range from around $290,000 to $470,000. Other New Traditional homes built from the 1990s through 2020s can sell for about $340,000 to $690,000, depending on age, size and whether they’re set in a suburban cul-de-sac or on a small, secluded acreage.
Private recreation centers and scenic public parks
Tourists enter Summit Township from I-90, heading to Splash Lagoon and other recreation destinations. Beyond its slot machines and horse racing, Presque Isle Downs and Casino offers Summit Township some cost-of-living benefits. “There’s a countywide homestead exclusion program that people can apply for, but Summit itself enjoys very friendly tax funding and savings directly correlated with the casino revenue,” Scheloske says. Athletic leagues and hobbyists play on LECOM Sports Park’s indoor hockey rinks and Erie Sports Center’s indoor and outdoor multi-purpose fields. Orchard Ponds Golf Club's has a nine-hole course and is open to the public. Picnic pavilions help explain Picnicana Park’s name, but locals also head to the township park to hike trails through the woods, wade in LeBoeuf Creek and hit the playground. Youth leagues play baseball and soccer at the smaller Summit Community Park. The first of Presque Isle State Park’s 11 Lake Erie beaches is about 20 minutes from home.
Shopping and dining on Peach Street and Perry Highway
A busy strip mall shopping district lines Peach Street around its junction with I-90. Walmart, Target and Sam’s Club are just a few of Summit Township's big-box stores. Dozens of chain restaurants pop up between specialty businesses, including fast food drive-throughs and sit-down spots like Texas Roadhouse and Quaker Steak & Lube. The Millcreek Mall Complex is only a couple of miles up the road. A smaller commercial area coats Perry Highway, also near I-90. There, fans of topping-packed and quirkily named hot dogs browse the menu at Lucky Louie’s Beer and Wieners.
Attending the Fort LeBoeuf School District
Summit Township is served by the Fort LeBoeuf School District, which gets an A-minus from Niche. Robison Elementary School is in the township and earns an A. Fort LeBoeuf Middle School scores an A-minus. Fort LeBoeuf High School gets a B-minus and was named a National Blue Ribbon School in 2021.
Warm weather community events at Summit Township parks
Picnicana Park and Summit Community Park hold outdoor events through the summer months. Resident’s Day, sometimes coinciding with National Night Out, brings neighbors together to enjoy bouncy castles, lawn games and cookout food. The Senior Citizens’ Picnic has been going on for over 25 years, centered around live music, bingo, health screenings and ice cream. Residents might attend religious services at small houses of worship like Summit United Methodist Church or the much larger Erie First Assembly.
Commuting to Erie, traveling farther on I-79 and I-90
Erie and county seat hubs like UPMC Hamot and Saint Vincent Hospital are within about 10 miles of Summit Township. The community is largely car-dependent except for a handful of Erie Metropolitan Transportation Authority bus stops along South Hill Road and U.S. Route 19. Interstates 79 and 90 intersect to the township’s west, opening access to southwestern Pennsylvania or Ohio and New York, respectively. Erie International Airport is a little more than 10 miles from home.
Truck traffic and cheeky cheer at the Lake View Landfill
Residents living near the Lake View Landfill can expect truck traffic on surrounding roads. As a cheeky nod to being one of the highest points in Erie County, the landfill’s capped mound is topped with a shining Christmas star each December; it’s visible from I-90 and Lake Erie.
Written By
Julia Szymanski
