West Franklin

West Franklin, a community in Worthington, which is part of Armstrong County, is 40 miles from Pittsburgh, but the community is no Steel City. Unlike Pittsburgh’s skyscrapers within a concrete jungle, West Franklin’s pastoral features include lush greenery, rolling green hills and well-manicured green spaces. The area’s past, much like many communities in Western Pennsylvania, is tied to the mining industry; in particular, limestone. The last of the community’s mines closed in the 1950s, leaving a swath of abandoned and empty shafts. The end of mining in West Franklin also meant the slow demise of Yellow Dog Village, a former industrial community on West Franklin’s south side that was created for miners. With 19 dilapidated duplexes and single-family homes along with a large manager’s residence and a boarding house, a smattering of homes were occupied until 2010 as the water was shut off to the area and many of the abandoned homes were in a state of blight. Currently, an investor has taken over the properties and has plans to revitalize the ghost town. If the future of Yellow Dog Village is anything like surrounding West Franklin, folks will plan to remain there for a long time. “There’s not a lot of turnover in the area,” says Loretta Jack of Realty One Group Landmark and a West Franklin resident. “Most people are planted here.” She goes on to explain that the two most recent new neighbors came to the area 5 and 15 years ago. “Twenty-five plus years in these homes are common,” she adds. Consisting of single-family homes, midcentury ranch-style houses and bungalows that Jack says are well-maintained, price points in the area are between $37,000 and $392,000. Most of the homes are anywhere between 50 and 100 years old and no new construction has entered the area since. Jack attributes affordability and low crime in the two-stop light town as a couple of the most tempting reasons to relocate to the area. The CAP Index crime score is 1 out of 10, the lowest possible score. The median lots are nearly half an acre for the homes that average 1,375 square feet. And, just because the mines are closed, doesn’t mean there’s no commerce in the area; nearly 72% of the area’s properties are commercial structures, like PennDOT Armstrong County Maintenance, Baker Gas, Inc., Allegheny Mineral Corporation - Worthington and M&M Lime. Small-town appeal is another factor for residents. “Worthington is definitely a small town,” says Greg Reed, owner of Worthington Hardware and Supply, which has been family-owned since it opened in 1949. “Been in this town my whole life. You know the songs that talk about Main Street, USA? That’s how it is here. Everyone knows everyone, pretty much. I like the quiet, and there’s nature everywhere. It’s safe here. Folks can leave their doors unlocked.” Adds Jack, “Nobody even knows we exist. It’s a hidden little gem. The community is overlooked and people like that. (For residents) there’s a feel of country knowing that conveniences are a 5-minute drive. You get peace, comfort and sanctity here.” Residents get a chance to mingle at several organized events by the Worthington-West Franklin VFD. These outings include parades for kids, firemen, cars and bikes as well as multiple roast beef dinners, fish fry Fridays, breakfast with Santa and the new annual event, Blessing of the Bikes. Home supplies and food can be purchased at the Worthington Market, but outside of that and a post office, any other shopping will have to be done in East Franklin, Kittanning, 10 miles, to the east and Butler, 15 miles to the west. Residents will find big-box stores and retailers in East Franklin and shopping hubs, commercial strips and restaurants in Kittaning and Butler. The closest eatery, located in downtown Worthington, which forms the heart of West Franklin, is Carlesi's Restaurant, which serves breakfast and lunch Tuesday through Sunday.Open since 1967, the spot was, until recently Carlesi's Restaurant And Pizza. The previous owner has since moved on, but food is still available from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. It seems that people and industries come and go, but the hard hat, Western, Pennsylvania mentality continues to live on. Another local staple is Worthington Hardware and Supply, where folks might find typical hardware supplies, a pedal car or tractor for their kids or a hard-to-find deluxe tomato strainer. “There are some crazy things there,” says Jack. “Everything you can think of is in that store. If you need it, they’ll have it.” She adds that the store is run by third-generation owners; more evidence that people plant roots in West Franklin. It's no secret that folks in the region love spending time outdoors and the most common outdoor activity in West Franklin is hunting; at State Game Lands Number 304 to be exact. “There’s gameland nearby,” says Reed. “Fishing, hunting, hiking and camping. That’s what you can do out here. We are in an area that feels really secluded, but there’s Route 422 and Route 28 just 5 miles away, so we have access to Pittsburgh, Kittanning and Butler.” There’s a laundry list of what can be hunted in this game land: white-tailed deer, ruffed grouse, eastern wild turkeys, wood ducks, Canadian geese, rabbits, raccoons, beavers, minks, red and gray foxes, eastern coyotes and pheasant are the many hunting challenges offered there. For a more passive outdoor experience, fishing spots are all along Buffalo Creek. West Hills Community Park in Kittaning has a little bit of everything for folks looking to spend some time outside being active. The park features basketball courts, playgrounds and sports fields as well as picnic areas and walking trails. And kids can channel their inner Pete Rose or Babe Ruth at the West Franklin Ballfield. With East Franklin township right next door, West Franklin kids can start their education there. West Hills Primary and West Hills Intermediate, both of which have undergone recent renovations, are located on the same site and split the lower school year in half. Grades kindergarten through third graders attend West Hills Primary, while kids in 4-6 attend the intermediate school. Both schools have a B-minus grade from Niche. Armstrong Junior/Senior High, where students in grades 7 through 12 go, has an overall C grade from Niche. The Cyber Academy program is available to homeschooled kids at Armstrong, which is available for students of all ages. Route 422, which opened in 1963, is a 271-mile-long road that stretches across Pennsylvania and neighboring Ohio. The establishment of Route 422 breathed new life into the Worthington borough and West Franklin Township joint towns, facilitating convenient commutes to the Kittanning borough and Butler County where many of the current and future sites of the majority of the area's employment opportunities are. Airports near the community include Venango Regional Airport, 41 miles and Harrisburg International Airport, 148 miles.