The Seitzland Village Project proposes an adaptive re-use of a group of heritage buildings in the immediate vicinity of the York County Heritage Rail Trail. These heritage buildings are key to the development of a vibrant community that will elevate the identity of the Village and serve as a vital testament to York County’s history. Through this project, we aspire to provide services for the rail trail; capitalize on local resources and artisans; celebrate and share our unique identity and culture; and, in the process, help to build a strong sense of community, contribute to the local economy, and spark tourism by providing a unique and attractive destination for recreational and commercial visitors to the County. Originally, the rail line gave entrepreneurs the opportunity to establish businesses along its corridor. Today, circumstances and opportunities have aligned to foster a rebirth in a contemporary fashion.
ZONING
Shrewsbury Township has been instrumental in helping to create and adopt an Historic Village Overlay District. The new zoning model is designed to encourage and sustain existing rural community values and environments, preserve historic and architectural heritage, and facilitate future development that will strengthen the economy and vitality of the Township.
LOCATION
Seitzland is centered in the heart of Southern York County between the population bases of Glen Rock (2,050), New Freedom (4,685), Shrewsbury (3,838), and Railroad (224). Seitzland is adjacent to the Heritage Rail Trail (283,856 visitors/year), the Northern Central Railway excursion train route (120,000 riders since 2013), and Clearview Road, which has an Average Daily Traffic count of over 4,000 vehicles.
HERITAGE RAIL TRAIL
The Heritage Rail Trail was given the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Pennsylvania Trail of the Year Award for 2015, bringing added attention and interest to one of the nation’s oldest rail corridors. The location of Seitzland along the Rail Trail offers a unique opportunity to draw the attention of the growing number of trail users; to provide additional event venues for patrons of the Northern Central Railroad; and to provide a wide range of amenities at an exceptional, distinctive stopover point.
NORTHERN CENTRAL RAILWAY
Northern Central Railway operates an 1860s Civil War Era train that details the rich history of the area during their excursions. Initially, a 9.8-mile stretch of track along the Heritage Rail Trail was completely renovated, to carry passengers from New Freedom, just north of the Mason-Dixon Line, to Hanover Junction, where Abraham Lincoln changed trains on his way to Gettysburg to deliver his Gettysburg Address. As of 2019, the tracks to Seven Valleys have been renovated, with a planned extension to the historic Howard Tunnel and eventually to the City of York.
PUBLIC SEWER SYSTEM
In 2012, Seitzland saw the implementation of a public sewer system. The capacity of the community sewer will support the growth potential permitted by the new zoning.
Seitzland Village is located in Pennsylvania’s Southern York County, just over the Mason Dixon Line, less than an hour’s drive from Baltimore, York, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Hanover, and Gettysburg. The Village of Seitzland evolved in the mid-1800s, after Nicholas Seitz constructed a mill adjacent to the new North Central Railway on the outskirts of the established town of Glen Rock. The trains stopped to pick up the goods produced at the mill, and housing and services quickly flourished around the new facility.
During the Civil War, Seitzland was on a key rail line for the Union Army defending Washington; a heavy volume rail traffic passed continuously through the town. After the war, train traffic increased substantially, as large amounts of coal and other commodities were transported over the Maryland line. In 1881, for example, 79 trains passed through Seitzland in a single 24-hour period -- a train every 18 minutes. By 1892 an assortment of at least a dozen businesses had sprouted to support the Village, including 4 mills, a hotel, a general store, produce retailers, a furniture maker, an undertaker, a cooper, a butcher, a cigar maker, a wagon builder, a distiller, and a shoemaker.
Like all towns along the rail line, Seitzland had a hundred-year run of prosperity before trains were replaced by alternate modes of transportation of goods, raw materials, and people. After the demise of the rail line in 1972, Seitzland lost the diversity of businesses that had fueled the small town, and it became a residential community. With the foresight of a few individuals and the cooperation of York County government, the rail line remained intact. The York County Heritage Rail Trail was established, once again giving the communities along its corridors the opportunity to develop services.
Until recently, Seitzland was an invisible intersection, where Rail Trail users turned their faces away from the neglected Village. Today, heads turn, and people stop to take photos and to ask about what’s happening here. To date, we have acquired five key properties and participated in the creation of the Historic Village Overlay zoning district that spells out the uses that support our vision. We have coordinated and received backing from all appropriate government agencies. We have made major renovations to these properties, and we have approval for the use of the primary property as a restaurant with brewing, distilling, or wine-making capabilities. When people hear about our plans to develop a restaurant, they react with excitement about this sorely needed amenity along the trail. The work has created a permanent visual impact that will continue to draw attention, interest, and excitement. We plan to continue making improvements that will draw people to this developing go-to destination to share in a celebration of local history, tourism, recreation, and the arts.
