Looking at a house in Williamsport

[steveh326]

wife and I are thinking of making a move to Williamsport. We need to downsize the house and upsize the land so I can put up a pole building for equipment. Looked at a place down off dam #4 road and really liked it. I have some simple requirements tho. I need a gun range where I can waste my ammo trying to hit some paper near and far, I need a small local biker friendly bar like Lu N Joes in Mt Airy where we are now, I need a good car/truck mechanic, and would love a small hardware store like ACE or True Value or something similar. Will I be able to find this stuff?

Grew up in Hancock so getting back to Washington County sorta feels like getting back home, well almost...

 

[Archeryrob]

I live on Bakersville Rd. close to Route 65

Down the road from you is Potomac fish and game, but its harder to join as so many people want to be members and you have to be sponsored by one. Plus I know several people forgot to pay their membership in January and got tossed. Then expected to pay first time joining fee again. Funkstown is right near you there, but very limited and only a 100 yards range and not much else to offer. They did the same crap to me for the late paying dues and I told them to pound sand. Issac Walton near 40 and Conococheague Creek and North American rod and run are probably the best ranges.

Not familiar with a good hardware store in Willaimsport. Shawleys by the Railroad on Lappen Rd, is not bad for bolts and minor things, but its no Ace hardware.

We use May's service station on Sharpsburg pike as they are cheaper. They can't do everything, but they treat you right. I was not terribly happy with Murray's in Williamsport as I paid a lot, and crap never got fixed right. Keplinger's on Route 65 can fix anything and does a great job, but is pricey.

Can't help on the biker bar. I'm not a biker and I drink at home! If you get bored, want a beer and local advice stop by.

 

[TrappedinMD]

I dont know your price range but getting a house with land you can shoot on will be pretty pricey in the dam 4 road area. You might want to look in the Clearspring area, I just bought a house for the same reasons here (polebarn, privacy and shooting!!). Clearspring has a cool little bar (throttles), a great hardware store, a creamery and a good school. River access is just as close for the slackwater above dam 5

 

[hairba111]

I dont know your price range but getting a house with land you can shoot on will be pretty pricey in the dam 4 road area. You might want to look in the Clearspring area, I just bought a house for the same reasons here (polebarn, privacy and shooting!!). Clearspring has a cool little bar (throttles), a great hardware store, a creamery and a good school. River access is just as close for the slackwater above dam 5

This PLUS Tim Hafer's new gunshop is close.

 

[Reptile]

wife and I are thinking of making a move to Williamsport. We need to downsize the house and upsize the land so I can put up a pole building for equipment. Looked at a place down off dam #4 road and really liked it. I have some simple requirements tho. I need a gun range where I can waste my ammo trying to hit some paper near and far, I need a small local biker friendly bar like Lu N Joes in Mt Airy where we are now, I need a good car/truck mechanic, and would love a small hardware store like ACE or True Value or something similar. Will I be able to find this stuff?

Grew up in Hancock so getting back to Washington County sorta feels like getting back home, well almost...

I think the nearest public gun range would be Tango Down Range in Hedgesville WV, which is about 10 miles from Williamsport. It only goes out to 100 yards though.

 

[steveh326]

thanks all. to clarify, not looking for enough land to shoot on, just a range I can go to. I belong to IWLA now would probably look to join up at Clearspring IWLA. I guess I can live without a hardware store I just prefer dealing locally instead of running to HD/Lowes in Hagerstown but that's not a deal breaker. for mechanic I need gas and diesel, someone who can keep my trucks running. I tell ya... I don't mind looking for new doctor or dentist, but I love my mechanic now and hate the thought of trying to find another one I trust as much.

the house we looked at had 4 acres which seems like it'll be enuf for a 40x60 pole building for my equipment. Lot of grass to mow but maybe a zero turn is in my future...

anybody old enough to remember the Old Mill Inn in Williamsport before it fell into the creek? that was back in the 70's if my memory is right... spent some nights there in my youth...

not sure if anything will come of our looking or not, but we seem to be headed in that direction

 

[TheGunnyRet]

Hagerstown is close for most of that stuff, Can't help with the Biker Bar, but my neighbor is Harley Guy so he might know some places to go to, you have Hafer's Gunsmithing as noted, and Hendershots just opened there indoor range. We got a true value in Smithsburg, We're on 5 acres and I can setup a nice 150yd range, 4 acres should give a nice 100yd unless the property is oddly shaped.

 

[TomF]

The Izaak Walton is 15 minutes from Williamsport. There's plenty of room to waste ammo there.

 

[hairba111]

Yeah, what Tom said, IWLA near the Hagerstown speedway. I don't know much about bars in that area but here in Funkstown, Harley owners make a lot of noise on weekends, I'm sure one more bike won't make it any louder.

 

[stu929]

Plenty of bars are bike friendly they just have signs at the door no trouble and no colors.

Hagerstown and smithsburg should also be in consideration as they are both close.

 

[steveh326]

Plenty of bars are bike friendly they just have signs at the door no trouble and no colors.

Hagerstown and smithsburg should also be in consideration as they are both close.

I agree on Hagerstown and Smithsburg, we've been looking at all the eastern part of Washington County. New grandbaby due next week means the wife wants to stay within 45 mins of my daughter in Frederick for frequent visitation. Looked at a house in Smithsburg we liked a good bit but it just wasn't 'the one'.

The house we saw in Williamsport fit all our wants/needs... I don't know who owns it but hell it looked like I already lived there... motorcycle in the garage, woodworking and mechanic tools in the garage, and an NRA Rifleman magazine laying on the desk... eerie...

I am also thinking about buying a piece of ground and building...

 

[Blaster229]

I love Williamsport.

 

[Reptile]

I agree on Hagerstown and Smithsburg, we've been looking at all the eastern part of Washington County. New grandbaby due next week means the wife wants to stay within 45 mins of my daughter in Frederick for frequent visitation. Looked at a house in Smithsburg we liked a good bit but it just wasn't 'the one'.

The house we saw in Williamsport fit all our wants/needs... I don't know who owns it but hell it looked like I already lived there... motorcycle in the garage, woodworking and mechanic tools in the garage, and an NRA Rifleman magazine laying on the desk... eerie...

I am also thinking about buying a piece of ground and building...

Williamsport is in a great area, but you might do yourself a favor by crossing the river into wild and wonderful WV. Literally within sight of Williamsport are all kinds of reasonable housing, including land to build on.

 

[steveh326]

Williamsport is in a great area, but you might do yourself a favor by crossing the river into wild and wonderful WV. Literally within sight of Williamsport are all kinds of reasonable housing, including land to build on.

I have family in WV and we started this journey looking for a place in Falling Waters. But we could not find any place to suit us. Looked at some nice places, but they all seemed to have a junk hole next door. I am no prude and I'm definitely not looking for a McMansion but I don't want to live next door to a junk yard either. I have no doubt there are nice places in Falling Waters but we couldn't find it. We did start to look in Martinsburg, Harpers Ferry, and even down toward Charles Town, then decided we were getting a littler too far from our primary objective so I reeled in our search to eastern Washington County for now.

 

[Archeryrob]

DON'T move to Martinsburg, it is the white version of a trashy, crime ridden city.

North of Martinsburg in the Falling Water/Marlo area is so built up any more. Look at it on Google earth and I was amazed as its more built up than Washington County. I personally, would choose a different area of WVA to move if it was myself moving there. The eastern Panhandle section toward Charlestown is much better, open and everything. Might not be cheaper as its easier to move there from Frederick and NVA.

If you want open spaces in Washington County and near 70 I would check rt 66 above Boonsboro, down Rhoresville Rd Rt 67 is nice, but a drive from 70. Rt 63 past Williamsport and Clear Spring. Also, if you want a lot, I would knock on farmers doors. Many subdivided lots when they had a moritorium on it coming up. Many are holding lots on the road that they will sell before they retire and sell the farm. These are not advertised but can be found on line. http://washcogis2.washco-md.net/flexviewers3/ZoningCombo/

 

[Reptile]

I have family in WV and we started this journey looking for a place in Falling Waters. But we could not find any place to suit us. Looked at some nice places, but they all seemed to have a junk hole next door. I am no prude and I'm definitely not looking for a McMansion but I don't want to live next door to a junk yard either. I have no doubt there are nice places in Falling Waters but we couldn't find it. We did start to look in Martinsburg, Harpers Ferry, and even down toward Charles Town, then decided we were getting a littler too far from our primary objective so I reeled in our search to eastern Washington County for now.

It's certainly true that zoning and the lack of community association covenants in WV make for "diverse" neighborhoods. In the Falling Waters area just of I-81 exit 23 there are some really nice pockets of homes that are fairly well insulated from the blight. On Vineyard Road about five miles from that exit is a small community called Honeywood with nice "one off" homes fronting on the Potomac River. Now and again some of them come up for sale.

 

[Ranchero50]

Ditto, the interstate access made property in this area more expensive than it should be. It's hard to get 30 minutes away from I-70 or I-81 and the commuters screwed the pricing up. Plus if you work over the hill you get the sun in your eyes both to and from work while dodging idiots and God save you if there's a wreck in Frederick going either way.