WAYNE COUNTY
County Offices
925 Court Street
Honesdale 570-253-5970
www.co.wayne.pa.us
Chamber of Commerce
32 Commercial Street
Honesdale 570-253-1960
www.waynecountycc.com
One of the fastest-growing areas in Pennsylvania, beautiful Wayne County lies 100 miles west of New York City and 35 miles east of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre corridor. Wayne County’s close proximity to “the city” has influenced this region since the early 1800s and the formation of the Delaware and Hudson Canal. Today, farming, lumbering, and tourism remain as long-standing, important industries, joined by an array of smaller industries and flourishing new-home construction. Many second homes and commercial conveniences have sprung up since the 1990s.
The county seat of Honesdale also serves as the commercial hub for the county, which covers 744 square miles of rolling terrain in which 60 percent remains unspoiled woodlands. The rolling Delaware River forms the county’s eastern border with New York State. Susquehanna, Lackawanna, Monroe, and Pike counties in Pennsylvania lie to the west, south, and east. Major highways that serve the area include Interstate 380 and 84, U.S. Route 6, and Pennsylvania Route 191. Interstate 81 and New York Route 17 are both located near Wayne County.
Services
State-of-the-art healthcare is anchored by the Wayne Memorial Health System, which includes Wayne Memorial Hospital. WMHS is committed to growing with the communities it serves in Wayne and Pike counties, recently opening an expanded emergency room center and upgrading to the most advanced imaging equipment. As an acute-care community hospital in Honesdale, the 98-bed Wayne Memorial provides a wide range of medical and surgical specialties from allergy treatment to vascular surgery. The health system encompasses primary care and 30 additional specialties, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services, multi-site laboratory services, a chemotherapy clinic, a sleep medicine laboratory, wound care, and a youth dental clinic. Other services include home health and hospice nursing care as well as long-term care. WMHS maintains an aggressive stance in its dedication to offer a comprehensive range of services to rural communities, ensuring that all routine and most advanced needs can be met close to home.
Educational services are exceptional, actually providing unique advantages that many urbanized areas and metropolitan centers cannot. Smaller classroom sizes and favorable teacher-pupil ratios encourage more personalized attention for each student. Area schools provide special programs for the gifted and challenged as well as abundant extra-curricular activities that are designed to assist students in reaching their full potential. Students of all ages benefit from the Honesdale Center of Lackawanna Junior College, which offers continuing education, two-year degree and certification programs, and an affordable start on a four-year degree. Other post-secondary educational opportunities are available through the Keystone Learning Center, where students can earn six-month diploma programs in key vocational fields like accounting, office administration, customer service, and medical transcription. Keystone also offers computer seminars and serves a large number of students through its Job Training Partnership Act. Four-year institutions within a reasonable commute from Wayne County include the Pocono Mountain’s own East Stroudsburg University, the University of Scranton, Lehigh University, Muhlenberg College, Moravian College, Allentown College, Marywood College, Wilkes University, Penn State University, Kings College, and Bloomsburg State University.
Lifestyle
Residents of Wayne County enjoy all of the pleasures of a small-town atmosphere and rural living but remain in reasonable proximity to the stellar attractions in New York City and Philadelphia. Charming towns graced by a heavily wooded landscape, excellent schools, premier recreational amenities, and local attractions are some of Wayne County’s enviable elements. Boaters can spend the day on Lake Wallenpaupack with 52 miles of shoreline, while anglers enjoy some of the finest fishing spots in the nation along the Upper Delaware River. For weekend enjoyment, the Broadway shows and world-class museums in the Big Apple are just a scenic drive from home.
With its unspoiled natural beauty and picturesque landscapes, Wayne County is a favored home for many artists and artisans. The Wayne County Arts Alliance encourages local talent and offers an annual tour of studios. Nature and music strike a perfect harmony at the Dorflinger-Suydam Sanctuary, where the Wildflower Music Festival provides a serene setting of fields and forests for top-billed entertainment. Central Park in Honesdale is the scene of the summer arts festival and many other colorful events including the old-fashioned Fourth of July celebration. Larger venues are easily accessible, including the Lackawanna County Stadium, the Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre, and Fort Pavilion at Montage Mountain. The Scranton Cultural Center and F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts add elegant venues to the regional list.
Wayne County is well-known as nature’s finest playground, a vacation destination that offers the peerless amenities and exquisite beauty of the Pocono Mountains. Three state parks, a dozen community parks, and 1,4000 acres of state game lands combine with scores of summer youth camps and scenic campgrounds to support every imaginable outdoor activity. Hunting, fishing, ice-skating, skiing, snowtubing, water parks, championship golf courses, horseback riding, hiking and biking, tennis, and camping are just a few of the opportunities to fill leisure hours. The housing opportunities are diverse, many that provide secluded woodland settings in sparsely populated townships. From its quaint historic features to modern residential development, Wayne County is a home for all reasons.
Damascus Township
Municipal Offices
570-224-4410
www.damascustwp.org
Chamber of Commerce
570-253-1960
www.waynecountycc.com
Picturesque Damascus Township features nearly 30 miles of shoreline along the National Scenic and Recreational Delaware River just a two-hour drive from New York City. This unique community provides a scenic setting for residential and commercial development as well as cultural and natural preservation. Newcomers can choose from a number of small, close-knit hamlets including Damascus and West Damascus, Abramsville, Fallsdale, Hilltown, Duck Harbor, Tyler Hill, Milanville, Galilee, Lookout, Skinners Falls, Rock Run, Atco, Boyds Mill, Calkins, Conklin Hill, and Girdland. Situated between the Catskills in New York and the Poconos in Pennsylvania, the township enjoys close proximity to the amenities in nearby Honesdale.
Lehigh Township, Gouldsboro
Municipal Offices
570-842-6262
Chamber of Commerce
570-253-1960
www.waynecountycc.com
Beautiful Lehigh Township encompasses the rapidly growing area of Gouldsboro, where many homes enjoy lakefront and wooded settings and generous acreage. Nearby, Gouldsboro State Park stretches over 2,800 acres of unspoiled beauty in Wayne and Monroe counties. The park was actually named for the village just north of it, both honoring Jay Gould—a New York native who was an owner of the Erie-Lackawanna Railroad. Today, the rail line still parallels the eastern boundary of the park and is part of the Steamtown, USA railroad excursion between Scranton and Pocono Summit. The park ensures world-class outdoor adventures and recreation for residents of the township.
Salem Township, Hamlin
Municipal Offices
570-689-4663
Chamber of Commerce
570-689-4199
www.swrchamber.org
Southern Wayne County invites newcomers as well as vacationers and seasonal residents to a four-season wonderland of recreational activities. Fishing, hiking, boating, kayaking, canoeing, biking, skiing, and snowboarding combine with opportunities for first-rate shopping and dining. Many second homes have sprung up beside those of permanent residents, creating a population that fluctuates along with the spectacularly beautiful seasons. The home sites in this area are exquisitely beautiful, offering everything from older properties to magnificent country estates. Urban amenities are nearby in the county seat of Honesdale, although some of the nation’s most vibrant metropolitan centers—including New York City and Philadelphia—make an ideal weekend getaway.
Hawley, Wallenpaupack
Municipal Offices
570-226-9545
www.explorehawley.com
Chamber of Commerce
570-226-3191
www.hawleywallenpaupackcc.com
The Hawley and Wallenpaupack lake region is dotted with peaceful country inns and resorts, scenic byways, rushing rivers and creeks, and historical sites. Rich in culture and recreational opportunities, this area offers virtually unlimited outdoor enjoyment, state parks, wildlife sanctuaries, fine museums, art galleries, and excellent summer theaters. The charming village of Hawley and its environs are brimming over with antiques stores, boutiques, and quaint places to dine. Historic Wall Mills and local theatre are a few of the many attractions. Colorful and popular annual events include Hawley Winterfest, kicking off the holidays with a celebration that reflects the spirit of song-writer Richard Smith, the Wayne County native son who wrote the lyrics to “Winter Wonderland.”
Honesdale
Municipal Offices
570-253-0731
Chamber of Commerce
570-253-1960
www.waynecountycc.com
The quaint, historic borough of Honesdale serves as the seat of Wayne County government and the commercial hub for the region. Each August, the borough welcomes throngs of visitors to the Wayne County Fair. It also serves as the editorial headquarters for Highlights for Children, a publication for children that has enjoyed more than a half-century of success. Exquisite architecture from the 1800s graces the buildings that line Historic Main Street, an eight-block corridor of colorful shops and inviting restaurants. The historic railroad line showcases the beauty of the surrounding landscapes, and Honesdale is honored as the birthplace of the American railroad. The small red-brick building that serves as the office of the Wayne County Historical Society was once the Delaware and Hudson Canal’s company office. Another highlight in close proximity is the Dorfliner-Suydam Wildlife Sanctuary and museum complex covering 600 acres with natural and cultural attractions.
