Pymatuning Central, PA

Pymatuning Central is a Crawford County census-designated place stretched along the eastern shore of Pymatuning Reservoir. The 2010 census counted 2,269 residents. North Shenango and South Shenango townships share the community, which includes Espyville and Westford. The lake is the obvious local landmark, but it is also the reason this place has so many overlapping names: township, village, reservoir, state park, and wildlife refuge all meet here.

The landscape began with glacial ridges and wet valleys, then shifted when Pymatuning Reservoir was built in the 1930s. Pennsylvania’s first waterfowl refuge followed in 1935, adding another layer to the shoreline. Pymatuning Central is close to the famous park and the reservoir’s recreation map, but the community itself is made of roads, homes, and the small places that sit beside the water. Espyville gives the CDP a recognizable center; the lake gives it the larger story. Summer activity centers on the water, while winter gives the shoreline a much more open feel.