Plain Grove Township is a second class township located in the northeast corner of Lawrence County. It is bounded on the north by Springfield Township, Mercer County; on the east by Liberty Township, Slippery Rock Township and Worth Township, Butler County; on the south by Scott Township, Lawrence County; and on the west by Washington Township, Lawrence County. The township has a land area of 18.7 square miles with a population of 777 (from the 2020 census). It is bisected by Interstate 79 and approximately 5 miles from Interstate 80. Also just two miles to our north is The Grove City Outlets.
Plain Grove Township is a rural countryside with farming as the predominant land use, with approximately 60% of the township being farmed. The largest single landowner is The Pennsylvania State Game Commission, with over 1,800 acres of State Game Lands. The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy owns 380 acres of land in the southern portion of the township, which is home to several rare endangered species of plants and birds, including the showy lady slipper, the spreading globe flower, and a great blue heron rookery. Mining is another land use, with several different gravel pits located in and on the borders of the township. Forest lands also make up a large portion of the township. The State Game Lands are home to much of the forest and also serve as a recreational asset for hikers and hunters.
The township is home to Pollock Ball Field, Plain Grove Township Hall, The Plain Grove Church, a couple of cemeteries, and Marie’s Country Store (formerly Pollock Store). It is part of the Wilmington Area School District, located in New Wilmington, PA. The township has a total of 53.4 miles of state and local roads, with the township doing winter maintenance on approximately 47 miles. All the roads are either paved or tar-and-chip roads. Transportation in the township is exclusively by private vehicle, and it is not unusual to see Amish buggies and all makes of tractors and farm equipment on the roads. Plain Grove Township is a nice, quiet rural area to visit or to live in. There are plenty of stores nearby to shop, and three colleges—Slippery Rock University, Westminster College, and Grove City College—are within ten miles. Pittsburgh is just an hour away. You just don’t find many areas like this.
