Waynesville, Ohio

Centre of Waynesville

Waynesville is a village in Wayne Township, Warren County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,834 at the 2010 census. It is named for General "Mad" Anthony Wayne. The village, located at the crossroads of U.S. Route 42 and State Route 73, is known for its antique stores and its annual sauerkraut festival.^[1] Caesar Creek State Park is located 5 miles (8.0 km) east of the village.

Waynesville is served by the Mary L. Cook Public Library. In 2005, the library loaned more than 203,000 items to its 8,000 cardholders. Total holdings in 2005 were over 67,000 volumes with over 110 periodical subscriptions.^[2] In addition the community is served by WYNS, a low-powered community radio station which also streams on the internet.

Geography

Waynesville is located at 39°31′55″N 84°05′11″W / 39.532037°N 84.086460°W / 39.532037; -84.086460Coordinates: 39°31′55″N 84°05′11″W / 39.532037°N 84.086460°W / 39.532037; -84.086460.^[3]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 2.39 square miles (6.19 km²), of which, 2.38 square miles (6.16 km²) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km²) is water.^[4]

Samuel Heighway, the projector of Waynesville. built what appears to have been the first cabin in that town March 9, 1797, but numerous tracts in the vicinity of that place had been sold and settled prior to that time.

History

Waynesville was founded on the west bank of the Little Miami River in 1797 by Samuel Heighway on land he purchased from Judge John Cleves Symmes. The area was in the Northwest Territory until Ohio achieved statehood in 1803. General “Mad” Anthony Wayne opened the land for settlement through the Treaty of Greenville; appropriately, Waynesville was named for him. Heighway platted Waynesville in the fashion of an English village, laying the town out in twelve squares of four acres each. The squares retain their names today, as noted by sign posts on each corner.

Waynesville has significance as an important Quaker settlement.^[5] The Miami Monthly Meeting, established in 1803 as the first such gathering in southwestern Ohio, is located here. Early homes were built of logs and later mostly of frame, as wood was plentiful while bricks had to be made on site. The Accommodation Stage Coach Line ran along Third Street, which was the major road of that time, and Waynesville was the halfway point between Springfield and Cincinnati, Ohio. In the first half of the nineteenth century, Main Street became the center of Waynesville's commercial activity. Currently, the Village of Waynesville has over 200 historic buildings that are still in existence. Most of these properties are in the older section of town, which includes Main Street, Third Street, Fourth Street, and parts of Fifth Street.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census^[6] of 2010, there were 2,834 people, 1,128 households, and 761 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,190.8 inhabitants per square mile (459.8 /km²). There were 1,196 housing units at an average density of 502.5 per square mile (194.0 /km²). The racial makeup of the village was 96.8% White, 0.4% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.1% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.2% of the population.

There were 1,128 households of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.7% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.5% were non-families. 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.98.

The median age in the village was 41.6 years. 23.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.3% were from 25 to 44; 26.6% were from 45 to 64; and 17.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 46.9% male and 53.1% female.

2000 census

As of the census^[7] of 2000, there were 2,558 people, 1,005 households, and 721 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,124.8 people per square mile (435.1/km²). There were 1,037 housing units at an average density of 456.0 per square mile (176.4/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.32% White, 0.08% African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 0.16% from other races, and 1.13% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.74% of the population.

There were 1,005 households out of which 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.6% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.2% were non-families. 24.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the village the population was spread out with 27.4% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 89.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.5 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $50,202, and the median income for a family was $56,538. Males had a median income of $41,932 versus $31,207 for females. The per capita income for the village was $24,539. About 1.9% of families and 3.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.3% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

• Rocky Barton, executed murderer.
• Seth W. Brown, Congressman from 1897 to 1901.

References

Further reading

• Elva R. Adams. Warren County Revisited. [Lebanon, Ohio]: Warren County Historical Society, 1989.
• Robert L. Black. The Little Miami Railroad. Cincinnati: n.p., 1940.
• The Centennial Atlas of Warren County, Ohio. Lebanon, Ohio: The Centennial Atlas Association, 1903.
• Josiah Morrow. The History of Warren County, Ohio. Chicago: W.H. Beers, 1883. (Reprinted several times)
• Ohio Atlas & Gazetteer. 6th ed. Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme, 2001. ISBN 0-89933-281-1
• Cynthia L. Pauwels, Historic Warren County - An Illustrated History, San Antonio, Historical Publishing Network, 2009, ISBN 978-1-935377-09-2.
• William E. Smith. History of Southwestern Ohio: The Miami Valleys. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing, 1964. 3 vols.
• Warren County Engineer's Office. Official Highway Map 2003. Lebanon, Ohio: The Office, 2003.
• Waynesville's First 200 Years, The Waynesville Historical Society, 1997.

External links

• Village Website
• Mary L. Cook Public Library
• Museum at the Friends Home
• Waynesville Area Chamber of Commerce

v t e Municipalities and communities of Warren County, Ohio, United States County seat: Lebanon Cities Franklin Lebanon Loveland‡ Mason Middletown‡ Monroe‡ Springboro‡ Villages Blanchester‡ Butlerville Carlisle‡ Corwin Harveysburg Maineville Morrow Pleasant Plain South Lebanon Waynesville Townships Clearcreek Deerfield Franklin Hamilton Harlan Massie Salem Turtlecreek Union Washington Wayne CDPs Five Points Hunter Kings Mills Landen Loveland Park‡ Unincorporated communities Beedles Station Chautauqua‡ Cozaddale Crosswick Dallasburg Dodds Fosters Greentree Corners Hagemans Crossing Hammel and Millgrove Hillcrest Hopkinsville Kenricksville Level Mathers Mill Middletown Junction Murdoch Oregonia Red Lion Ridgeville Roachester San Mar Gale Twenty Mile Stand Zoar Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties