WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE, OHIO

:''Washington, Ohio redirects here. For the other municipality in Ohio once known as Washington, see Old Washington, Ohio.''
'Washington Court House' is a city in Fayette County, Ohio, United States. It is the county seat of Fayette County and is located approximately halfway between Cincinnati, Ohio, and Columbus, Ohio. The population was 13,524 at the 2000 census. Until 2002, the official name of the city was the "City of Washington," but there already existed a municipality in Guernsey County, Ohio with the name "Washington" (now known as Old Washington, Ohio). Because the area was originally settled by Virginia war veterans (who received the land from the government for their duty in the American Revolution as payment), and because it was a custom to have "Court House" added to the name of the county seat in Virginia, the town was called "Washington Court House." In 2002, a new charter was adopted, officially changing the name to the "City of Washington Court House." The name is often abbreviated as "Washington C.H."
Washington C.H. is known for its unusual street grid layout. Typically, street grids are arranged east-west and north-south, especially in the midwest. In this case, the streets in the downtown area, centering on the courthouse building, are arranged northeast-southwest and northwest-southeast. This was done so that all four sides of the courthouse building would receive some sunlight every day of the year. In the traditional grid system, the north side of a building never receives direct sunlight during the fall and winter months.

Contents

Geography

Demographics

Government and Politics

Education in Washington Court House

Local Churches

Traditions

"The Scarecrow Festival"

The Fayette County Fair

July Fireworks

Landmarks

Fayette County Court House

Fayette County Historical Society Museum

Interesting quirks

Fast food

The Municipal Pool

WCHO

WVNU

The Record Herald

The Warehouse

Present Changes and Development

Geography

Washington Court House is located at ¹, along Paint Creek.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 16.8 km² (6.5 mi²). 16.7 km² (6.4 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (1.08%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 13,524 people, 5,483 households, and 3,536 families residing in the city. The population density was 810.8/km² (2,100.8/mi²). There were 5,961 housing units at an average density of 357.4/km² (926.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.52% White, 2.71% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.82% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.66% from other races, and 1.12% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.38% of the population.
There were 5,483 households out of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.5% were married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.5% were non-families. 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.0% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 37 years. For every 100 females there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,003, and the median income for a family was $40,721. Males had a median income of $31,708 versus $22,382 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,618. 12.5% of the population and 9.0% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 16.3% are under the age of 18 and 13.2% are 65 or older.

Government and Politics

The city is governed by an elected City Council, and operated on a day-to-day basis by a city manager, appointed by City Council. The current city manager is Joe Denen.
Fayette County (and therefore to some extent, the city of Washington C.H.) generally votes a conservative ticket. This is evident when studying the November 2006 elections, where the county voted against the majority of the rest of the state on certain issues, and where the Republican party dominated the election of county officials.

Education in Washington Court House

Washington Court House is served by the Washington Court House City School District and the Miami Trace Local School District, as well as a private school and a community college (Southern State Community College).
The section on education has been split into a separate article, which can be found here.

Local Churches

Washington Court House has a high worship-center-per-capita ratio. The following, in no particular order, are known churches in the area.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints-
Washington Court House Branch
414 East Court Street
[335-4234]
Gregg St. Worship Center-
424 Gregg St.
[335-8625]
Washington Faith Family Church-
119 S. Main St.
[636-1026]
Assembly of God-
1001 Old Chillicothe Rd. SE
[335-8455]
Bible Baptist Temple-
4361 St. Rt. 41 NW
[333-1001]
First Baptist Church-
301 E. East St.
[335-0429]
Grace Community Church-
525 Glenn Ave.
[333-5433]
[1]
Second Baptist Church-
828 Columbus Ave.
[335-5709]
Sugar Creek Baptist Church-
3263 US Rt 35 NW
[335-2608]
Calvary Baptist Church-
1600 US Rt 35 NW
[335-7127]
Fayette Bible Church-
1315 US Rt 35 NW
[335-7495]
St. Colman of Cloyne Catholic Church-
219 S. North St.
[335-5000]
Christian Science Society-
504 E. Temple St.
[335-3039]
Church of Christ-
25 Mt. Olive Rd. NW
[335-6729]
First Christian Church-
232 N. North
[335-0905]
Hickory Lane Church of Christ-
364 Hickory Lane NE
[335-2923]
South Side Church of Christ-
921 S. Fayette St.
[335-3107]
Heritage Memorial Church-
1867 US RT 35 NW
[335-1079]
[2]
New Life Chapel Church of God-
1135 Leesburg Ave.
[335-6308]
[3]
First Church of God-
610 Harrison
[335-2625]
Church of the Nazarene-
990 ST RT 41 SW
[335-2641]
St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church-
733 ST RT 41 SW
[335-2129]
[4]
Jehovah’s Witnesses-
1702 US RT 22 NW
[335-9219]
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church-
1003 N. North St.
[335-4682]
Rodgers Chapel A. M. E. Church-
325 N. Main St.
[335-5331]
McNair Presbyterian Church-
503 Lewis St.
[335-5417]
Grace United Methodist Church-
301 E. Market St.
[335-0460]
First Presbyterian Church-
214 N. Hinde St.
[335-2067]
Wesley Memorial Church-
312 Rose Ave.
[335-5971]
Church of Scientology
750 Dayton Ave.
[333-1337]

Traditions

Every small town has its traditions...

"The Scarecrow Festival"

The festival is held the third weekend of September annually. For this weekend in September, each year since 1994, the downtown area has come alive with street vendors, fair food, and a portable amusement company. Families will enjoy the fair-like atmosphere of sounds, lights, and smells, at night, while the large amount of walking attributed to a fair is kept to a minimum. Events for children always take place on the Court House lawn. Special events at past Festivals have included (but are not limited to): Live Music, a Queen's Pageant, Car Shows, "Street Vaulting" (a downtown pole-vaulting competition), a Live Scarecrow Contest, an Auction, and a Parade that usually includes the Washington H.S. Marching Band and always includes the Miami Trace Marching Band. When Senior Citizen Day falls during the festival, many events are planned with seniors in mind, which includes bingo, music, food, prizes, cloggers and twirlers.

★ 2005 Scarecrow Festival Flyer

The Fayette County Fair

The county fair became an annual event in the year 1879 and is held on the fairgrounds in Washington Court House. The fair takes place at the end of July. Events include a Demolition Derby, Pageant, Senior Citizen Day, Children's Day, Veterans Day, Derby and Harness Racing, Stock Truck Pulls, and plenty of live music, food and other entertainment. Livestock sales are a source of advertisement for local businesses and a source of income for children and young adults who have invested time, effort, and money into their animals. Although not all of these children enter the farming community, Jr. Fair (and within it, 4-H and FFA) is an invaluable educational resource that our society cannot do without. Over 970 4-H members ages five to nineteen years complete project work in over 200 projects from nutrition, sewing, creative arts, photography, computers, rockets, cats, dogs, and leadership projects to livestock, woodworking, and engineering projects. Through these various projects, members learn life skills such as decision making, record keeping, budgeting, communication, and responsibility. Jr. Fair activities for the week include two fashion shows, a talent show, nutrition bowl contest, and cookie baking contests.

July Fireworks

This annual event, recently entitled "Fire in the Sky," is produced, choreographed, and displayed by the Washington Firefighters Association. The show, held around the July 4 holiday, is located at the Fayette County Fairgrounds and was held first in 2000. It has grown in size each year and attracts around 30,000 people from Washington Court House and surrounding areas. The event managers pride themselves in funding the display entirely through donations-- no public funding is used. For information on donation or this year's schedule, contact the Washington Fire Rescue Department at (740) 636-2362.

Landmarks

Washington Court House has places to go, and sights to see... please see this "Travel and Tourism" page for more information and pictures.

Fayette County Court House

The Fayette County Court House is one of Washington's more interesting landmarks. However, the building standing today in downtown WCH is not the first "Court House" to be built in Fayette County.
The original judicial center was a log cabin, and it stood on "Cherry Hill," (not to be confused with the current elementary school site) just outside of old "Yatesville, OH." (Which today is along Route 38, just before you arrive at I-71 if you are travelling west from WCH). This building was not burned down, contrary to popular belief. A local governing body voted to move the court house (the proceedings of the judicial system, not the actual log cabin) into what was then "Washington," very suddenly and in a panic decision. Today, no one knows the reasoning behind this action, but rumor has it that bodies had been found near the old Yatesville site, just before the date of the move. Not much information is known about this ''second'' building, in WCH, either, except that it was made of brick. At the time, the community was growing, and the current building was commissioned after the need for a larger facility was demonstrated.
The current location and structure are steeped in history. You can see this for yourself if you attend an available guided tour of the site. Most notable are the three historic murals by Archibald M. Willard (the Spirit of the U.S. Mail, the Spirit of Electricity, the Spirit of the Telegraph) and the seven bullet holes in the Court Street doors left by the Ohio National Guard when it dispersed a lynch mob in 1894. The mob demanded the death of Mr. William "Jasper" Dolby who had been accused, found guilty, and sentenced to 20 years in the state penitentiary upon charges of raping a local woman. As the mob rushed the courthouse doors the National Guard, standing just inside the entrance, fired through the doors into the crowd of people. This successfully scattered the crowd and Dolby was subsequently transferred to the penitentiary. More on these two subjects can be found on an Ohio Bicentennial Historical Marker on the Court Street side of the courthouse lawn or read on the Ohio Historical Society's website at http://www.ohiochannel.org/your_state/remarkable_ohio/marker_details.cfm?marker_id=689.
In the 1990's, renovation took place on today's building, but according to many unnamed individuals in the community, the "Court House of Washington Court House" deserves more care than it has been receiving. The most notable change in the '90's was the replacement of the golden statue atop the spire, "Lady Liberty." Prominently displayed is the motto "Justice to and for each and every."
One story recalls, however, a point in WCH's history where justice was not as valued. At the five-point intersection near the present-day Krogers (the intersection of Routes 41, 22, 62, and 3), there stood a house where a runaway slave had made his home as a free man under the laws of Ohio. This house, formerly situated between Highland Ave. and Leesburg Ave., has since been demolished and replaced with condominiums. As the story goes, a carriage of white men arrived while the family was having tea. They kidnapped the runaway slave father and transported him to the property of his former "owner" in Kentucky. To this day, we do not know of the man's fate, although it is presumed that he was killed. The local government could have acted, but did nothing to stop the extradition from occurring-- to recover their fellow townsman and stifle the grief of his family.

Fayette County Historical Society Museum

The Fayette County Historical Society Museum was built in 1875 by Morris Sharp with the stated purpose of erecting "the Showplace of Washington Court House". This Victorian Italianate home was purchased by The Historical Society in 1958 for $15,000 and opened as a museum in October 1965. The museum proudly displays 14 rooms that contain fine pieces depicting the County's history. A visit to the museum's tower, by way of the spiral stairs, offers a spectacular panorama of the city. The museum is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places under ''Morris Sharp House'' at 517 Columbus St.

Interesting quirks

The City of Washington Court House has, as its first and most prominent "quirk," its name. Rumors have circulated that the town's name is one of the longest in the United States, was in the Guinness Book of World Records, or other such nonsense. This is not true, but it is interesting. The following points, however, ''are'' true, and could be the most valuable source of information about actual life in Washington Court House.

Fast food

Washington Court House has many fast food restaurants: too many to support, it would seem. But they all keep up their business, if this is any indication of average life in W.C.H. Pizza seems to be the most prominent fast(er) food restaurant. Currently the town supports Pizza Hut, Donatos, Domino's, "Center Pizza," Giovanni's, and Papa Murphy's "Take and Bake." Two others, called Bada Bing Pizzaria and Big City Pizza, are attempting to join the ranks. All these simultaniously meet the munching needs of the 13,000 townspeople.
The concept of the pizza joint can be presented in many different ways... but all these concepts have failed the test in Washington C.H.: Papa John's, "Farmer's Pizza," Fayette Street Market Pizza, "Pizza 'N Motion," Downtown Pizza, and two locations of Little Caesar's.

The Municipal Pool

The "City Pool," as it is sometimes called, provides a place to socialize during the summer. If the pool has had a decrease in membership, it might be because construction of pools at private residences has increased. In the 1990's, the pool was purchased by the (then) City of Washington from the Washington Rotary Club. The pool has seen many years: some citizens can even remember its being segregated. For families without air conditioning or a private pool, a membership is invaluable in the months of July and August.
A YMCA on S.R. 41-N is under construction, and many wonder if this facility (as it houses an indoor pool) will put the Municipal Pool out of business. The pool staffs about 40 lifeguards, who work for the City of Washington Court House. The traditional hours have been from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Saturday, and from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. Swimming lessons are also available (free of charge, for members) on weekday mornings.
The management of the Pool has previously issued statements regarding children at the pool. The management's concern is that parents, while at work, may leave their children at the pool rather than taking them to day-care or an equivalent service. (A summer-long pool membership is sometimes less expensive than fees for a child-care service) Unnamed lifeguards have testified to this problem, but realistically, it cannot be combated.

WCHO

WCHO, found on the radio in Washington C.H. at 105.5 FM, is the only radio station operating within the city limits, despite the recent tendency of the younger generations (especially those residing in the city) to grow away from their area's roots in "country" music, which this station plays. The station also airs commentaries on local (high school) sporting events, gives updates on weather, and generally reports on the happenings of the community. School cancellations are received by the public via WCHO, or another outlet, "Channel 3," the public access cable channel. Other stations with clear reception in WCH are WVNU, (see below), 97.1 (an eclectic mix of music), 99.7 (rock), 97.9 (pop), 107.1 (harder rock), and various other stations of country and Christian music. A popular Christian rock station, "Radio U," out of Columbus, OH does ''not'' come in clearly in WCH-- rather, its reception dies just north of the city.

WVNU

[5]Another local radio station is WVNU 97.5. WVNU plays oldies rock and roll along with news reports. It is owned and managed by Patrick Hays, with the assistance of his wife. A station personality, Harry "Big Dawg" Wright, is the host of Sell & Tradio and his show, The Harry Wright show.

The Record Herald

The daily newspaper of Washington Court House is called "The Record Herald," and is owned and operated by Brown Publishing Company.

The Warehouse

The Warehouse, sponsored by Planet Youth Ministries, is a non-profit, faith based youth center located across from the construction site for the new Washington Middle and High schools. Through the use of "music, art, and skateboarding," states the entrance door, the goal of "The Warehouse" is to introduce youth to positive adult role models. The building functions as a venue for bands, both touring and local. Concerts are held on Saturday nights. There is a skateshop located in the building as well as a cafe area, an area for kids to skate, and video games systems that are free to use.

Present Changes and Development

There are many large changes occurring in Washington Court House, and this article will track each of them.

★ New school buildings - Discussed above, the new school buildings for Washington may be the most anticipated project in the town. Miami Trace also has a new elementary school under construction.

★ Southern expansion - Just south of State Route Route 35 (almost an "outerbelt" along the southern half of the city), a large area of farmland is being cleared for commercial expansion. This can be described as the beginnings of "Urban Sprawl", with its large-scale rezoning of land. The expansion can be documented here, and so far includes:
(1) Home Depot - A "Home Depot" store is now located directly across S.R. 35 from Wal-Mart. The store encourages (needed) home-improvement in Washington C.H.
(2) Dakota's Roadhouse, a steak-house type restaurant which adds a (needed) restaurant with a sit-down atmosphere.
(3) Fayette Banking Center, a bank next to Dakota's has recently opened.
Rumors have circulated that a movie theater may be built in the area of southern expansion, but this is an unfounded claim, as of April 2007. Washington C.H. has not been home to a cinema for at least 20 years, and the lack of one has left citizens anticipating it for about that long...
While the town is small, suburban-type housing developments such as "Quail Run," "Storybrook," and "Trotters Pointe" have been developed and generally praised. If the housing market doesn't collapse into ruin, the "suburbia" phenomenon could continue its reign of popularity in the coming years, thus ending the existence of the quaint farming community Washington Court House once was.