Each month, we feature an Ohio Legacy City on our #GOPCThread Series, #OHCommunitySpotlight. This month, we visit Fairfield in fast-growing Butler County just to the north of Cincinnati.
Fairfield is a suburban city located in Butler County.The city is directly north of Cincinnati and Hamilton County and lies comfortably on the east bank of the Great Miami River.
Image of Fairfield’s city logo, “Fairfield” is written in large blue text, with “Ohio'' written beneath in green. A green star is placed on top, between “Fair” and “Field”. By City of Fairfield,Ohio - City Logo, Tagline and Seal | Fairfield, OH (fairfield-city.org)]
As of the 2020 Census there are 44,907 people, and 19,030 households living in @fairfieldoh. The racial makeup of the city is majority white (64.8%), with the second largest community being African American (17.5%)
Much like our last community spotlight, the area was home to the Hopewell and Adena Cultures. The #AdenaCulture were a group of prehistoric settlers, who lived in the Ohio Valley during ~700 BC, and were eventually replaced by the Hopewell in 100 BC.
The Hopewell participated in long-distance trading networks, all the way from acquiring copper from the upper Great Lakes, down to shells from the Gulf of Mexico.
Shoutout to @HopewellOhioNPS who’s celebrating their 100th anniversary this year!
A map of the eastern half of the United States, showing the area of influence of the Hopewell culture, as well as the other cultures they may have frequently interacted with. By Heironymous Rowe - Own work Herb Roe www.chromesun.com, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9416551]
In 1795 upon signing the Treaty of Greenville, Hamilton Co. created the Springfield and Fairfield Townships.
Fairfield used to comprise four hamlets (AKA a settlement too small to be called a village): Symmes Corner, Fair Play, Furmandale and Stockton
Fair Play, the hamlet closest to the east bank of the Great Miami River, was home to Ohio's first paper mill. These are factories that create paper from vegetable fibers such as wood pulp, or even old rags.
These hamlets used the Miami-Erie Canal which, prior to the arrival of the railroad, enabled early settlers to move their commodities to market. By the 1850s with the extension of the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railway they experienced a population boom
The Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railway (CH&D) was incorporated on March 2, 1846, and eventually acquired by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in December 1917. It was originally chartered to connect the three cities it’s named for.
A map of the CH&D railway, showing its length across Western Ohio. Its north most end stretches to the northern border of the state, while its south ends split into two branches at Dayton, the left branch leading to Cincinnati and the right branch leading to Chilicothe.]
Now known as @CSX, it is one of four Class I freight railroad companies operating in the United States. and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Talk about well connected!
Unfortunately, in the late 1800s, the Fair Play hamlet was decimated by flooding. Today the Miami Chapel Cemetery and the Fair Play School are some of the only remnants of the village.
Since being incorporated as a city in 1955, The Butler County line now serves as Fairfield's southern corporate boundary with a small portion extending into Hamilton County. Interestingly enough, that portion of the city contains no population.
An old atlas map of Butler County, showing the borders of 13 cities within. The southern border of Fairfield is the Butler County line, the northwestern border of the city is the Miami River, and the eastern border is shared with both Liberty City and Union City. By City of Fairfield, OH - Butler County Atlas | Fairfield, OH (fairfield-city.org)]
@fairfieldoh operates under the council-manager form of government, combining the strong political leadership of elected officials with the professional expertise of an appointed city manager.
Under this form of governing, legislative authority is vested in city council, which is chosen by the electorate. The city council then hires the manager to serve as the city's full-time chief executive officer
Their Public Utilities Department recently installed new “smart” water meters in homes across Fairfield. People are most likely more familiar with smart electrical meters, but water meters function essentially the same way!
Smart water metering measures water consumption or abstraction.
This technology could be incredibly helpful in communities managing efficient consumption and minimizing waste as the US deals with a record breaking heat wave this summer.
Smart meters differ from conventional meters in that they measure consumption in greater detail and then transmit that information back to the service provider without the need for manual readings. No more house calls ❌❌❌
The city also boasts a wide variety of recreational activities, such as their Community Arts Center, the Fairfield Aquatic Center (which even hosts movie nights at the pool), and their more than 500 acres of parkland!
Picture of the north side of the Fairfield Community Arts Center on a clear day from across the fountain, By City of Fairfield, Ohio - http://www.fairfield-city.org/wiki/CAC%20North%20elevation%20edit.jpg, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27606915]
The City is currently renovating Harbin Park.They’ve consulted Human Nature for this project, and they are currently designing a redevelopment/expansion of the existing playground in Harbin Park, which will include a splash pad. 💦
Over the past year they’ve completed the construction of a 100+ person Overlook Pavilion, a new multi-use restroom facility, and the completion of eight new pickleball courts.
The Miracle League Fields at Hatton Park are operated by the Joe Nuxhall Foundation. @NuxhallMiracle was the dream of legendary @Reds pitcher Joe Nuxhall who is a Fairfield native and loves the community.
A Miracle League field has custom-designed, rubberized turf instead of grass, accommodating wheelchairs and other assistive devices while helping to prevent injuries. The facility at Hatton Park offers two baseball diamonds.
Another popular attraction in the city is Jungle Jim’s International Market
Although @junglejimsmrkt started as just a roadside produce stand, this isn’t your average farmer’s market. It’s an international tourist destination! And its easy to see why.
