Each month, we feature an Ohio City as part of our Ohio Community Spotlight series. This month we feature the County Seat of Tuscarawas County, New Philadelphia.
New Philadelphia is the focus of this month’s #GOPCThread. Join us for a tour of this small city in eastern Ohio’s Tuscarawas County at the historic front of the Northwest Territory.
New Philadelphia has 17,000 residents & was settled by Europeans in 1804. It was a center for wheat shipping, trade, & grist mills along the Ohio-Erie Canal after leaders built a lateral canal to connect the Tuscarawas River to the Canal.
Ohio Historical Marker courtesy of the Ohio History Connection
In 1813 New Philadelphia was designed to replicate the grid pattern of William Penn’s plan for Philadelphia. The design features square blocks along an axis & three public squares. More pictures can be found in the New Philadelphia Ohio Bicentennial Celebration book
Downtown New Philadelphia courtesy of the New Philadelphia Ohio Bicentennial Celebration Book
New Philadelphia is home to Schoenbrunn Village, Ohio’s first village, school, church, & code of law. The restored 1772 Moravian mission for Delaware First Nations people was abandoned 5 years later due to mounting Revolutionary War pressures.
Schoenbrunn Village courtesy of the Ohio History Connection
New Philadelphia’s has loads of historic buildings downtown, including the Beaux Arts county courthouse built in 1882 & Quaker Cinema offers several walking tours of downtown buildings
The Quaker Theater, image courtesy of the Tuscarawas County Historical Society
Today, New Philadelphia is the southern terminus of the Ohio Canalway Towpath Trail, a 101 mile trail that runs from Cleveland to Canal Lands Park in New Philadelphia offering opportunities to bike, walk, hike, and ride horses or boats along the historic Canal.
Manufacturing is big part of the New Philadelphia economy. Automotive parts, trucks, hydraulics, and bearings are all made there. Labels, high-quality tapes, and marker boards are also made there.
In 2019, the city embarked on a comprehensive planning process. The first since 1967. This visioning and planning process is designed to identify a vision and strategy framework for New Philadelphia.
Reinvestment is happening in downtown New Philadelphia. The city offers tax abatements to in the district and encourages new business and the arts downtown. Alleycat Marketplace features space for 65 vendors and artisans.
The Alley Cats Marketplace. Image courtesy of Alley Cats Marketplace.
Explore downtown and checkout New Philadelphia ‘s collection of 15 colorful murals downtown celebrating New Philadelphia’s history, businesses, and people by following the map available from the New Philadelphia Guide.
Downtown Mural courtesy of the New Philadelphia Guide.
Tuscora Park is another gem in New Philadelphia. It includes affordable amusement park rides including a Ferris Wheel, carousel, and roller coaster along with pools and a concert venue. #GOPCThread
Merry-go-Round at Tuscora Park. Image courtesy of Tuscora Park.
After the rides, treat yourself to some ice cream or specialty sherbet at Miller’s Creamery in downtown New Philadelphia
Miller’s Creamery in New Philadelphia. Image courtesy of Miller’s Creamery.
There’s even more to explore in New Philadelphia. To dig in further check out Tuscarawas County Convention & Visitors Bureau and get ready to explore another cool Ohio community with #GOPCThread in February!
Cover Photo: The Tuscarawas County Courthouse on High Street in downtown w:New Philadelphia, Ohio DateTaken on 21 December 2006 Source Self-photographed AuthorTim Kiser (w:User:Malepheasant)