Washington Court House, Ohio facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Washington Court House, Ohio
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Downtown Washington Court House from the courthouse lawn
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| Nickname(s):
Washington C.H.
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Location of Washington Court House in Fayette County
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 Washington Court House, Ohio
Location in Ohio
Washington Court House, Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States | |
| State | Ohio | |
| County | Fayette | |
| Township | Union | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 8.98 sq mi (23.27 km2) | |
| • Land | 8.92 sq mi (23.11 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.06 sq mi (0.16 km2) | |
| Elevation | 965 ft (294 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 14,401 | |
| • Density | 1,613.74/sq mi (623.05/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | |
| ZIP code |
43160
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| Area code | 740 | |
| FIPS code | 39-81214 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 1086095 | |
| Website | http://www.cityofwch.com/ | |
Washington Court House, often called Washington C.H., is a city in Union Township, Fayette County, Ohio. It is the main city, or county seat, of Fayette County. You can find it between the larger cities of Cincinnati and Columbus. In 2020, about 14,401 people lived there.
The first people to settle in this area were soldiers from Virginia. They fought in the American Revolution and received land here as a reward for their service.
Contents
Why the Name "Court House"?
The city has been officially called Washington for a long time. The "Court House" part was added to help people tell it apart from other places in Ohio named "Washington." For example, Ohio also has Old Washington and New Washington.
The "Court House" part comes from settlers who moved here from Virginia. In Virginia, they often added "Court House" to the names of cities that were county seats. This is why you might hear of places like Appomattox Court House.
Over time, "Washington C. H." was put on maps and in mail guides. People just started calling it "Washington Court House." This name became official in the early 2000s when the city adopted a new charter. Did you know that "Washington Court House" is the longest city name in the state of Ohio?
History of Washington Court House
The first settlers in Washington Court House were likely Edward Smith, Sr., and his family. They moved from Pennsylvania in 1810. The Smith family built a simple house in the thick forests near Paint Creek.
Edward Smith, Sr., left to serve in the War of 1812. After he returned, he sadly drowned while trying to cross a flooded creek. But his wife and ten children continued to live and do well in the area. Smith's family members remained important in Fayette County for over a hundred years. A family home still stands on U.S. Route 62 near the city's eastern edge.
By 1833, when it was just called Washington, the city had a printing office, seven stores, two taverns, two grocery shops, a school, and a meeting house. About 70 homes were also there.
Many places in Washington Court House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are important historical sites. The area around the courthouse square is a historic district. The city cemetery is also a historic site.
Nine individual buildings are also listed:
- Judy Chapel at the cemetery
- The old Washington School
- The Fayette County Courthouse
- The former William Burnett House (which is no longer standing)
- The Barney Kelley House
- The Jacob Light House
- The Rawlings-Brownell House
- The Robinson-Pavey House
- The Morris Sharp House
Geography of the City
Washington Court House is located at 39°32′11″N 83°26′8″W / 39.53639°N 83.43556°W. It is situated along Paint Creek.
The city covers a total area of about 8.80 square miles (22.8 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.
Population and People
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1820 | 191 | — | |
| 1830 | 299 | 56.5% | |
| 1850 | 569 | — | |
| 1860 | 1,035 | 81.9% | |
| 1870 | 2,117 | 104.5% | |
| 1880 | 3,798 | 79.4% | |
| 1890 | 5,742 | 51.2% | |
| 1900 | 5,751 | 0.2% | |
| 1910 | 7,277 | 26.5% | |
| 1920 | 7,962 | 9.4% | |
| 1930 | 8,426 | 5.8% | |
| 1940 | 9,402 | 11.6% | |
| 1950 | 10,560 | 12.3% | |
| 1960 | 12,388 | 17.3% | |
| 1970 | 12,495 | 0.9% | |
| 1980 | 12,648 | 1.2% | |
| 1990 | 12,983 | 2.6% | |
| 2000 | 13,524 | 4.2% | |
| 2010 | 14,192 | 4.9% | |
| 2020 | 14,401 | 1.5% | |
| 2021 (est.) | 14,496 | 2.1% | |
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What the 2010 Census Showed
In 2010, there were 14,192 people living in Washington Court House. These people lived in 5,762 households, and 3,628 of those were families. The city had about 1,624 people per square mile.
Most of the people living in the city were White (93.5%). There were also African American (2.7%), Native American (0.3%), and Asian (0.8%) residents. About 1.8% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.
In terms of age, the average age in the city was 38.4 years old. About 25% of the residents were under 18 years old.
Media and News
Washington Court House is part of the Columbus, Ohio, media market. This means it gets television and radio stations from the Columbus area.
The city also has two local radio stations:
- Buckeye Country 105.5 FM (WCHO-FM) plays country music.
- (WCHO-AM) 1250 plays oldies music.
Both stations share local news, sports, and farming stories. People in Washington Court House can also easily pick up radio and TV stations from Dayton and Cincinnati.
The local newspaper for Washington Court House is the Record Herald. This newspaper was created in 1937 when two older papers, The Record-Republican and the Washington C.H. Herald, joined together. The Washington C.H. Herald started as a weekly paper way back in 1858.
Famous People from Washington Court House
Many interesting people have connections to Washington Court House:
- Randall Adams – A person who was wrongly convicted of murder. A movie helped prove his innocence.
- Harry M. Daugherty – He served as the United States Attorney General (a top lawyer for the country) for Presidents Warren G. Harding and Calvin Coolidge.
- Scott Lewis – A baseball player for the Cleveland Indians in 2008-09.
- Sam Lucas – A vaudeville actor and singer.
- Margaret Peterson Haddix – A well-known author of children's books.
- Tom Rogers – A college football player and coach.
- Art Schlichter – A quarterback for Ohio State and in the NFL.
- Jeff Shaw – A Major League Baseball player from 1990 to 2001 and a two-time All-Star.
- Travis Shaw – A Major League Baseball player for the Boston Red Sox. He is the son of Jeff Shaw.
- Jess Smith – A lawyer who worked as an assistant to Harry M. Daugherty.
Education in the City
Children in Washington Court House, Ohio, attend schools from two different public school districts. There is also a private school.
- Washington Court House City School District serves most school-aged children within the city.
- Miami Trace Local School District includes Miami Trace High School.
- Fayette Christian School is a private school.
The city also has a public library. It is located in a historic Carnegie library building.
Airport
The Fayette County Airport is a small airport located northeast of Washington Court House. It is used for general aviation, which means it's for private planes and smaller flights, not big commercial airlines.
Images for kids
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Downtown Washington Court House from the courthouse lawn
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Location of Washington Court House in Fayette County
See also
In Spanish: Washington Court House (Ohio) para niños
