History

Archive for the ‘Tallmadge’ Category

Current day development patterns also reflect Tallmadge’s role as a “first generation” suburban community, experiencing much of its development in the 1950′s and 1960′s. Land use patterns are strikingly similar to other suburban communities  developed during the same era. Commercial development in Tallmadge took the form of  suburban growth typical of the 1950′s, with small convenience centers close to emerging  neighborhoods and automobile-oriented strip- type centers along major thoroughfares. Industrial uses historically were located near the railroad and were generally well separated from existing residential neighborhoods; later  industrial development typically located near existing industrial uses.

There are currently nearly 1,800 acres of undeveloped land within the City of Tallmadge that can accommodate new residential, commercial, and industrial growth, as well as the new rights- of-way to serve those uses. If the residentially- zoned acreage is developed to its current capacity, the current population of the City would increase by 68% or 7,100 persons, over the 1990 Census figures. A wide variety of housing opportunities, convenient shopping areas and numerous year- round recreational facilities are available throughout the community. These, coupled with the excellent school s ystem, make the City a great place to live.

Tallmadge is an excellent location for business, too. Numerous state routes and the interstate system run through the City making it an ideal location with easy access. There are large tracts of desirable residential, commercial and industrial lands set aside for development. Proper land use planning and zoning requirements help to assure orderly growth throughout the City.

Tallmadge was founded in 1807 by the Reverend David Bacon as part of the Connecticut Western Reserve. It was Bacon who laid out the picturesque TallmadgeCircle based on the New England design of the day. Today, the Circle is still the central focal point of this community of over 15,000 people. The City blends early American heritage with its present day mid- western hospitality. One of the most recognized mapped shapes in all of northeast Ohio is the landmark configuration of the Tallmadge circle. Its landmark features are so readily recognized by even the untrained eye that it becomes a point of reference, orientation and focus.  The origins of these landmark shapes lie in the simple fact that the area once known as Town 2, Range 10, later to be know as Tallmadge, was laid out in a simple grid pattern with eight routes radiating from a central core — Tallmadge circle. The eight routes are oriented to the e ight true directions of a compass; each route is identified by and bears the designation of the compass direction it assumes.

Tallmadge Circle represents the influence of early nineteenth century New England town planning, and is one of the best- preserved physical examples of New England’s role in the settlement of Ohio’s Western Reserve. Early development of the community focused around the Circle and extended in a radial fashion along the major transportation routes. The Circle remains the physical focal point of the community and has influenced land use patterns throughout Tallmadge’s history.