Barnesville is a

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred ...

in Belmont County,

Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...

, United States. It is located in the central portion of Warren Township in Belmont County and is part of the

Wheeling, West Virginia Wheeling is a city in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Located almost entirely in Ohio County, of which it is the county seat, it lies along the Ohio River in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and also contains a tiny portion extending ...

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...

. The population was 4,193 at the 2010 census.

History

The town was named after James Barnes, who was the first settler. Barnes was born in

Montgomery County, Maryland Montgomery County is the most populous county in the state of Maryland. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 1,062,061, increasing by 9.3% from 2010. The county seat and largest municipality is Rockville, although the census-design ...

and was married to Nancy Harrison, "an intelligent Quaker lady". Barnes owned a farm in Montgomery County, and later laid out a town there, also known as Barnesville, Maryland, where he operated a country store for a while. In 1803 he moved to St. Clairsville, Ohio where he operated a tavern and general store. In 1806 Barnes settled in Warren Township in Belmont County where he cleared forest, built a house, established a tannery and general store and planted orchards. In November 1808, the town of Barnesville was laid out, and four years later Mr. Barnes and his family became permanent residents of the new village. Barnesville was described in 1833 as having six stores and a steam mill. Barnesville was incorporated as a village in 1835.

Geography

Barnesville is located at . According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the village has a total area of , of which, is land and is water.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2010, there were 4,193 people, 1,763 households, and 1,114 families living in the village. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was . There were 2,011 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 97.0%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 0.9%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.1% Native American, 0.3% Asian, and 1.6% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 0.6% of the population. There were 1,763 households, of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.4% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 15.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.8% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.82. The median age in the village was 41.4 years. 21.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.9% were from 25 to 44; 25.5% were from 45 to 64; and 20.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 46.2% male and 53.8% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 4,225 people, 1,769 households, and 1,119 families living in the village. The

was 2,196.6 people per square mile (849.6/km²). There were 1,964 housing units at an average density of 1,021.1 per square mile (395.0/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.41%

, 0.71%

, 0.07% Native American, 0.17% Asian, and 0.64% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.26% of the population. There were 1,769 households, out of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were

living together, 13.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.7% were non-families. 33.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.94. In the village, the population was spread out, with 23.6% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 20.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.4 males. The median income for a household in the village was $23,925, and the median income for a family was $31,927. Males had a median income of $25,098 versus $16,119 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the village was $14,105. About 21.2% of families and 22.1% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 35.1% of those under age 18 and 14.6% of those age 65 or over.

Art and Culture

The Belmont County Victorian Mansion Museum is located in Barnesville. The museum includes twenty-six rooms restored to the Victorian era. The village is the host of the Barnesville Pumpkin Festival every September, attracting tourists from the area.

Education

The village of Barnesville is served by the Barnesville Exempted Village School District. The village's schools saw a renovation in 2002 to improve and expand classroom learning and appearances. There are three main schools in the village: Barnesville Elementary School, Barnesville Middle School, and Barnesville High School. Also located in the village is

Olney Friends School Olney Friends School is a small, co-educational boarding and day school affiliated with the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). Located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in Barnesville, Ohio, the school "challenges students to grow ...

, a small co-educational boarding high school affiliated with the

Religious Society of Friends Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abili ...

(Quakers).

Notable people

* Nathan Huntley Edgerton, Barnesville native, Civil War

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of val ...

recipient *

Elisha Gray Elisha Gray (August 2, 1835 – January 21, 1901) was an American electrical engineer who co-founded the Western Electric Manufacturing Company. Gray is best known for his development of a telephone prototype in 1876 in Highland Park, Illino ...

, claimant to the title of inventor of the

telephone A telephone is a telecommunications device that permits two or more users to conduct a conversation when they are too far apart to be easily heard directly. A telephone converts sound, typically and most efficiently the human voice, into e ...

* Isaac Charles Parker, "The Hanging Judge" *

Stanley Plumly Stanley Plumly (May 23, 1939 – April 11, 2019) was an American poet and the director of University of Maryland, College Park's creative writing program. Plumly grew up in Ohio and Virginia and was educated at Wilmington College in Ohio and at ...

, poet * George Shannon, member of

Lewis and Clark Expedition The Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, was the United States expedition to cross the newly acquired western portion of the country after the Louisiana Purchase. The Corps of Discovery was a select gr ...

Wilson Shannon Wilson Shannon (February 24, 1802 – August 30, 1877) was a Democratic politician from Ohio and Kansas. He served as the 14th and 16th governor of Ohio, and was the first Ohio governor born in the state. He was the second governor of the Kansas ...

, First native born Ohio Governor

Gallery

File:Downtown view east.jpg, Barnesville Historic District, view of downtown facing East File:Bradfield Building Barnesville Ohio.JPG, The Bradfield Building, on the north eastern corner of Main and Chestnut Streets File:Mansion 001.JPG, Belmont County Victorian Mansion Museum in Barnesville, built in 1893 File:Barnesville Ohio Railroad Depot.jpg, The Barnesville B&O Railroad Depot, built in 1916

References

External links

*
Village website

Barnesville Area Chamber of Commerce

Barnesville Pumpkin Festival
{{Authority control Villages in Belmont County, Ohio Villages in Ohio English-American culture in Ohio 1835 establishments in Ohio Populated places established in 1835