Gambier ( ) is a

village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...

in Knox County,

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

, United States. The population was 2,213 at the 2020 census. Gambier is the home of

Kenyon College Kenyon College ( ) is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1824 by Episcopal Bishop Philander Chase. It is the oldest private instituti ...

History

Gambier was laid out in 1824. The village was named after one of Kenyon College's early benefactors, Lord Gambier. In the 1960s, Japanese writer Junzo Shono spent several years in Gambier, culminating in the writing of the book ''A Sojourn in Gambier'', which would prove to be quite popular in Japan. On May 4th, 2020, the village of Gambier became the first municipality in Knox County to enact a law which explicitly includes LGBTQ+ people in anti-discrimination legislation. Gambier became the 29th municipality in the state of Ohio to adopt this legislature (as of 2022, there were 34 municipalities and one county with such legislation). The language specifies that no person can be discriminated against on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity and expression. The decision came to a unanimous vote over the video-chat platform, Zoom, facilitated by the town's mayor, Leeman Kessler. The law is a reflection of the Ohio Fairness Act, a bill currently stalled at the House and the Senate tables.

Geography

Gambier is located along the Kokosing River. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the village has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

2010 census

At the 2010 census there were 2,391 people, 343 households, and 126 families living in the village. The population density was . There were 375 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 90.5% White, 2.8% African American, 0.2% Native American, 2.0% Asian, 0.8% from other races, and 3.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.8%. Of the 343 households 15.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.6% were married couples living together, 4.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 1.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 63.3% were non-families. 33.5% of households were one person and 11.4% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.76. The median age in the village was 21.2 years. 4% of residents were under the age of 18; 79.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 5.1% were from 25 to 44; 6.7% were from 45 to 64; and 4.5% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the village was 47.3% male and 52.7% female.

2000 census

At the 2000 census there were 1,871 people, 278 households, and 142 families living in the village. The population density was . There were 305 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 94.07% White, 2.51% African American, 1.28% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.43% from other races, and 1.66% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.66%. Of the 278 households 22.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.9% were married couples living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.9% were non-families. 39.9% of households were one person and 12.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.03 and the average family size was 2.77. The age distribution was 5.8% under the age of 18, 73.1% from 18 to 24, 7.3% from 25 to 44, 9.0% from 45 to 64, and 4.9% 65 or older. The median age was 21 years. For every 100 females there were 82.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.6 males. The median household income was $51,964 and the median family income was $71,477. Males had a median income of $40,500 versus $29,327 for females. The per capita income for the village was $9,661. About 2.5% of families and 8.0% 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 5.2% of those under age 18 and 2.6% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Mount Vernon City Schools operates Wiggin Street Elementary in the

, an Episcopal institution, has been in operation in Gambier since 1824. Gambier has a public library, a branch of The Public Library of

Mount Vernon Mount Vernon is the former residence and plantation of George Washington, a Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States, and his wife, Martha. An American landmar ...

& Knox County.

Notable people

* Margaret L. Bodine, photographer *

Philander Chase Philander Chase (December 14, 1775 – September 20, 1852) was an Episcopal Church bishop, educator, and pioneer of the United States western frontier, especially in Ohio and Illinois. Early life and family Born in Cornish, New Hampshire, t ...

, founder of

, Bishop of

and

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

* Sean M. Decatur, chemist and former president of

John Green John Michael Green (born August 24, 1977) is an American author and YouTuber. His books have more than 50 million copies in print worldwide, including ''The Fault in Our Stars'' (2012), which is one of the List of best-selling books#Bet ...

, author of ''

The Fault in our Stars ''The Fault in Our Stars'' is a novel by John Green. It is his fourth solo novel, and sixth novel overall. It was published on January 10, 2012. The title is inspired by Act 1, Scene 2 of Shakespeare's play ''Julius Caesar (play), Julius Caesar ...

'', YouTuber * Rutherford B. Hayes, 19th President of the United States of America * Allison Janney, actress * P. F. Kluge, author of '' Biggest Elvis: A Novel'' * Robie Macauley, newspaperman and author *

Paul Newman Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and activist. He was the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Paul Newman, numerous awards ...

, actor *

Olof Palme Sven Olof Joachim Palme (; ; 30 January 1927 – 28 February 1986) was a Swedish politician and statesman who served as Prime Minister of Sweden from 1969 to 1976 and 1982 to 1986. Palme led the Swedish Social Democratic Party from 1969 until as ...

, Prime Minister of

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

* Herbert T. Perrin, U.S. Army officer * Joan Slonczewski, biologist

References

External links

* *
Village website
{{Authority control Villages in Knox County, Ohio 1824 establishments in Ohio Populated places established in 1824 Villages in Ohio