Somerset 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 Perry County, Ohio, United States. The population as of the 2020 census was 1,481. It is located 9.5 miles north of the county seat New Lexington and has a dedicated historical district. Saint Joseph Church, the oldest Catholic church in Ohio, is located just outside Somerset on State Route 383.

History

The village of Somerset was established in 1807 by settlers from Somerset, Pennsylvania at the spot on Zane's Trace located midway between Lancaster and Zanesville. Seven years later, parts of Fairfield, Muskingum, and Washington counties were merged to create Perry County, and the house of a Somerset resident was named the first temporary courthouse.Martzolff, Clement Luther.
History of Perry County, Ohio
'. New Lexington: Ward and Weiland, 1902. In 1819, the county government arranged for the erection of a purpose-built courthouse in Somerset; while most of the building was used for a jail, it also included a courtroom and space for some county offices. Ten years later, a permanent courthouse was constructed on the village's public square. As the village of New Lexington grew in importance, its residents began to agitate for the county seat to be moved to their community. From 1851 to 1859, the state legislature passed three separate laws to permit the county seat to be moved; contentious elections and a decision by the Supreme Court of Ohio saw the county seat move to New Lexington, back to Somerset, and finally back to New Lexington. After it ceased to be used as a courthouse, the building was leased to Somerset for use as its village hall.

Geography

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

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 1,481 people, 613 households, and 354 families living in the village. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

was . There were 673 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 98.3%

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

, 0.3%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.1% Asian, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.1% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 0.6% of the population. There were 613 households, of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.6% were

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

living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.3% were non-families. 37.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 3.05. The median age in the village was 41.1 years. 25.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.3% were from 25 to 44; 27.1% were from 45 to 64; and 17% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 48.0% male and 52.0% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,549 people, 613 households, and 381 families living in the village. The population density was . There were 659 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 99.03%

, 0.45% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 0.19% from other races, and 0.26% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.26% of the population. There were 613 households, out of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.3% were

living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.8% were non-families. 34.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 3.05. In the village, the population was spread out, with 25.7% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 21.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 82.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.8 males. The median income for a household in the village was $29,844, and the median income for a family was $39,231. Males had a median income of $30,994 versus $21,364 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the village was $14,209. About 6.4% of families and 12.8% 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 8.7% of those under age 18 and 20.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Somerset is served by the Northern Local School District, which operates Somerset Elementary School in the village. Sheridan High School is located west of the village on State Route 13. Holy Trinity Catholic School is located in Somerset. Somerset has a public library, a branch of the Perry County District Library.

Notable people

* William E. Birkhimer - Medal of Honor recipient during the Philippine Rebellion * Jacob S. Bugh - Wisconsin State Assemblyman * William A. Bugh - Wisconsin lawyer and Wisconsin State Assemblyman * Tammie Green - professional

golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various Golf club, clubs to hit a Golf ball, ball into a series of holes on a golf course, course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standa ...

er inducted into the Ohio Golf Hall of Fame *

Thomas Hood Thomas Hood (23 May 1799 – 3 May 1845) was an English poet, author and humorist, best known for poems such as "The Bridge of Sighs (poem), The Bridge of Sighs" and "The Song of the Shirt". Hood wrote regularly for ''The London Magazine'', '' ...

- Wisconsin state senator and jurist * Philip Sheridan - Union

general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

References

External links

Village website

Historical Photo of Phil Sheridan Statue
{{authority control Villages in Perry County, Ohio 1810 establishments in Ohio Populated places established in 1810 Villages in Ohio