Situated just seven miles southwest of Akron, Barberton was within easy reach of rivers, railroad lines and the Ohio & Erie Canal, which provided direct shipping access to Lake Erie and the Ohio River.
The city, planned around what is now Lake Anna, had a complex array of streets for homes, churches, schools and commercial business districts. Founded at a time when Ohio was bustling with growth from the Industrial Revolution, Barberton quickly became an important industrial center of Northeast Ohio.
Barber was a pioneer industrialist, an entrpreneur, a risk taker and a visionary businessman. In the 1860s and 70s, O.C. Barber had built his father’s match company into one of the largest in the country. Later, Barber brought several factories under the umbrella of the Diamond Match Company and became known as America’s Match King.
Barber believed farm land could be developed into vibrant industrial communities, and that people would flock to the city to buy land and build homes close to the factories that employed them.
He was right. Barberton grew so rapidly that a newspaper reporter once described the growth as magical. Soon, Barberton became known as the Magic City, a moniker that remains to this day.
Like so many cities with a large manufacturing base, Barberton absorbed substantial job losses in the 1970s and 80s due to urban renewal, the development of suburban living and periods of disinvestment. Technology took away other jobs, and some companies were lured away by promises of tax abatements and lower labor costs.
Today’s Barberton is a city undergoing rebirth and rejuvenation. The commercial base has stabilized, and new jobs have been created in education, health care and technology. The community has seen multi-million dollar investment in schools, infrastructure, roads and recreational facilities, including parks.
Recreation and Cultural Opportunities Abound
Barberton boasts numerous amenities that enhance the quality of life for all of our residents. These amenities include:
- 14 neighborhood parks, eight of which are supervised in the summer.
- winter ice skating rinks
- 14 all-weather tennis courts, four that are lighted
- summer and winter adult and youth recreation programs and sport leagues
- the Magical Theatre Company, one of only six resident children’s theatres in the country
- the Lake Anna Gazebo summer concert series
- unique downtown shopping
- the annual Mum festival, Cherry Blossom Festival and other special events.
Barberton residents also have easy access to other nearby sports and cultural attractions.
The University of Akron’s E.J. Thomas Center for the Performing Arts is home to the Akron Symphony Orchestra. Blossom Music Center, located in Cuyahoga Falls, is the summer home of the Cleveland Orchestra and offers a variety of summer entertainment concerts and programs. And the newly remodeled Akron Art Museum is known throughout the country for its collection of 19th and 20th century American art and photography.
Fans of professional sports are within an hour’s drive of seeing the Cleveland Indians, Cavaliers and Browns. Nature lovers can enjoy hikes throughout the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Barberton’s Schools Prepare Students for Work and College
Education is woven into the fabric of Barberton.
Eleven colleges are within a 35-mile radius of Barberton, and both the University of Akron and Stark State Technical College offer classes within the city for residents seeking to earn a degree or acquire job-related training.
The public school system, home to 3,800 students, has been undergoing a physical transformation. Barberton Middle School will open in 2011, and an all-new elementary school will be completed in 2012. In addition, the high school has seen construction of a new field house, stadium renovations and improvements to the nearly new high school building that is only 12 years old. In all, the school system boasts of $75 million in new construction.
“We will have, without question, the best K-12 facilities in the region by 2012,” said Superintendent John Hall.
But it takes more than bricks and mortar to build a strong education foundation, and Barberton schools offer an array of services to meet the needs of students. The system offers career tech programs, a distance learning lab linked to the University of Akron, advance placement classes and dual credit opportunities whereby students can earn college credits in high school.
The system recently put in place a Chinese language program. About a hundred third graders are taking an introductory Chinese course, offered at that age because of the students’ ability to pick up foreign language skills. In the high school, about 40 more students are studying Chinese, which is now offered along with French and Spanish.
Diversity is also important in the schools, according to Hall. “Our population is as diverse as any in the county, in terms of ethnicity and wealth,” said Hall. “That’s important for employers who may be thinking about relocating to Barberton. The children of employees at all levels of operation will fit in here and be able to find a program that fits their needs.”
Hall is proud that the schools in Barberton continue to march toward excellence. “Our performance index for the last four years has shown steady improvement,” said Hall. “We perform well above similar districts, as determined by the State of Ohio, and we show a four-year trend line of improvement.”
In addition to a solid performance record, the school system has won numerous statewide awards, the most recent being given by the Ohio Historic Preservation Office. The Barberton Historical Society and Barberton City Schools were honored “for their collaborative work to engage students in learning about the community’s history and historic places.”
Superintendent Hall has garnered his share of personal awards, including the prestigious Administrator of the Year Award and the Exemplary Educational Leadership Award from the Buckeye Association of School Administrators.
Good schools, good government, a rich history, charming amenities, and a business-friendly community; all are solid reasons for choosing Barberton, Ohio, for your business!