Our Neighborhood
Merion Village has an important story to tell in the history of Columbus. Located in the city’s Near South Side, the Merion Village area has enjoyed an interesting past. Early British and Nova Scotian settlers came to the area in the early 1800s, when as compensation for their help in the Revolutionary War, Congress deeded 50,080 acres of land east of the Scioto River.
During the mid-19th century, the neighborhood saw an influx of German immigrants as well as Irish, Italian, and Hungarian immigrants, and later people from Appalachia and the southern U.S., as South Columbus grew into an industrial hub.
Dubbed "Steelton," the area of Parsons Avenue south of Reeb-Hosack had a substantial building boom between 1910-30, quickly developing into a manufacturing center and home to two large steel plants. Streetcar lines were quickly established to supply Steelton with workers.
Locating within Merion Village were institutions that traditionally represent community stability such as churches, schools, a hospital, and businesses that employed residents.
Home to historic houses, churches, schools, a hospital, and businesses, the Merion Village area remains a vibrant and special place. Today, many of the people residing in the area have strong family ties dating back to the early 1900s. The neighborhood continues to attract new families and individuals for many of the same reasons it did almost a century ago: pleasant, affordable, and solidly built housing, strong neighborhood institutions, and easy access to area employers.
However, instead of heading south to Steelton, many of today’s residents commute to their jobs downtown, at the nearby The Ohio State University, or to other employers throughout the city and its suburbs including those South Side manufacturing concerns still in operation.
During the mid-19th century, the neighborhood saw an influx of German immigrants as well as Irish, Italian, and Hungarian immigrants, and later people from Appalachia and the southern U.S., as South Columbus grew into an industrial hub.
Dubbed "Steelton," the area of Parsons Avenue south of Reeb-Hosack had a substantial building boom between 1910-30, quickly developing into a manufacturing center and home to two large steel plants. Streetcar lines were quickly established to supply Steelton with workers.
Locating within Merion Village were institutions that traditionally represent community stability such as churches, schools, a hospital, and businesses that employed residents.
Home to historic houses, churches, schools, a hospital, and businesses, the Merion Village area remains a vibrant and special place. Today, many of the people residing in the area have strong family ties dating back to the early 1900s. The neighborhood continues to attract new families and individuals for many of the same reasons it did almost a century ago: pleasant, affordable, and solidly built housing, strong neighborhood institutions, and easy access to area employers.
However, instead of heading south to Steelton, many of today’s residents commute to their jobs downtown, at the nearby The Ohio State University, or to other employers throughout the city and its suburbs including those South Side manufacturing concerns still in operation.
ADDING TO OUR HISTORICAL ARCHIVES
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