Richland County in Neighborhoods, Districts and Landmarks
Whether you choose to add just your home and favorite places or research the stories of your neighborhood, we need you to help document the many tales of Richland County. Our current list is far from complete, and our goal is to group not only geographical areas, but also items of similarity, as in Mid Century Modern, Early American…or haunted!
Carrousel District, Mansfield
With a pavillion housing the first new hand carved carrousel to be built and operated in the US since the 1930s, the Carrousel District draws visitors of all ages searching for family fun. The district in known for specialty shops and eateries located in predominantly Victorian to Art Deco-era buildings with tin ceilings, glazed terracotta tiling, brick courtyards and an eclectic vibe. Regularly scheduled events give many reasons to stop and enjoy the atmosphere while reconnecting with friends and loved ones.
Imagination District, Mansfield
The exciting, new Imagination District is developing through an incredible partnership between the restored Renaissance Theatre, Pioneer Performing Arts and the Little Buckeye Children’s Museum. The district is proposed to draw in excess of 200,000 people a year, and will connect historic Park Ave West to the Carrousel Historic District.
Designed by architect Nicola Petti, who also designed Cleveland’s LaSalle, Variety, Sun, Cedar-Lee, Imperial and Kinsman Theaters, the Renaissance (formerly Ohio) cost $500,000 to build in 1927. The style of the National Register listed theater is “Grand Baroque” and decorative elements have a focus on nature.
Restoration began in 1985 with the generous purchase and donation by Fran and Warren Rupp and continues through today through the collaboration of volunteers, local businesses, craftspeople and community support. Plaster restoration, notably, was done by Richland Renovating.
Central Park Historic District, Mansfield
This National Register listed district is roughly bounded by Diamond, 5th, 2nd and Mulberry Street. The district includes properties from the 1860’s to the late 1960’s with Central Park, an original feature from Mansfield’s founding providing the anchor. The first courthouse in the county was one of two blockhouses built there during the War of 1812, which is now standing in Southpark.
Nearly 100 contributing buildings are within district boundaries, from the earliest surviving structures such as the former H.L. Reed Co. to the New Formalist Courthouse. Architects represented include Vernon Redding, Althouse & Jones and Thomas G. Zaugg.
Of note in the park itself is the Vasbinder Fountain, dedicated July 4th 1881. Originally located in the center of the square, when the road was paved through the center in 1959 it was moved to Malabar Farm for 20 years before coming home to the park again.
Park Avenue West, Mansfield
An amazing cluster of National Register listed properties in various states of repair stand silently along what was once tree-lined streets. There are too many examples of various styles of American architecture (including several homes designed by William Barber) to pick a favorite. While you are there make sure to visit Kingwood Center Gardens, the 47 acre estate built in 1926 for Mr. and Mrs. Charles Kelley King which has an entrance on Park Ave. West. We would like to thank founding member and resident History Captain Lacy Bessette for her work documenting “PAW”.
Woodland Neighborhood, Mansfield
The residential area known as Woodland was developed by James Dickson from the land of the Old Stewart Farm in the 1920’s. Meant as a “dignified community of highly civilized citizens” it once featured a lovely spring fed sunken garden in it’s center, behind his home in the triangle formed by Andover Road, the aptly named Stewart Lane and Dickson Parkway. After Mr. Dickson’s passing in 1949, the gardens were unfortunately removed, though replaced with a brick apartment building and a particularly well designed mid-century modern home among others.
Woodland has a cohesiveness thanks to it’s park-like design while featuring differing architectural styles and a blend of very large as well as smaller and multi-family homes from its inception, a sort of very early progressive mixed-income experiment still thriving and being enjoyed today. The Westinghouse “Home of Tomorrow” located at 895 Andover, and amenities including the Woodland Club Pool, founded in 1928 (which you can join regardless of where you call home) walkability to the Mansfield Art Center and the new YMCA are some of the highlights.
Malabar Farm State Park
Named after the Malabar coastline of India, Mansfield born Pulitzer Prize winning novelist and conservationalist Louis Bromfield nurtured this sprawling farm and built a “Big House”, designed by architect Louis Lamoreux. Technically a remodel, the finished product had a mashup from 5 different periods of Western Reserve architecture and was created to look as though it had evolved over time in the natural way farmhouses often do. Originally the 32 room house was painted a warm grey with white trim though it is currently all white.
There are several other structures of the farm including an 1820 Stagecoach Inn, the infamous Ceely Rose House, the inventive Pugh Cabin made from old electric poles and the foundation stones of ghost town Newville, and a smaller farmhouse (pictured) rumored to be a Sears kit home, model unknown.
The Timber Framers Guild of North America gathered 150 volunteers who raised a new barn in resemblance of the original when it was destroyed in a fire in 1993.