Norwood, Ohio

For other uses, see Norwood (disambiguation).

Norwood, Ohio
City
City Hall
Flag Official seal of Norwood, Ohio Seal
Nickname:  Gem of the Highlands
Location in Hamilton County and the state of Ohio.
Country	United States
State	Ohio
County	Hamilton
Government
• Mayor	Thomas Williams (D)
Area
• Total	3.15 sq mi (8.16 km2)
• Land	3.15 sq mi (8.16 km2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation	656 ft (200 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	19,207
• Estimate  (2012)	19,086
• Density	6,097.5/sq mi (2,354.3/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP codes	45212, 45207
Area code	513
FIPS code	39-57386
GNIS feature ID	1056460

Norwood is the second most populous city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and an enclave of the larger city of Cincinnati. The population was 19,207 at the 2010 census. Originally settled as an early suburb of Cincinnati in the wooded countryside north of the city, the area is characterized by older homes and tree-lined streets.

History

Early history

The earliest humans in the area now known as Norwood are believed to have been Pre-Columbian era people of the Adena culture. Norwood Mound, a prehistoric earthwork mound built by the Adena, is located in Norwood and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Adena constructed the mound at the location of Norwood's present-day Water Tower Park, which is the highest land elevation in the city and one of the highest in all of Hamilton County. Archaeologists believe the mound was built at this site due to the high elevation and was used by the Adena for religious ceremonies and smoke signaling.

Norwood Mound was constructed by people of the prehistoric Adena culture and was likely used for religious ceremonies and smoke signaling

Native American mounds are not uncommon in Ohio and several were located in Downtown Cincinnati at the time of arrival of the first white settlers. However by 1895, the Norwood Mound was the only remaining mound in the vicinity of Cincinnati." The mound has never been excavated, but it is reported that many artifacts found in the area by early Norwood settlers in the 1800s made up the original nucleus of the Native American Art Collection of the Cincinnati Art Museum. In the early-20th century, Norwood High School named their sports team mascot the Indians in honor of this local Native American heritage.

Sharpsburg settlement

In 1787, the United States Congress established the Northwest Territory, and John Cleves Symmes, Congressman from New Jersey, purchased 311,682 acres of the territory (the Symmes Purchase), within which the future Norwood is located. One year later, the first permanent settlement on the banks of the Ohio River in what would later become Cincinnati was established. In 1793, General "Mad Anthony" Wayne led several companies of troops from Fort Washington in Cincinnati to advance against a hostile tribe of Native Americans encamped on the banks of the nearby Millcreek in what is now St. Bernard. Historians believe that a company of troops under the direction of General Wayne made their way through Norwood during this campaign and widened an old Native American trail, which followed the path of present-day Smith Road, Montgomery Road, and Carthage Avenue. In 1859, an early Norwood pioneer named Joseph G. Langdon claimed to have found a bullet buried in the heart of an oak tree on his Norwood property left by Anthony Wayne's troops 66 years earlier.

In 1794, a pioneer named Peter Smith settled on Duck Creek in or near the current location of Norwood. It is believed he is one of the earliest Norwood settlers, if not the first. Soon after, a road was built connecting the early settlement of Columbia on the Ohio River near the Little Miami River with the settlement of Carthage, just north of Cincinnati. This road cut through Norwood along the old Indian Path widened by General Wayne's troops (Smith Road, Montgomery Road, and Carthage Avenue). Anthony Wayne's victory over the Indians at the Battle of Fallen Timbers the same year signaled the end of the Northwest Indian War which enabled pioneers to began settling former hostile lands such as the future Norwood. In 1795, another road was built along the present-day path of Montgomery Road, connecting Cincinnati with Montgomery, Ohio and beyond. Montgomery Road was known as the "State Road" and Smith Road/Carthage Avenue was known as the "County Road."

In 1809, a settler named Samuel D. Bowman purchased land near the crossing of the State Road and the County Road, where he established a tavern and coach stop for travelers. He was soon joined by John Sharp, who built a cabin and small country store at the opposite side of the intersection. The community of half a dozen houses soon became known as "Sharpsburg," after Mr. Sharp. For the next half century, the little coach stop along the road between Cincinnati and Columbus didn't create much of a stir in the world.

Sharpsburg becomes Norwood

In 1866, the first tracks of the Marietta and Cincinnati Railroad were completed, connecting Loveland with Cincinnati. The tracks ran from east to west through Sharpsburg and still exist in the same location today, parallel to the Norwood Lateral Expressway and passing under the Montgomery Road overpass. The village did not initially have a train station when the railway opened, but the possibility of passenger rail access to Cincinnati generated interest in developing a residential subdivision nearby. In 1868, two early developments were platted in the area north of the railroad, the Joseph G.Langdon Subdivision at Sharpsburg on the east side of Montgomery Road, and the Baker Addition to Sharpsburg on the west. The first train station was opened on Langdon's Sharpsburg development in 1868.

In 1869, Sylvester H. Parvin, Col. Philander P. Lane and Lemuel Bolles purchased the William Ferguson farm north of the Marietta and Cincinnati Railroad tracks and platted an eighty-one-acre subdivision they called Norwood Heights. This was the first recorded use of the name Norwood in the area. It is commonly believed that the person who came up with the name was Sarah Bolles, wife of Lemuel Bolles. In the 1894 book, Norwood, Her Homes and Her People, it was stated that the name "Sharpsburg" was "not considered pretty enough for such a spot, and the suggestion of Mr. and Mrs. Bolles to call it Norwood (an abbreviation of Northwood) met with endorsement, and so it was that the suburb was christened anew."

However, the origin of the name Norwood is commonly disputed. It is also stated that Mrs. Bolles's name for the 1869 Norwood Heights subdivision was inspired by Henry Ward Beecher's popular 1869 novel Norwood: or, Village Life in New England. Others have claimed Mrs. Bolles arrived at the name by combining "North Woods," in reference to Norwood being a wooded area north of Cincinnati. In any case, the new name Norwood was popular enough that the Cincinnati Enquirer reported in 1870 that "the old town of Sharpsburg has been changed to Norwood" and the Sharpsburg post office was officially renamed Norwood the same year. By 1873, a second suburb using the Norwood name, "The Heart of Norwood," was platted on 50-acres west of Montgomery Road at Maple and Elm Avenues. It would later be referred to as "Old Norwood" after newer subdivisions using the name Norwood were built.

Railroads and subdivisions

A passenger train at the Norwood Park Station in 1887. The station was located on the southwest corner of Lafayette Avenue and Smith Road, the location of today's Surrey Square parking lot.

Despite the initial interest in Norwood generated by the arrival of the Marietta and Cincinnati Railroad, the new subdivisions were premature and failed to immediately take off. Only one home, located on the hill east of Norwood Mound, was constructed in the Norwood Heights subdivision. Norwood still remained largely farmland and orchards throughout the 1870s and the population had only grown to 423 people by the end of the decade. Although the Marietta and Cincinnati railroad provided transportation to Cincinnati, it was via an inconvenient circuitous route which followed the Millcreek several miles out of the way to the west. For Norwood to thrive as a suburb, it would need a direct rail connection with downtown.

In 1875, several prominent local property owners in Norwood approached the Lebanon Narrow-gauge Railway Company (later known as the Cincinnati, Lebanon and Northern Railway) to discuss building a passenger railroad between Norwood and downtown Cincinnati. The property owners offered their land to the railroad for use as free right-of-way. The railroad agreed and began to lay tracks from the northeast to southwest through Norwood and Avondale in the late-1870s. These tracks followed Lafayette Avenue and ran behind what is today’s Surrey Square Shopping Center.

Around the same time, construction was started on another railroad, the Cincinnati and Eastern Railway, which was built west to east along the present-day border of Norwood and Evanston. Remains of this line are still visible in the former rail yard south of Lexington Avenue at Regent Avenue. The tracks continued along Wasson Road in Hyde Park, connecting Norwood with Cincinnati's eastern suburbs and ultimately Portsmouth, Ohio. This line merged with the Cincinnati, Lebanon and Northern line southwest of Norwood at Idlewild, which was the name for the area near the present day campus of Xavier University.

In 1881, the northern section of the Cincinnati, Lebanon and Northern opened, connecting Norwood with Lebanon. In 1882, the southern section opened, providing service from Norwood directly to the downtown station at Court Street and Gilbert Avenue. Later in the year, the Cincinnati and Eastern Railway opened, providing passenger service from Norwood to the Mornington Station at Edwards Road in Hyde Park and beyond.

The Hopkins Avenue Station in the early-1890s. This building still stands at 4226 Montgomery Road.

The arrival of the passenger railroad proved to be the catalyst for rapid population growth in Norwood, as Cincinnatians could now work downtown and comfortably commute to their homes in the suburban countryside. Travel time between Norwood and downtown was less than 20 minutes, which was a short commute, even by today's standards.

Within a few years after the opening of the Cincinnati, Lebanon and Northern, several train stations were constructed in Norwood along the route. From south to north, they were Idlewild (north side of Dana Avenue and Idlewild Avenue), Ivanhoe (southeast corner of Ivanhoe Avenue and Williams Avenue), Hopkins (southeast corner of Montgomery Road and Ashland Avenue), Norwood Park (southwest corner of Smith Road and Laffayette Avenue) and East Norwood (southwest of Forest Avenue and Harris Avenue). The Hopkins Station, located at 4226 Montgomery Road, is the last of these buildings still standing. The structure has been occupied by many small businesses since it ceased operation as a passenger station in the late-1920s. The East Norwood Station remained in operation as a railroad control tower, until vandals burned it down in late-May 2000.

Village of Norwood

The 1880s in Norwood were marked by the development of several new subdivisions and significant municipal improvements throughout the village. Starting in 1881, L.C. Hopkins’s platted his East Norwood subdivision on 46-acres of land between Harris Avenue and Highland Avenue (much of this neighborhood was eliminated in the early-1960s with the construction of the Norwood Lateral). It is likely that the Cincinnati, Lebanon and Northern railroad influenced Hopkins to build here as the neighborhood surrounded the newly laid tracks.

The first Norwood Town Hall was constructed in 1882 on donated land on the southwest corner of Montgomery Road and Elm Avenue by elected officials of the Norwood Town Hall Association. The hall was constructed at the demand of local residents who wanted a village center for church services, business activities, dances, plays, and other community functions. The Norwood Town Hall Association was instrumental in leading the effort to incorporate Norwood as a village in later years.

In 1885, development started on the South Norwood subdivision. The first houses were located around Ashland Avenue, which later became known as the “Presidential Neighborhood” because the cross streets were named after the first five United States presidents.

A four-room Central School schoolhouse was erected in 1887 on Montgomery Road (where LaRosa’s Pizza now sits) to meet the education demands of the rapidly growing village. Just one year later, the school house was expanded to eight rooms, as the number of students enrolled had already doubled. The estimated population of the South Norwood, East Norwood and "old" Norwood subdivisions in 1887 was 3,000.

In late-1887, residents of East Norwood raise money to install 18 gas street lamps in their subdivision, making East Norwood the first lighted neighborhood in the village.

Norwood's first fire brigade was organized in South Norwood in January 1888. Only six days later, the brigade was called into action to fight a gasoline fire in the basement of the home of Robert Leslie, which was the first house built on Floral Avenue. Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze using buckets of water and save Mr. Leslie’s home. The house still stands today at 4243 Floral Avenue.

As the village continued to grow, the ambitious leaders of the Town Hall Association knew the only way to sustain continued civic improvements was to incorporate as a village. One of the main incentives for incorporation was to provide public street lighting. The leaders started proceedings in early-1888 and on May 14, 1888, the Village of Norwood was formally incorporated by approval of the County Commissioners of Hamilton County. The signers of the petition were almost the entire male adult population of a total census of 1,000. Three months later, the first municipal elections were held and Dr. John C. Weyer was elected the village's first mayor.

Norwood continued to expand the boundaries of the village in 1889 by annexing land bordering the original subdivisions. The same year, work was started on a new subdivision called Elsmere, between Williams Avenue and Hudson Avenue. In 1891, Norwood Council annexed Elsmere as part of the village. These two annexations were the first of thirteen conducted by Norwood between 1889 and 1981.

Streetcars and Water Works

Around the time of Norwood’s incorporation, local leaders began pushing for an electric streetcar route on Montgomery Road to connect Norwood with downtown. Until this time, Montgomery Road (known as “The Pike”) was a privately owned turnpike, requiring users pay a toll to use the road. This private ownership became a sore spot for local residents who desired public streetcar transportation. With the help of the County Commissioners of Hamilton County and the State of Ohio, Norwood was able to purchase the road for public use and construction was started on an electric railway.

In mid-1891, the Norwood Electric Railway streetcar line was completed between Norwood and Walnut Hills, with the route extending to a turnaround at the Mount Adams Incline. On July 4, 1891, Norwood dedicated the opening of the streetcar line with a grand celebration for the ages. Officials and residents from surrounding communities were invited. The new streetcars and prominent buildings along Montgomery Road were decorated with flags and bunting. A base ball game was played between the "Norwoods" and the visiting "Linwoods," both of the Miami Valley League. At noon, the First Artillery Regiment fired five cannons and then presented a forty-four gun salute. The Great Western Band played "America" at Norwood Town Hall and politicians from as far away as California addressed the crowds. A dance was held in the evening, followed by a fireworks show of rockets, roman candles and fountains. Officials estimated 10,000 people paid the 5-cent fare to ride the streetcar home to Cincinnati after the celebration. Some streetcar stops were crowded with as many as 500 passengers waiting for cars.

School enrollment was so great by 1891, that the Board of Education constructed two new schools to serve the growing district. Williams School (later Williams Avenue Elementary) was opened in on Williams Avenue and Marion School (later North Norwood School) was opened on Marion Avenue. Both buildings were later replaced with newer structures that still stand today.

Water towers in Norwood's Water Tower Park. The tower on the right was constructed in 1894 and supplied Norwood with fresh water pumped from artesian wells that were located south of Harris Avenue near today's Zumbiel Box building.

Clean drinking water was one of the most important issues facing Norwood in its early days. Residents had to rely on private wells, cisterns or streams for their water. In 1892, the citizens of Norwood voted for a public “water works” system to be built, including multiple wells, a pumping station, and a water tower. In 1894, the Norwood Water Works was completed with six artesian wells and a pumping station at the southeast corner of Harris Avenue and Pine Street. A 100-foot steel water tower was constructed west of Norwood Mound, where it still stands today. Nine more wells were eventually drilled and the Water Works supplied Norwood with clean water for sixty-five years. The community marked the opening of the Water Works with a jubilee celebration, and the book Norwood, Her Homes and Her People by Ren Mulford, Jr. and Wertner G. Betty was published as a souvenir for the occasion.

In March 1894, Norwood’s first newspaper, the Norwood Enterprise, began publication. It would stay in print until 1986.

By 1896, Norwood's population grew to approximately 7,000. Continued student enrollment growth required the village to open a fourth 12-room elementary school, Allison Elementary, on Allison Street the same year. An old house on the school lot was converted into Norwood's first high school in 1897.

Early industry

In 1898, George Bullock relocated his Bullock Electric Manufacturing Company to the northeast corner of Forest Avenue and Park avenue and it became one of Norwood's first industrial plants, following McFarlan Lumber Company on Montgomery Pike and the Cincinnati Brick Company on Duck Creek. The plant was eventually acquired by German company, Siemens, and still remains in operation to this day in the same building. In 1900, the Globe Wernicke Company constructed a new factory on a 14-acre site on Carthage Avenue in Norwood for the manufacture of wooden bookcases (the bookcases are now collectible and desirable antiques). In 1901, the United States Playing Card Company moved to its new facilities on Beech Avenue in Norwood. One year later, the American Laundry Machinery Company opened a five-acre factory at Ross and Section Avenues.

City of Norwood

In 1902, the city of Cincinnati made the first of several attempts to annex Norwood. The citizens of Norwood reject the merger by a margin of 55 votes. Later the same year, Norwood citizens voted to incorporate the village as a city, since they were now eligible with a population of 6,480. This issue was decided by the same margin of 55 votes. Norwood’s first city election took place in 1903.

Geography

Norwood is located at 39°9′36″N 84°27′18″W (39.160060, −84.455074).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.15 square miles (8.16 km²), all land.

The southern, eastern, and western areas of the city lie mostly on flat terrain, while the northern half of the city is characterized by a steeper elevation. The highest point in Norwood is at the Norwood Indian Mound burial site in Tower Park at 656 ft (200 m) above sea level. That site is one of the highest land elevations in southwest Ohio. It is believed the burial mound was built at that site due to the high elevation.

Near the burial mound are two large water towers, built in the 19th century, which Norwood uses to store water and regulate water pressure throughout its city. The towers were curious points of interest in the early 20th century. Because they were built with spiral staircases (long since removed), people rode horses or took carriage rides to the towers in order to climb the stairs and view growing Cincinnati to the south and countryside to the north. Norwood is credited with coming to the aid of Cincinnati residents during the Ohio River flood of 1937. Cincinnati's drinking water was largely contaminated so their residents depended on Norwood for fresh water, which Norwood had stored safely in the towers, above flood waters.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1900	6,480		—
1910	16,185		149.8%
1920	24,966		54.3%
1930	33,411		33.8%
1940	34,010		1.8%
1950	35,001		2.9%
1960	34,580		−1.2%
1970	30,420		−12.0%
1980	26,126		−14.1%
1990	23,674		−9.4%
2000	21,675		−8.4%
2010	19,207		−11.4%
2014 (est.)	19,405		1.0%
Sources:

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 19,207 people, 8,320 households, and 4,190 families residing in the city. The population density was 6,097.5 inhabitants per square mile (2,354.3/km²). There were 9,515 housing units at an average density of 3,020.6 per square mile (1,166.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 86.6% White, 7.6% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.0% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.1% of the population.

There were 8,320 households of which 25.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.1% were married couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 49.6% were non-families. 37.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 3.03.

The median age in the city was 33.4 years. 20.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 14.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 30.3% were from 25 to 44; 24.2% were from 45 to 64; and 11.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.9% male and 50.1% female.

As of the 2010 United States Census, The median value of owner-occupied housing units between 2005–2009 was $120,900. The home ownership rate from 2005–2009 was 57.8%. The median household income 2005–2009 was $39,224. The per capita money income in past 12 months (2009 dollars) 2005–2009 was $21,367. People of all ages in poverty from 2005–2009 was 20.6%.

2000 census

During the 2000 United States Census there were 21,675 people, 9,270 households, and 5,154 families residing in the Norwood. The population density was 6,956.5 people per square mile (2,682.3/km²). There were 10,044 housing units at an average density of 3,223.6 per square mile (1,243.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.25% White, 2.35% African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.77% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.88% from other races, and 1.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.85% of the population. There were 9,270 households out of which 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.8% were married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.4% were non-families. 36.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.1% 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 3.04. In the city the age distribution of the population shows 23.4% under the age of 18, 11.9% from 18 to 24, 32.4% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.9 males. The median income for a household in the city was $32,223, and the median income for a family was $39,951. Males had a median income of $31,530 versus $25,852 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,108. About 8.6% of families and 12.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.3% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.

Government

The elected members of Norwood City government are: the mayor, president of council, auditor, treasurer, law director, clerk of council, four ward-specific city council members and three at-large city council members. Norwood City School Board members are also elected. The City of Norwood has its own police, fire, and public works departments. The current mayor of Norwood is Tom Williams.

Economy

Early industry

Norwood has enjoyed a strong tradition of industry and manufacturing dating back to the historic Norwood Brick plant of the late 19th century, which provided clay brick for the construction of many of Cincinnati's historic buildings.

As the city is ideally situated between several major railways, state roads and interstate highways, it has traditionally been an attractive location for businesses and corporations in the area. Norwood was once described as the "Chicago of Hamilton County", for in 1909 it had 49 manufacturing enterprises.

Prominent Norwood industries included: United States Printing & Lithographing Company, U.S. Shoe Corp, Mead Container Corporation, American Laundry Machine Company, Globe Wernicke, Bulloch Electric Company, Allis-Chalmers, Siemens, J.H. Day Corporation, Zumbiel Box, dozens of tool and die makers and other industrial concerns. Corporations founded and still located in Norwood include The United States Playing Card Company and United Dairy Farmers.

However, between 1923 and 1987 the General Motors and Fisher Body automobile assembly plants were far and away the city's major employer in terms of production, payroll and employees. For decades Norwood's fortunes rose (and later fell) with these businesses.

Located across Norwood's main thoroughfare from Norwood City Hall, the Norwood Assembly plant built Chevrolet and Pontiac automobiles and provided Norwood with approximately 35% of its tax base from payroll taxes. The Norwood Plant produced 90% of the Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird "muscle cars" of the 1980s. The prevalence of railroads through the area is a main reason the plant flourished. The railways were able to provide a steady flow of parts into the plant and an equally steady flow of assembled automobiles out of the plant. The plant used the enlarged McCoullough Yard, originally built for the McCoullough Seed Company in the 1920s.

Closing of General Motors

Citing its obsolescence, expense, and high worker absentee rate, GM announced the closing of the Norwood plant and ten other GM facilities on November 6, 1986. The Norwood facility produced its last vehicle August 26, 1987 – a Chevrolet Camaro. At the time of its closing the plant employed approximately 4200 workers. That date came to be known in Norwood as "Black Wednesday".

The closing of the assembly plant nearly dealt a death blow to Norwood's economy. As the main factory building sat vacant (for nearly 10 years), the city faced economic catastrophe and possible bankruptcy if replacement income was not found.

Due to the plant's unique location between Interstate 75, Interstate 71, the Norwood Lateral, U.S. Route 22 and Ohio State Route 561, the city approached GM about tearing down the old plant so Norwood could develop it. Initially GM refused, but after settling an unresolved tax dispute (GM potentially owed the city of Norwood millions of dollars in back taxes) GM agreed to demolish the remaining buildings and to donate ownership of the land to the City of Norwood.

Central Parke revitalization

The rebirth of the former GM Assembly Plant site became the first of several large development projects.

In 1990, the first phase of development took place with the construction of the Central Parke complex on the former GM Assembly site. A new roadway, Wall Street, was built and the Grande Central Station outdoor mall was opened with a discount movie theater along with a mix of restaurants, retail, and light industry businesses. Behind the mall along the newly extended Wesley Avenue, a green space and lake were added in addition to several businesses including a technical college and medical billing firm.

In 1993, phase two took place as the city added a 1,000,000 square feet (93,000 m²) mixed-use light industrial and office building at the northeast corner of Montgomery and Sherman Avenues. Commonly referred to as the Matrixx/Convergys building, the facility opened with two retail financial institutions, a marketing firm, a satellite television customer-service center, a medical consulting/MRI/diagnostic laboratory and telephone company firm as initial tenants. The new office building was conveniently able to utilize the still standing GM Assembly Plant parking garage located on Elm Avenue. Bennett Avenue, a two-block city street, was eliminated with the new construction. Greenspace was added along Montgomery Road.

Rookwood Pavilion

By 1995, successful development of those former GM properties spurred interest by other developers to choose Norwood for further commercial enterprises. The Rookwood Pavilion outdoor shopping plaza was constructed at the former site of the Leblond Machine Tool Company on Edmondson Road. A high-rise office tower with an insurance company, medical clinic, and culinary was constructed on the northern edge of the property. Wildly successful, it was followed in 1997 by an adjoining open-air shopping mall, Rookwood Commons, on Edwards Road. The open-air shopping mall contained an eclectic mix of restaurants, clothing stores, and gift stores, previously not found in Hamilton County. Much of the success of local businesses is due to the central location in Cincinnati, and close proximity to interstates 71 and 75, using Ohio State Route 562, locally known as the Norwood Lateral.

Eminent domain

In 1999, further development was planned for the area located near Interstate 71, between Edwards, Edmondson Road. Cornerstone of Norwood was built at the intersection of Edmondson Road and Williams Avenue. That complex contained a neurological/spinal clinic, adult fitness center and office buildings.

A second development, the $125 million Rookwood Exchange, was planned on the southern edge of this area directly across the street from the Rookwood Pavilion. However, the area where Rookwood Exchange was to be built was already occupied by a small 11-acre (45,000 m²) neighborhood. The city, declaring the neighborhood of about 70 homes and businesses as "blighted", attempted to use eminent domain to obtain the land from the property owners.

Three remaining owners in the neighborhood fought Norwood's use of eminent domain and refused to sell their property. The dispute eventually made national headlines when it was brought before the Ohio Supreme Court in Norwood, Ohio v. Horney. In 2006, the court ruled unanimously for the homeowners and city developers were forced to return ownership of the three properties to the homeowners. The future plans for the site are new restaurants, shopping, cinema, and condominium living. The project was to start spring 2010 and to be completed in 2012 but was forced to be pushed back. The city completed its acquisition of the property and broke ground on Rookwood Exchange in April 2012.

Linden Pointe

View of new construction at Linden Pointe

Norwood continued to develop commercial properties by capitalizing on developing other parcels of land which had been idle for years. In 2006, the city broke ground for the Linden Pointe project at the former American Laundry Machine Company, which closed in the 1990s and Globe Wernicke, which closed in the 1970s, both located near Montgomery Road and the Norwood Lateral. The city had been eying the property for development for several years. However, due to the nature of manufacturing at Globe Wernicke, contaminants were present in the ground which prevented new construction. Norwood was eventually able to utilize federal and state cleanup funds to eliminate those hazards.

By fall 2007, the former American Laundry building had been renovated with the building's original historic facade preserved. The building was re-habbed with "Greening" features and re-opened with a cable-television service center and telephone company. A multi-story office complex was also constructed at the adjoining Globe Wernicke end of the property. As of November, 2007, an architectural firm was the first announced tenant. In order to cater to the new development, the street scape surrounding Linden Pointe was altered for aesthetic and traffic purposes. Several historic buildings on the narrow block at the intersection of Montgomery Road and Carthage Avenue were razed to "open up" the office park's visibility from Interstate 71. Montgomery Road and Norwood Avenues were widened, and two city blocks of Carthage Avenue and an adjoining on-ramp to State Route 562 were permanently closed. A boulevard entrance was added alongside Linden Point along the former West Norwood Avenue. (This street had previously been closed to traffic in the 1970s for urban renewal).

Current and future development

In 2007, Norwood's economic boom continued with the expansion of the Siemens plant located on Forest and Park Avenues. The plant, which assembles and tests large electric motors used in industrial and factory automation, completed a two-year $30 million expansion. The project included: $22 million for new machinery, equipment and technology; $7 million to expand and renovate existing buildings; and $1M in additional needs. The project ensured retention of 337 skilled workforce jobs.

Norwood is also currently in the midst of two additional projects located in the Montgomery Road central business corridor. Surrey Square Mall went through a major expansion with addition of a 76,000-square-foot (7,100 m²) Kroger anchor store, a large cafeteria-sized McDonald's restaurant and several mid-size businesses. The old Sherwin-Williams paint store at the intersection of Montgomery and Smith Roads was torn down in 2007 and the new medical center of Norwood was completed in 2008.

Education

The Norwood City School District consists of three elementary schools: Norwood View, Sharpsburg, and Williams. The district's sole middle and high school are located adjacent to one another on Sherman Avenue. Norwood City School District also operates the Five Points Preschool.

The original Norwood High School was built in 1912 on Sherman Avenue. That building now houses Norwood Middle School. In 1988, the high school gym and offices were used to film several scenes for the Tom Selleck movie "An Innocent Man" (1989). A newer high school was built as a state-of-the-art facility in 1972, and houses a planetarium; greenhouse; swimming pool; and the Pace Telecommunications Center, home of Norwood Community Television, a public, educational, and government access center that serves the Norwood area. Drake Planetarium, named after astronomer and astrophysicist Frank Drake, is linked to NASA.

The mascot of the Norwood City Schools are the Indians.

Norwood High School won the 1936 state title for baseball.

Norwood is also home to Immaculate Conception Academy grade school and high school. This school is part of a group of traditional Catholics that reject the teachings of Vatican II and do not recognize the authority of the Pope. Known as the Society of St. Pius V (SSPV) they are an independent organization and are not in communion with the universal Catholic church. The SSPV broke away from the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) which in turn broke ties with the Catholic church over issues of Vatican II, the traditional Latin mass and others.

Sports and recreation

Norwood Recreation Commission

The Norwood Recreation Commission was established in 1943, by ordinance of the City Council. The commission is unique in that it is a non-political joint effort between the city and Board of Education. The commission consists of five policy makers; two selected by the Board of Education and three appointed by the mayor.

The Norwood Recreation Commission operates and supervises four playgrounds and three swimming pools during the summer months. Permits for ball diamonds, tennis courts and picnic areas are also issued through the Recreation office. The Recreation Commission conducts leagues for 30 softball teams for men and women in addition to assisting and cooperating with the Norwood Knothole Association and Norwood Soccer Association in providing facilities for all their teams. In the past the Norwood Recreation Commission has moved into the schools with its Fall, Winter, and Spring programs.

Swimming pools:

The McCullough House at Lindner Park.

• Burwood Pool
• Victory Pool
• Norwood High School Pool
• Waterworks J.B. Wirth Pool

Parks:

• Burwood Park
• Dorl Park
• Fenwick Park
• Hunter Park
• Lindner Park Nature Preserve
• Marsh Park
• Millcrest Park
• Northwoods Park
• Tower Park
• Victory Park
• Waterworks Park

Nicknames

Norwood is known as the "Gem of the Highlands".

Notable people

The people listed below were all born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Norwood, Ohio

Arts and entertainment

• George Chakiris, Academy Award Winning actor, known for his role as Bernardo, leader of the "Sharks," in the 1961 film West Side Story
• Paul Delph, keyboardist for the band Zoo Drive, played organ on Toni Basil's #1 Billboard hit song "Mickey"
• Henry Farny, French-born painter and illustrator, known for his work depicting Native American life, first artist hired by the Rookwood Pottery Company
• Tim Lucas, novelist and film critic, got his start as film critic and cartoonist for Norwood High School's newspaper The Mirror
• Mr. Dibbs, hip hop producer, touring DJ for Atmosphere and El-P, resident of Norwood
• Jack Mullaney, actor Little Big Man, It's About Time, Ensign O'Toole," and "South Pacific"
• Over The Rhine, Ohio folk music band recorded several albums in their Hopkins Avenue home, "The Grey Ghost"
• Jody Payne, musician, long-time guitarist for Willie Nelson, 1954 graduate of Norwood High School.
• Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, Protestant preacher and author of The Power of Positive Thinking
• Diane Pfister, American artist and art lecturer whose work was first recognized in London, England
• Louis Rebisso, Italian sculptor known for statues of General Grant in Lincoln Park, Chicago and Benjamin Harrison in Piatt Park, Cincinnati
• Janice Rule, film, stage, and television actress 3 Women
• Amanda Tepe, actress who has appeared on The Wizards of Waverly Place, General Hospital, and in Rob Zombie's Halloween
• Vera-Ellen, actress White Christmas
• John Ellsworth Weis, American painter, known for his impressionistic landscapes

Business

• Samuel Frisch, opened Frisch's Stag Lunch in Norwood in 1910, which was the first location of the Frisch's Big Boy restaurant chain
• Carl Lindner, Jr., expanded his father's dairy business into United Dairy Farmers and became one of the world's richest people

Science and medicine

• John Uri Lloyd, pharmacist, scientist, and twice president of the American Pharmaceutical Association
• Frank Bradway Rogers, medical doctor and librarian who was instrumental in changing the Army Medical Library into the National Medical Library
• Brian Werner, wildlife conservationist and founder of the Tiger Missing Link Foundation

Law and politics

• Joseph B. Foraker, 37th Governor of Ohio and a Republican United States Senator
• Joseph Ralston, former Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Supreme Allied Commander for NATO in Europe\

Sports

• Bob Barton, professional baseball player who played catcher in the Major Leagues from 1965–1974
• Carl Bouldin, professional baseball pitcher for the Washington Senators
• Chet Douglas, American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name "Super Fan" Chet Douglas
• Marc Edwards, NFL fullback for the San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns and Super Bowl XXXVI champion New England Patriots
• Roy Golden, Major League Baseball pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals
• Ed Jucker, Head coach of University of Cincinnati NCAA basketball championships in 1961 and 1962 and head coach for the Cincinnati Royals
• Dorothy Kamenshek, professional baseball player for the Rockford Peaches and inspiration for Geena Davis's character in the movie A League Of Their Own
• Ed "Specs" Klieman, American professional baseball player and pitcher for the 1948 World Series champion Indians
• Brad Loesing, American professional basketball player and graduate of Holy Trinity School
• George Miller, American professional baseball player who played catcher for the Cincinnati Red Stockings
• Larry Pape, Major League pitcher, played his entire career for the Boston Red Sox between the 1909 and 1912
• Heinie Peitz, American baseball catcher, played for several MLB teams, including Cincinnati Reds
• Arthur Pickens, American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey, who won the 1908 Kentucky Derby
• Brian Pillman, professional football player with the NFL Cincinnati Bengals and WWE professional wrestler known as "The Loose Canon"
• Thomas Scott, American archer who competed at the 1904 Summer Olympics and holds the record for the oldest archer to appear in the Olympics
• Dominique Steele, American professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship
• Bob Wellman, Professional baseball player for the Philadelphia Athletics who also won more than 1,600 games as a manager in the minor leagues

Religion

• Ralph W. Beiting, founder of the Christian Appalachian Project and author of twelve books on Appalachia and its people
• Joseph R. Binzer, current Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Ohio since 2011
• Robert Daniel Conlon, current Bishop of the Diocese of Joliet, Illinois since 2011
• Paul Vincent Donovan, first Bishop of the Diocese of Kalamazoo from 1971 to 1994
• James Henry Garland, Bishop of the Diocese of Marquette, Michigan from 1992 to 2005
• Henry Joseph Grimmelsmann, first Bishop of Evansville from 1944 to 1965
• Clarence George Issenmann, Bishop of Cleveland from 1966 to 1974
• Paul Francis Leibold, Bishop of Evansville from 1966 to 1969 and Archbishop of Cincinnati from 1969 to 1972
• Edward A. McCarthy, the second Archbishop of Miami, Florida from 1976 to 1974
• Carl K. Moeddel, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati from 1993 to 2007
• Henry K. Moeller, Archbishop of Cincinnati from 1904 to 1925, built St. Mary's Seminary, namesake of Moeller Avenue and Moeller High School
• Anthony John King Mussio, the first Bishop of Steubenville, Ohio from 1945 to 1977
• Leo Aloysius Pursley, Bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend from 1956 to 1976
• George John Rehring, Bishop of Toledo from 1950 to 1967
• Michael William Warfel, current Bishop of the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings, Montana since 2007

Crime

• Robert Bales, United States Army soldier and perpetrator of the 2012 Kandahar massacre
• Alton Coleman, American spree killer who murdered 43-year-old Marlene Walters in her Floral Avenue home during a six-state killing spree in 1984

External links

• City website
• Norwood Recreation Commission
• Norwood Star Newspaper