New Philadelphia in Tuscarawas County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
The History of Tuscarawas County Courthouses
When David Knisely, the founder of New Philadelphia, first arrived in the Tuscarawas Valley on August 27, 1803, he found a sparsely populated, pristine wilderness. Five years later the state legislature approved a bill organizing Tuscarawas County effective March 15, 1808. Shortly thereafter, New Philadelphia was chosen as the county seat, and on April 16, 1808, the first commissioners met at Leininger's tavern. By August, the tavern proved to be an inappropriate location for the county's official business, and the commissioners approved the construction of a two-story, combination jail and county office building on land donated by John Knisely on the northeast corner of the square. By 1818 a new, larger brick courthouse was authorized by the commissioners. This building was occupied in 1825 and served as the courthouse until 1882 when the present structure was approved. Occupied in 1888, the building continues to be the center of the county's business. The beautiful, state-of-the-art annex was dedicated on October 27, 1990.
On February 19, 1803, Ohio Officially became the first state in the federal union to be carved from the Northwest Territory. Five years later, on March 15, 1808, Tuscarawas became the twenty-seventh county to be organized in the new state. Eventually there would be a total of eighty-eight counties. For the next four years, the new county went through seven external boundary changes, as shown in the above maps. Finally, in 1848, it assumed its current and final configuration.
Erected 1995 by The Tuscarawas County Historical Society and The Ohio Historical Society. (Marker Number 3-79.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Political Subdivisions. In addition, it is included in the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection series list. A significant historical month for this entry is February 1830.
Location. 40° 29.384′ N, 81° 26.721′ W. Marker is in New Philadelphia, Ohio, in Tuscarawas County. Marker is at the intersection of East High Avenue (Ohio Route 39) and North Broadway Street (Ohio Route 800), on the right when traveling west on East High Avenue. It is at the outside corner of the square in front of the courthouse. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: New Philadelphia OH 44663, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 5 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Tuscarawas County Civil War Memorial (here, next to this marker); War Saving Stamps (a few steps from this marker); Tuscarawas County World War I Memorial (a few steps from this marker); Congressional Medal of Honor Recipients (a few steps from this marker); Tuscarawas County World War II and Korean Conflict Memorial (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in New Philadelphia.
Also see . . .
1. 1884 History of Tuscarawas County, Ohio. Heritage Pursuit website entry (Submitted on April 22, 2006.)
2. Courthouse History. Tuscarawas County website entry (Submitted on April 22, 2006.)
3. New Philadelphia History. (Submitted on April 23, 2006.)
Credits. This page was last revised on October 28, 2022. It was originally submitted on April 22, 2006, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 1,738 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. submitted on April 22, 2006, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. 8, 9. submitted on October 28, 2022, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio.