Mansfield, Ohio | |
|---|---|
 Skyline of downtown Mansfield | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Nicknames: The Field, the Queen of Ohio | |
| Motto: "The Heart of Ohio" | |
 Interactive map of Mansfield | |
  Mansfield  Mansfield | |
| Coordinates:40°45′12″N82°30′16″W / 40.75333°N 82.50444°W /40.75333; -82.50444 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Ohio |
| County | Richland |
| Founded | June 11, 1808 |
| Incorporated | 1828 (village) |
| – | 1857 (city) |
| Named after | Jared Mansfield |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor–council |
| • Mayor | Jodie Perry (R)[1] |
| Area | |
• City | 30.89 sq mi (80.01 km2) |
| • Land | 30.83 sq mi (79.86 km2) |
| • Water | 0.058 sq mi (0.15 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,204 ft (367 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• City | 47,534 |
| • Density | 1,541.6/sq mi (595.23/km2) |
| • Urban | 75,250 (US:372nd) |
| • Metro | 124,936 (US:322th) |
| • CSA | 219,408 (US:130th) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes | 44901-44907 |
| Area code | 419/567 |
| FIPS code | 39-47138[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1086879[2] |
| Website | www.ci.mansfield.oh.us |
Mansfield is a city inRichland County, Ohio, United States, and itscounty seat.[4] The population was 47,534 at the2020 census.[5] Located approximately halfway betweenCleveland andColumbus viaInterstate 71, it is part ofNortheast Ohio region in the western foothills of theAllegheny Plateau.
The city was founded in 1808 on a fork of theMohican River in a hilly region surrounded by fertile farmlands, and became a manufacturing center owing to its location with numerous railroad lines. After the decline ofheavy industry, the city's economy has since diversified into aservice economy, including retailing, education, and healthcare sectors.
The city anchors theMansfield Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a population of 124,936 residents in 2020,[6] while theMansfield–Ashland–Bucyrus, OH Combined Statistical Area had 219,408 residents.[7] Mansfield is the largest city in the Mid-Ohio region. Its officialnickname is "The Fun Center of Ohio"; Mansfield is also known as the "Carousel Capital of Ohio."[8]
Mansfield was laid out and founded by James Hedges, Joseph Larwell, and Jacob Newman, and wasplatted in June 1808 as asettlement. It was named for ColonelJared Mansfield, the United StatesSurveyor General who directed its planning.[9][10]
It was originally platted as a square, known today as thepublic square or Central Park.[9] During that same year of its founding, a log cabin was built by Samuel Martin on lot 97 (where the H.L. Reed building is now), making it the first and only house to be built in Mansfield in 1808.[9] Martin lived in the cabin during the winter and illegally sold whiskey to Indians, which compelled Martin to flee the country. James Cunningham moved into the cabin in the year of 1809.[11] At that time, there were less than a dozen settlers inRichland County andOhio was still largelywilderness.[9]
Twoblockhouses were erected on the public square during theWar of 1812 for protection against theNorth American colonies and its Indian allies.[9] The block houses were erected in a single night.[12] After the war ended, the firstcourthouse andjail of Richland County were located in one of two blockhouses until 1816.[9][13] The blockhouse was later used as a school with Eliza Wolf being its teacher.[14]Mansfield was incorporated as a village in 1828 and then as a city in 1857 with a population of 5,121.[15] Between 1846 and 1863, therailroads came to the city with theSandusky, Mansfield and Newark Railroad being the first railroad to reach Mansfield in 1846, thePittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railway in 1849, and theAtlantic and Great Western Railroad in 1863.[16] The city was a center of manufacturing and trade in the late 1880s thanks to the four railroads that passed through the community.
Dozens of manufacturing businesses operated in the city, producing goods likebrass objects, doors,linseed oil, paper boxes,suspenders, and numerous other items. Mansfield's largest employer in 1888 was a cigar maker, Hautzenroeder & Company, that had 285 workers employed.[17] In 1888,Frank B. Black borrowed $5,000 from relatives to start abrass foundry, theOhio Brass Company, specializing in brass and bronze castings, stem brass goods,electric railway supplies and more.[18] By 1890, 13,473 people lived in the city.
By 1908, the blockhouse became a symbol of Mansfield's heritage during its 100th birthday celebration, and in 1929, the blockhouse was relocated to its present location at South Park.[9][13]
TheMansfield Tire and Rubber Company was founded in the city in 1912, producing tires for automobiles.[19]
During the 1920s and 1930s, the Mansfield tire brand stood shoulder to shoulder withGoodyear,Goodrich,Firestone andUniroyal, the "Big Four" tire name brands in the industry at the time.[19] The Mansfield Tire and Rubber Company continued to grow through the 1950s and 1960s, before its production started to decline in the 1970s.[19] The company declared bankruptcy in the early 1980s, after closing in 1979, leaving 1,721 workers out of a job.[19][20]
In 1913, parts of Mansfield were flooded when theGreat Flood of 1913 brought 3 to 8 inches (76 to 203 mm) of rainfall acrossOhio between March 24 and 25.[21][22] The first road acrossAmerica, theLincoln Highway, came to the city in 1913, smoothing the path for economic growth.[23] In 1924,Oak Hill Cottage, aGothic Revival brick house, built in 1847 by John Robinson, superintendent of the Sandusky, Mansfield and Newark Railroad was the setting ofThe Green Bay Tree, Mansfield nativeLouis Bromfield'sfirst novel.[24]
In 1927, the 9-story Leland Hotel was constructed downtown on the southwest corner of Park Avenue West and South Walnut Street at a cost of $556,000.[25] The Leland Hotel was the tallest building in Mansfield when completed, and was designed by architectVernon Redding, that also designed the Mansfield Public Library, Farmers Bank Building, Mansfield Savings Bank Building and Mansfield General Hospital.[25] The hotel was razed in 1976 to make way for a parking lot.[25][26] What remains of the Leland Hotel today is the hotel'scompass rose that was embedded in the sidewalk along Walnut Street where the front door of the hotel once was.[25]
Like many cities in theRust Belt, the 1970s and 1980s broughturban blight, and losses of significant household nameblue-collar manufacturing jobs.[27] In recent years, Mansfield's downtown, which once underscored the community's economic difficulties, has seen innovative revitalization through the establishment of Main Street Mansfield (known today as Downtown Mansfield, Inc.), and is a site of new business growth.[27][28] In 1993,Lydia Reid was sworn in as the city's first female mayor and became the longest-serving mayor of Mansfield encompassing three four-year terms.[29] Reid was succeeded in 2007 byDonald Culliver, the city's first black mayor.[30]
In December 2009, the city was placed on fiscal watch by thestate auditor citing substantial deficit balances in structural operating general funds.[31] On August 19, 2010, Mansfield would become Ohio's largest city to be declared in fiscal emergency with a deficit of $3.8 million after city officials failed to pass measures on cost-savings and cut spending, blaming it on theGreat Recession.[31][32] The city's financial crisis lasted nearly four years before being lifted out of fiscal emergency on July 9, 2014.[33]
Mansfield, in partnership with local and national partners, is addressing blight and economic stagnation in the city center.[34]
Mansfield is located at40°45′17″N82°31′22″W / 40.75472°N 82.52278°W /40.75472; -82.52278 (40.754856, −82.522855),[35] directly betweenColumbus andCleveland, however, the city lies in the western foothills of theAllegheny Plateau, and itselevation is among the highest of Ohio cities. The highest point in the city 1,493 feet (455 m) abovesea level is located at the Woodland Reservoir, an underground water storage (service reservoir) along Woodland Road in southwest Mansfield. The elevation in downtown Mansfield, which is located at Central Park is 1,240 feet (378 m) above sea level, and at Mansfield Lahm Airport, the elevation is 1,293 feet (394 m) above sea level.[36] The highest point in Richland County, second highest point in Ohio (afterCampbell Hill) is between 1,510 feet (460 m) and 1,520 feet (463 m) above sea level is located southwest of the city, just off Lexington-Ontario Road at Apple Hill Orchards inSpringfield Township.[37]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 30.92 square miles (80.08 km2), of which, 30.87 square miles (79.95 km2) is land and 0.05 square miles (0.13 km2) is water.[38]
Mansfield is bordered byMadison Township to the east, northwest and southwest,Franklin Township to the north,Weller Township to the northeast,Washington Township to the south,Troy Township to the southwest,Springfield Township and the suburban city ofOntario to the west.
Mansfield has ahumid continental climate (KöppenDfa), typical of theMidwest, with four distinct seasons.[39] The city and surrounding area of Richland County is located inUSDAhardiness zone 6a (-10 °F to -5 °F).[40] Winters are cold and dry but typically bring a mix of rain, sleet, and snow with occasional heavy snowfall and icing. January is the coldest month with an average mean temperature of 26.5 °F (−3 °C),[39] with temperatures dropping to or below 0 °F (−18 °C) 5 days per year on average.[39] Snowfall is lighter than in thesnowbelt areas to the northeast, but is still somewhat influenced byLake Erie, located 38 miles (61 km) north of the city. Snowfall averages 49.2 inches (125 cm) per season.[39] The greatest 24-hour snowfall was 23 inches (58 cm) on December 22–23, 2004 when the city was impacted by a major ice storm following thePre-Christmas 2004 snowstorm, bringing with it a band of freezing rain and sleet led by ice and snow accumulations.[41] Another notable snowstorm to impact the region was theGreat Blizzard of 1978. The snowiest month on record was 52.5 inches (133 cm) in February 2010, while winter snowfall amounts have ranged from 91.0 in (231 cm) in 1995–96 to 12.5 in (32 cm) in 1932–33.[42] Springs are short with rapid transition from hard winter to sometimes very warm, and humid conditions. Summers are typically very warm, sometimes hot, and humid with temperatures exceeding 90 °F (32 °C) 8 days per year on average.[39] July is the warmest month with an average mean temperature of 72.6 °F (23 °C).[39]Fall usually is the dryest season with many clear warm days and cool nights. SevereThunderstorms are not uncommon during the spring, summer, and fall bring with them the threat of largehail, damaging winds and in rare casestornadoes. Flooding can also occur from time to time such as the2007 Midwest flooding that took place in the region on August 20–21, 2007 when Mansfield received 6.24 inches (158 mm) of rain in 24 hours.[43] Monthly precipitation has ranged from 13.23 in (336 mm) in July 1992 to 0.25 in (6.4 mm) in December 1955, while for annual precipitation the historical range is 67.22 in (1,707 mm) in 1990 to 21.81 in (554 mm) in 1963.[42]
The all-time record high temperature in Mansfield of 105 °F (41 °C) was established on July 21, 1934, which occurred during theDust Bowldrought of the 1930s, and the all-time record low temperature of −22 °F (−30 °C) was set on January 20, 1985, and January 19, 1994.[39] The first and last freezes of the season on average fall on October 19 and April 27, respectively, allowing a growing season of 174 days.[39] The normal annual mean temperature is 50.6 °F (10.3 °C).[39] Normal yearlyprecipitation based on the 30-year average from 1991 to 2020 is 42.49 inches (1,079 mm), falling on an average 150 days.[39]
| Climate data for Mansfield, Ohio (Mansfield Lahm Airport), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1899–present[a] | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 69 (21) | 74 (23) | 84 (29) | 87 (31) | 95 (35) | 101 (38) | 105 (41) | 103 (39) | 97 (36) | 90 (32) | 79 (26) | 73 (23) | 105 (41) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 57.5 (14.2) | 59.5 (15.3) | 69.7 (20.9) | 79.2 (26.2) | 85.9 (29.9) | 90.7 (32.6) | 90.8 (32.7) | 89.6 (32.0) | 87.4 (30.8) | 80.2 (26.8) | 68.1 (20.1) | 59.0 (15.0) | 92.1 (33.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 34.0 (1.1) | 37.0 (2.8) | 46.9 (8.3) | 60.4 (15.8) | 71.1 (21.7) | 79.4 (26.3) | 82.8 (28.2) | 81.2 (27.3) | 75.0 (23.9) | 62.8 (17.1) | 49.6 (9.8) | 38.6 (3.7) | 59.9 (15.5) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 26.5 (−3.1) | 29.1 (−1.6) | 37.8 (3.2) | 49.7 (9.8) | 60.3 (15.7) | 69.0 (20.6) | 72.6 (22.6) | 71.0 (21.7) | 64.4 (18.0) | 53.0 (11.7) | 41.5 (5.3) | 31.8 (−0.1) | 50.6 (10.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 19.1 (−7.2) | 21.2 (−6.0) | 28.7 (−1.8) | 38.9 (3.8) | 49.6 (9.8) | 58.6 (14.8) | 62.3 (16.8) | 60.8 (16.0) | 53.7 (12.1) | 43.1 (6.2) | 33.4 (0.8) | 25.0 (−3.9) | 41.2 (5.1) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −2.3 (−19.1) | 2.1 (−16.6) | 10.2 (−12.1) | 23.4 (−4.8) | 34.8 (1.6) | 44.3 (6.8) | 51.2 (10.7) | 49.5 (9.7) | 39.7 (4.3) | 29.0 (−1.7) | 17.6 (−8.0) | 6.5 (−14.2) | −5.3 (−20.7) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −22 (−30) | −21 (−29) | −20 (−29) | 8 (−13) | 20 (−7) | 32 (0) | 40 (4) | 32 (0) | 22 (−6) | 17 (−8) | −17 (−27) | −20 (−29) | −22 (−30) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 3.22 (82) | 2.53 (64) | 3.34 (85) | 4.27 (108) | 4.19 (106) | 4.79 (122) | 3.86 (98) | 3.60 (91) | 3.36 (85) | 3.16 (80) | 3.15 (80) | 3.02 (77) | 42.49 (1,079) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 14.5 (37) | 12.7 (32) | 7.6 (19) | 1.9 (4.8) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.5 (1.3) | 2.3 (5.8) | 9.7 (25) | 49.2 (125) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 15.8 | 13.4 | 14.0 | 14.6 | 14.2 | 12.7 | 10.8 | 10.2 | 9.6 | 11.3 | 11.7 | 14.3 | 152.6 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 11.3 | 9.3 | 6.1 | 1.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 2.8 | 7.7 | 39.3 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 76.1 | 73.5 | 70.7 | 65.2 | 68.0 | 71.3 | 71.4 | 74.8 | 74.8 | 70.2 | 74.8 | 78.0 | 72.4 |
| Source:NOAA (relative humidity 1961–1990)[b][39][44][45][46] | |||||||||||||
 | This section needs to beupdated. The reason given is: Demographic data from the 2020 Census is now available. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(November 2021) |
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 288 | — | |
| 1830 | 840 | 191.7% | |
| 1840 | 1,328 | 58.1% | |
| 1850 | 3,557 | 167.8% | |
| 1860 | 4,581 | 28.8% | |
| 1870 | 8,029 | 75.3% | |
| 1880 | 9,859 | 22.8% | |
| 1890 | 13,473 | 36.7% | |
| 1900 | 17,640 | 30.9% | |
| 1910 | 20,768 | 17.7% | |
| 1920 | 27,824 | 34.0% | |
| 1930 | 33,525 | 20.5% | |
| 1940 | 37,154 | 10.8% | |
| 1950 | 43,564 | 17.3% | |
| 1960 | 47,325 | 8.6% | |
| 1970 | 55,047 | 16.3% | |
| 1980 | 53,927 | −2.0% | |
| 1990 | 50,627 | −6.1% | |
| 2000 | 49,346 | −2.5% | |
| 2010 | 47,821 | −3.1% | |
| 2020 | 47,534 | −0.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[47]2020 census[5] | |||
As of thecensus[48] of 2010, there were 47,821 people, 18,696 households, and 10,655 families residing in the city. Thepopulation density was 1,549.1 inhabitants per square mile (598.1/km2). There were 22,022 housing units at an average density of 713.4 per square mile (275.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 73.3%White, 22.1%African American, 0.2%Native American, 0.7%Asian, 0.1%Pacific Islander, 0.5% fromother races, and 3.0% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 1.9% of the population.
There were 18,696 households, of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.0% weremarried couples living together, 16.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.0% were non-families. 37.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.88.
The median age in the city was 38.5 years. 20.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28% were from 25 to 44; 26% were from 45 to 64; and 15.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 53.0% male and 47.0% female.
As of thecensus[3] of 2000, there were 49,346 people, 20,182 households, and 12,028 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,649.8 inhabitants per square mile (637.0/km2). There were 22,267 housing units at an average density of 744.6 per square mile (287.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 76.77%White, 19.65%African American, 0.28%Native American, 0.63%Asian, 0.04%Pacific Islander, 0.56% fromother races, and 2.07% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 1.23% of the population.[49]
There were 20,182 households, out of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.5% weremarried couples living together, 15.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.4% were non-families. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% 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 2.93.[49]
In the city the population was spread out, with 23.9% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.1 males.[49]
The median income for a household in the city was $30,176, and the median income for a family was $37,541. Males had a median income of $30,861 versus $21,951 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $17,726. About 13.2% of families and 16.3% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 24.5% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over.[49]
As of 2000, speakers ofEnglish accounted for 95.98% of residents,Spanish by 1.46%,German by 1.11%, andFrench speakers comprised 0.56% of the population.[50]
Other languages that were spoken throughout the city includeChinese at 0.21%,Italian at 0.17%,Japanese at 0.11%, andGreek at 0.10% of the population.[50] Mansfield also has a small percentage of residents who speakfirst languages other than English at home (4.02%).[50]
| Top Employers based in Mansfield, Ohio Source: Richland Community Development Group[51] | |||||
| Rank | Company/Organization | # | |||
| 1 | OhioHealth (formerly MedCentral) | 2,500 | |||
| 2 | Richland County | 1,474 | |||
| 3 | Newman Technology | 1,100 | |||
| 4 | Jay Industries | 943 | |||
| 5 | Gorman-Rupp Company | 809 | |||
| 6 | CenturyLink | 800 | |||
| 7 | Therm-O-Disc | 721 | |||
| 8 | Mansfield Board of Education | 700 | |||
| 9 | DOFASCO Corp. (Copperweld) | 666 | |||
| 10 | Mansfield Correctional Institution (MANCI) | 621 | |||
| 11 | City of Mansfield | 575 | |||
| 12 | Richland Correctional Institution (RICI) | 443 | |||
| 13 | AK Steel Corp. | 389 | |||
| 14 | School Specialty, Inc. | 381 | |||
| 15 | Walmart | 314 | |||
| 16 | Kroger | 300 | |||
| 17 | 179th Airlift Wing | 275 | |||
Mansfield's greatest period of industrial development was led by the city'shome appliances andstove manufacturing industries, includingWestinghouse Electric Corporation and theTappan Stove Company.[52][53] Westinghouse was the city's largest employer in the late 1950s, with over 8,000 employees, specializing inelectric lighting,industrial heating andengineering, and home appliances.[53] In 1990, when Westinghouse was known as Mansfield Products Company (Laundry Division of White-Westinghouse), there were 643 employed when it closed.[53]
However, like many cities in therust belt, Mansfield experienced a large decline in itsmanufacturing andretail sectors. Beginning with thesteel Recession of the 1970s, the loss of jobs to overseas manufacturing, prolongedlabor disputes, and deteriorating factory facilities all contributed to heavy industry leaving the area.Mansfield Tire and Rubber Company,[19]Ohio Brass Company,[18] Westinghouse,[53] Tappan and many other manufacturing plants were either bought-out, relocated or closed, leaving only theAK Steel plant in Mansfield as the last remaining heavy industry employers. The AK Steel Mansfield Works production facility, formerly Armco Steel, was the location of a violent 3-yearUnited SteelworkersUnionlock-out and strike from 1999 to 2002.[54] On June 1, 2009,General Motors filed forChapter 11 bankruptcy protection and announced that its Ontario stamping plant (Mansfield-Ontario Metal Center) would close in June 2010.[55]
With the loss of the jobs,locally owned businesses in downtown Mansfield closed, as did much of the retail built in the 1960s along Park Avenue West (formerly known as "The Miracle Mile") and Lexington Avenue. Newbig-box retail,shopping strips andfranchise restaurants have been built in the adjacentsuburban city of Ontario, which has replaced Mansfield as the retail hub for Richland County and north-central Ohio.
The city has sought to diversify its economy to become less dependent on its strugglingmanufacturing sector. Remaining manufacturers in Mansfield include steel manufacturerAK Steel,Honda supplierNewman Technology Incorporated, generator manufacturerIdeal Electric Company (formerly Hyundai Ideal Electric Company),[56] thermostats manufacturerTherm-O-Disc,[57] pumps manufacturer TheGorman-Rupp Company,[58] carousel manufacturer The Carousel Works, Inc.,[59]business process outsourcing company StarTek,[60] educational products supplier School Specialty, Inc. has a distribution center in Mansfield,[61] andMansfield Engineered Components,[62] a designer and manufacturer of motion control components for the appliance, transportation, medical casegoods and general industrial markets. Mansfield's healthcare industry includesOhioHealth (formerly MedCentral Health System), the city's largest employer and the largest in Richland County.[63] The hospital is the city's primary provider of health care and serves as the major regionaltrauma center for north-central Ohio.[64]
Mansfield is also home of three well-known food companies.Isaly Dairy Company (AKAIsaly's) was a chain of family-owned dairies and restaurants started by William Isaly in the early 1900s until the 1970s, famous for creating theKlondike Bar ice cream treat, popularized by theslogan "What would you do for a Klondike Bar?".Stewart's Restaurants is a chain of root beer stands started by Frank Stewart in 1924, famous for theirStewart's Fountain Classics line of premium beverages now sold worldwide. The Jones Potato Chip Company, started by Frederick W. Jones in 1945 and famous for their Jones Marcelled Potato Chips, is headquartered in Mansfield.[65]
From the 1950s through the 1970s, Mansfield was the home of the infamousHighway Safety Foundation, the organization that created the controversial driver's education scare films that featured gruesome film photography taken at fatal automobile accidents in the Mansfield area.[66] The films includeSignal 30 (1959),Mechanized Death (1961),Wheels of Tragedy (1963), andHighways of Agony (1969). In addition, the Highway Safety Foundation produced other controversial education films includingThe Child Molester andCamera Surveillance (both 1964).
In 1962, The Highway Safety Foundation loaned camera equipment to the Mansfield Police Department to film the escapades of some of the city's homosexual men, who met for sexual relations in an underground public restroom on the north side of Central Park. The men filmed were charged under Ohio's sodomy law, and all served a minimum of one year in the state penitentiary. The resulting footage, combined with overdubbed audio commentary by officials of the Mansfield Police Department, was eventually compiled by HSF as the 1964 filmCamera Surveillance. Video artist William E. Jones ofMassillon, Ohio, obtained copies of the original footage shot by the Mansfield Police Department. Jones transferred the grainy color footage of the original police surveillance films to video and removed the police commentary, presenting it as a silent piece entitledTearoom (2007). Jones' film was featured in an exhibit at theWhitney Museum of American Art inNew York in 2008.
Mansfield has also been used as a location for several big-budgetHollywood movies; among the most notable of these wereThe Shawshank Redemption,[67]Air Force One, andTango & Cash, all of which featured theOhio State Reformatory as a backdrop in pivotal scenes.
Robert F. Simon (1908–1992), an Americancharacter actor who appeared in film and on television from 1950 to 1985, was born in Mansfield.
Escape Plan: The Extractors[68]
The Mansfield/Mehock Relays, an annual two-day invitational track and field meet for high school boys and girls, held in April since 1927 (except for Second World War years), began on the initiative of Harry Mehock, track coach at hostMansfield Senior High School.
TheMiss Ohio Pageant (Miss America preliminary), hosted by Mansfield since 1975, is staged annually atThe Renaissance.[69]
The Richland County Fair is also held in Mansfield, at the Richland County Fairgrounds.[70] The fair is held in the beginning of August. The fair started on October 26, 1849.[71] In 1872 and 1873, Mansfield also hosted theOhio State Fair.[71] At the fair there are several rides, livestock judging.
Annual masterclasses given by world-famous master musicians are presented byMid-Ohio Opera. They are hosted byThe Ohio State University Mansfield in the John and Pearl Conard Performance Hall.
Mansfield is home to the oldOhio State Reformatory, constructed between 1886 and 1910 to resemble a German castle. The supervising architect wasFriedrich Ferdinand Schnitzer, who was responsible for construction and was presented with a silver double inkwell by the governor of the state in a ceremony to thank him for his services.[72] The reformatory is located north of downtown Mansfield onOhio 545, and has been the location for many major films,[73] includingThe Shawshank Redemption,Harry and Walter Go to New York,Air Force One andTango & Cash.[74]
Most of the prison yard has now been demolished to make room for expansion of the adjacent Mansfield Correctional Institution and Richland Correctional Institution, but the Reformatory's Gothic-style Administration Building remains standing and due to its prominent use in films, has become a tourist attraction. The building is used during theHalloween season each year as a haunted attraction known as "Blood Prison". Many people visit Mansfield to take part in the haunted tour, some from as far as Michigan and Indiana.[74][75]
Located in the heart of downtown, theMansfield Memorial Museum, built in 1887, and opened to the public in 1889 as the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall, is a museum of many differentexhibits.[76]Oak Hill Cottage, located amongst the ruins of Mansfield's once mighty industrial district, is aGothic Revival brick house, built in 1847. One of the most perfectCarpenter Gothic houses in the United States, it is operated by the Richland County Historical Society.[24] Located in the Woodland neighborhood, theMansfield Art Center, opened in 1945, is a visual arts organization.[77]BibleWalk (formerly The Living Bible Museum), opened in 1987, is Ohio's only life-size wax museum.[78] The Bissman Building (known as theBissman Block), built in 1886, used to be open for tours from March to November until they were discontinued in 2019.[79]
Anchored by the Richland Carousel District,[80] downtown Mansfield is home to a number of attractions and arts venues.[81] Concert events in the downtown Brickyard venue have drawn crowds numbering over 5,000 people.[82]
The Renaissance Performing Arts Association at home in the historicRenaissance Theatre annually presents and produces Broadway-style productions, classical music, comedy, arts education programs, concerts, lectures, and family events to more than 50,000 people. The Renaissance Performing Arts is home of the Mansfield Symphony Orchestra.[83] Downtown is also home to two ballet companies, NEOS Ballet Theatre and Richland Academy Dance Ensemble who both perform and offer community dance opportunities in downtown.[84][85]Mid-Ohio Opera offers performances of full opera and smaller concerts.[86][87][88]
TheRenaissance Theatre, built in 1927 and opened in 1928 as the Ohio Theatre, is a historic 1,402 seat movie palace theatre located in downtown Mansfield that presents and produces a range of arts and cultural performances, and is the home of theMiss Ohio Pageant (Miss America preliminary) and the Mansfield Symphony.[89]
Mid-Ohio Opera is an opera production company based in downtown Mansfield, Ohio. Started in 2014, Mid-Ohio Opera produces operas and classical vocal concerts in the original languages.[90]
The downtown area is the home of theMansfield Playhouse, founded in 1929 is Ohio's second oldest, and one of its most successful, community theatres.[91]
Mansfield has 33 parks ranging in size from the one-half-acre (2,000 m2) Betzstone Park to the 35-acre (140,000 m2) South Park.[92] There are also several publicgolf courses in and around the city. These include Coolridge Golf Course, Forest Hills, Oaktree, Twin Lakes and Wooldridge Woods Golf and Swim Club.[93]
Located in downtown Mansfield's Historic Carousel District is theRichland Carousel Park, opened in 1991. It is the first hand-carved indoor woodencarousel to be built and operated in the United States since the early 1930s. It was built by Carousel Works Inc.[94][95]Kingwood Center, a 47-acre (19 ha) estate and gardens, is the former home of Ohio Brass industrialist Charles Kelly King.[96][97] Snow Trails Ski Resort is Ohio's oldest ski resort, opened in 1961, and highest at 1,475 feet (450 m). With 16 runs, it is one of the fewskiing locations in Ohio.[98]
The Richland B&O Bike Trail, opened in 1995 and operated by the Richland County Park District, is a paved 18.3-mile (29.5 km) hiking and bicycle trail laid out on the abandoned Baltimore & Ohio rail branch line from Butler viaBellville and Lexington to North Lake Park in Mansfield.[99]
Mansfield has amayor-council government. The mayor who is elected every four years, always in November, one year beforeUnited States presidential elections and limited to a maximum of three terms. Mayors are traditionally inaugurated on or around the first of December. The current mayor is Jodie Perry, aRepublican, elected in 2023.[1]
Mansfield city council is an eight-member legislative group that serve four-year terms. Six of the members represent specific wards; two are elected citywide as at-large council members.[100] Democrat Phillip Scott has been Mansfield's council president since January 2024.[101][102] The members of the city council are:
| Ward | City Council Member | Ward | City Council Member |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Ward | Laura Burns[103] | 5th Ward | Aurelio Diaz[104] |
| 2nd Ward | Cheryl Meier[105] | 6th Ward | Deborah Mount[106] |
| 3rd Ward | Eleazer Akuchie[107] | At-Large | David Falquette[108] |
| 4th Ward | Antoinette Daley[109] | At-Large | Shari Robertson[110] |
The city is represented in theOhio House of Representatives byMarilyn John (R) from the 76th district; in theOhio Senate byMark Romanchuk (R) from the 22nd Ohio Senate District; in theU.S. House of Representatives byJim Jordan (R) fromOhio's 4th congressional district; and in theU.S. Senate byJon Husted (R) andBernie Moreno (R).
The City of Mansfield is policed by aMunicipal Police Department, the Mansfield Division of Police.[111] According to theFBI statistics, Mansfield has a high violent crime rate. Mansfield's crime rate is worse than 89.5% higher than other cities in the United States.Property crime rate was more than double the state average. There were 187violent offenses, 3murders, 48forcible rapes, 38robberies and 98aggravated assaults that were reported in 2019, compared with 1,996 property crimes (396burglaries, 1,523larceny-thefts, 77motor vehicle thefts and 17 incidents ofarson) that were reported that same year.[112] Neighborhoodscout.com reported a crime rate of 42.83 per 1000 residents for property crimes, and 4.01 per 1000 for violent crimes in 2019 (compared to national figures of 21.11 per 1000 for property crimes and 3.8 per 1000 for violent crimes in 2019).[112]
In 2018 the city celebrated the 80th anniversary ofSafety Town, a free program developed in Mansfield for pre-kindergarten children about pedestrian safety. Over the years the program, through the efforts of the National Safety Town Center, has been improved to include all aspects of child safety. Programs operate in over 4,000 communities in the US and 38 other countries.
Mansfield Public Schools enroll 4,591 students in publicprimary andsecondary grades.[113] The district has 8 public schools including one Spanish immersion school, two elementary schools, one intermediate school, one middle school, one high school, and one alternative school. Other than public schools, the city is home to two private Catholic schools,St. Mary's Catholic School andSt. Peter's High School along with St. Peter's Junior High and St. Peter's Elementary School and two Christian schools,Mansfield Christian School and Temple Christian School. Discovery School, an International Baccalaureate candidate school, is the only non denominational private school in this area. TheMadison Local School District serves eastern parts of Mansfield, neighboringMadison Township, most ofMifflin Township, and parts ofWashington Township.[114]
Mansfield is home to three institutions of higher learning. TheOhio State University has a regional campus at Mansfield,[115]North Central State College, a community college that shares the Mansfield Campus with OSU,[116] andAshland University'sDwight Schar College of Nursing & Health Sciences, a newly constructed 46,000-square-footacademic andnursing building that opened for classes on August 20, 2012, is a private institution of higher education, located on the university's Balgreen Campus at Trimble Road and Marion Avenue in Mansfield, offering programs of study leading to thebaccalaureate degree in nursing.[117]
TheMayor's Education Task Force was founded created in October 2008 in a response to the district's academic emergency status and low community support for the Mansfield City Public School system.[118]
OSU-Mansfield, in 1989, hosted aweekend school for Japanese students.[119]
The Mansfield/Richland County Public Library (M/RCPL) has been serving residents of north-central Ohio since 1887.[120] The system has nine branches throughout Richland County including the main library in downtown Mansfield and locations inBellville,Butler,Crestview,Lexington,Lucas,Madison Township,Ontario, andPlymouth.
Mansfield is served in print by theMansfield News Journal, the city's daily traditionalnewspaper,[121] and theRichland Source, a digital newspaper.[122] A defunct newspaper is theMansfield Shield, which ran from 1892 to 1912 as theMansfield Daily Shield, and then from 1912 to 1913 as theMansfield Shield.[123]
The Mid-Ohio region—which encompasses Mansfield—has only one locally targeted full power television station, which isWMFD-TV 68, the first independentdigital station in America.[124] The station provides Mid-Oho focused newscasts, local interest shows, and high school sports telecasts. Mansfield—being halfway between Cleveland and Columbus—is also served (albeit at a fringe level) by stations in those markets as well.
16 stations directly serve the Mansfield/Ashland (Mid-Ohio) area. Music stations includeadult contemporary stationsWVNO-FM andWQIO,WFXN-FM (Classic Rock),WYHT (Hot AC),WNCO-FM (Country),WSWR FM (Classic hits),WXXF (Soft AC),Christian contemporary stationsWVMC-FM andWYKL (K-Love),WOSV (classical music – repeater ofWOSAColumbus) andWRDL (Contemporary hits - owned byAshland University).
WMAN AM/FM serve as the market's onlynews/talk outlets.WRGM 1440 AM/106.7 FM (ESPN) andWNCO (Fox) both have sports/talk formats, andWFOT (EWTN) provides a religious format as a repeater ofWNOCToledo.
Mansfield's first AM-radio station (1926) was WLGV (later WJW Mansfield). The Mansfield studio and transmitter were on the ninth floor of theRichland Trust Building. WJW moved toAkron in 1932. The WJW call letters were later reassignedWJW, based inCleveland (nowWKNR).
Mansfield is located on a major east–west highway corridor that was originally known in the early 1900s as "Ohio Market Route 3". This route was chosen in 1913 to become part of the historicLincoln Highway which was the first road acrossAmerica, connectingNew York City toSan Francisco. The arrival of the Lincoln Highway to Mansfield was a major influence on the development of the city. Upon the advent of the federal numbered highway system in 1928, the Lincoln Highway through Mansfield on Park Avenue East and Park Avenue West becameU.S. Route 30.
On September 1, 1928, the Lincoln Highway was marked coast-to-coast with approximately 3000 concrete posts set by theBoy Scouts of America. Each post featured a medallion ofAbraham Lincoln's profile. One of these concrete markers was erected at curbside in front of Central Methodist Episcopal Church, 378 Park Avenue West. It now stands in downtown's Central Park, on Park Avenue's center divider. The Lincoln Highway Association observed the highway's centennial in June 2013. The celebration's eastern transcontinental tour group visited Mansfield for an overnight stay on June 25 at the Holiday Inn on Park Avenue West, the highway's route through the city.
Mansfield is connected to theInterstate Highway System. Three highway exits fromInterstate 71 connects Mansfield toColumbus, Ohio,Cincinnati, Ohio,Louisville, Kentucky, and points southwest, and toCleveland, Ohio, to the northeast.
Onelimited-access highway serves Mansfield.U.S. Route 30, which carries the Martin Luther King Jr. Freeway along its length through the city has several local highway exits from U.S. Route 30 connects Mansfield toBucyrus, Ohio,Fort Wayne, Indiana, and points west, and toWooster, Ohio,Canton, Ohio, and points east.
Twodivided highways serve Mansfield.Ohio 309, which connects travelers from the major shopping area of the suburban city ofOntario and points west, and continues east into Mansfield before it merges into U.S. Route 30.Ohio 13 turns into a four-lane divided highway at South Main Street and Chilton Avenue and runs 3.5 miles (5.6 km) to Interstate 71 (full-access interchange) and runs another 3.7 miles (6.0 km) and turns back into a two-lane highway just 2 miles (3.2 km) north ofBellville.
The city has severalarterial roads.U.S. Route 42 (Ashland Road and Lexington Avenue), North U.S. Route 42 downtown (South Main Street, East 2nd Street, Hedges Street and Park Avenue East), South U.S. Route 42 downtown (Park Avenue East, Hedges Street, East 1st Street and South Main Street),Ohio 13 (North Main Street and South Main Street), North Ohio 13 downtown (East 2nd Street, South Diamond Street and North Diamond Street), South Ohio 13 downtown (West 5th Street, North Mulberry Street, South Mulberry Street and West 1st Street),Ohio 39 (Springmill Street, North Mulberry Street, West 5th Street, East 5th Street, Park Avenue East and Lucas Road),Ohio 430 (Park Avenue East and Park Avenue West), andOhio 545 (Wayne Street and Olivesburg Road).[93]
Designatedtruck routes known as Truck U.S. Route 42/Truck Ohio 430 (Adams Street and East 5th Street) exist around the downtown area forsemi-tractor-trailer trucks due to the 12 ft (3.7 m) height clearance at theNorfolk Southern Railway subway overpass (also known to locals as the Park Avenue East underpass or the subway) that was constructed in 1924 passes over U.S. Route 42/Ohio 430 (Park Avenue East).[125] According to city officials, trucks that happen to be over 12 ft (3.7 m) get stuck under the subway about five to six times a year on average due to not following advanced warning signage.[125] Ohio 13 also has a truck route known as Truck Ohio 13 north (East 1st Street, Adams Street and East 5th Street) and Truck Ohio 13 south (East 5th Street, Adams Street and East 2nd Street) to help keep semi-truck traffic out of downtown Mansfield's Historic Carousel District.
TheRichland County Transit (RCT) operates local bus service five days a week, except for Saturdays and Sundays. The RCT bus line operates 9 fixed routes within the cities of Mansfield andOntario along with fixed routes extending into the city ofShelby andMadison Township.[126] Mansfield Checker Cab operates local and regional taxi service 24 hours a day, seven days a week.[127] C & D Taxi also operates local and regional taxi service (Richland and Ashland Counties) seven days a week.
Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport (IATA: MFD,ICAO: KMFD,FAALID: MFD), a city-owned and operated, joint usage facility with global ties, located 3 miles (4.8 km) north of downtown Mansfield.[128] TheMansfield Lahm Air National Guard Base and the179th Airlift Wing of theOhio Air National Guard is located at the airport. It uses huge C-130 aircraft, and sponsors an annual air show in July.[129]
Downtown Mansfield is roughly centrally located between bothJohn Glenn Columbus International Airport andCleveland Hopkins International Airport, both of which offering moderate choices for commercial flights.Akron–Canton Airport is located closer to Mansfield, but does not have any international flights unlike Columbus and Cleveland.
Three railroads previously served Mansfield, but currently only two, theNorfolk Southern and theAshland Railway,[130] provide service in the area.
TheSandusky, Mansfield and Newark Railroad opened in 1846 and became part of the Washington-Chicago main line of theBaltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) and then later part of a B&O branch line fromNewark toSandusky. In 1849 thePittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railway (laterPennsylvania Railroad mainline) reached Mansfield, and in 1863 theAtlantic and Great Western Railroad (laterErie Railroad mainline) reached Mansfield.
Passenger services operating into the opening of the 1970s were theErie Lackawanna's Chicago-Hoboken, New JerseyLake Cities (discontinued, 1970); and thePenn Central'sManhattan Limited andPennsylvania Limited (both discontinued, 1971, at the transfer over to Amtrak).
After the B&O branch line was abandoned, the 18.3-mile (29.5 km) section fromButler to North Lake Park in Mansfield was opened in 1995 as the recreational Richland B&O Trail.[99] The former B&O track from Mansfield toWillard combined with a piece of the abandoned Erie Railroad east of Mansfield toWest Salem to form the L-shaped 56.5-mile (90.9 km) Ashland Railway (1986). A spur of the abandoned Erie Railroad leads west 5 miles (8.0 km) toOntario to what used to be theGeneral Motors metal stamping plant there.
Mansfield hassister city relationships with:[132]
–Mansfield,Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom[133]
–Tamura,Fukushima, Japan
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