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Washington Court House is a city in Fayette County, Ohio, United States. It is the county seat of Fayette County and is located approximately halfway between Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio. The population was 14,192 in 2010 at the 2010 census. Until 2002, the official name of the city was City of Washington, but there also existed a municipality in Guernsey County, Ohio with the name Washington (now known as Old Washington). The area was originally settled by Virginia war veterans who received the land from the government as payment for their service in the American Revolution. In 2002, a new charter was adopted, officially changing the name to the "City of Washington Court House." The name is often abbreviated as "Washington C.H." The city has always been named the City of Washington Court House, but for local government they went by the City of Washington for contracting and governmental purposes. When Council decided to change to a Charter form of government, which allowed more self-rule, they decided to officially change the name to match how it was actually named. Part of it was to alleviate any confusion with other entities in the Postal Services eyes.〔Warren A. Johnson, Computer Resources Manager, City of Washington Court House, Ohio, email dated 17 November 2014〕 Washington C.H. has an unusual street grid layout. Typically, street grids are arranged east-west and north-south, especially in the Midwest. In this case, the streets in the downtown area, centering on the courthouse building, are arranged northeast-southwest and northwest-southeast. This was done so that all four sides of the courthouse building would receive some sunlight every day of the year. In the traditional grid system, the north side of a building never receives direct sunlight during the fall and winter months. ==History== Washington Court House's first settlers appear to have been Edward Smith, Sr., and his family, who emigrated from Pennsylvania in 1810. Smith and his family constructed a crude house in the thick woodlands near Paint Creek, but their efforts to clear the land were interrupted by his departure for military service in the War of 1812.〔Allen, Frank M., ed. ''History of Fayette County, Ohio: Her People, Industries, and Institutions''. Indianapolis: Bowen, 1914, 752.〕 Comparatively soon after returning from his martial pursuits, Smith drowned while attempting to cross a flooded creek,〔Dills, R.S. ''History of Fayette County, Together With Historic Notes on the Northwest, and the State of Ohio''. Dayton: Odell and Mayer, 1881, 459.〕 but his widow and ten children survived and prospered despite the absence of their patriarch. Smith's descendents remained prominent in Fayette County for more than a century after his arrival from Pennsylvania, although many had left Washington Court House for other parts of the county.〔 A family residence still stands on U.S. Route 62 not far outside the city's eastern boundary. In 1833, Washington Court House (then known as Washington) contained a printing office, seven stores, two taverns, two groceries, a schoolhouse, a meeting house, and about 70 residential houses. Numerous locations in the city are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Downtown, the courthouse square has been named a historic district, and a similar designation has been accorded the city cemetery. Nine individual buildings are separately listed on the Register: Judy Chapel at the cemetery, the former Washington School, the Fayette County Courthouse, the former William Burnett House (no longer standing〔(Fayette County Comprehensive Use Strategy Plan ), Fayette County, 2006, 13. Accessed 2013-05-23.〕), and the Barney Kelley, Jacob Light, Rawlings-Brownell, Robinson-Pavey, and Morris Sharp Houses.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア(Wikipedia)』 ■ウィキペディアで「Washington Court House, Ohio」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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