East Liverpool, Ohio
East Liverpool is a city in southern Columbiana County, Ohio, United States. The population was 9,958 at the 2020 census. It lies along the Ohio River within the Upper Ohio Valley and borders Pennsylvania to the east and West Virginia to the south. East Liverpool is included in the Salem, OH Micropolitan Statistical Area, about from both Youngstown and downtown Pittsburgh. Historically, East Liverpool was known as the "Pottery Capital" of the United States due to its large number of potteries, but due to changes in the ceramics industry, only two remain in the area. The city  is also known as the hometown of former NCAA Division I football coach Lou Holtz. The Beginning Point of the U.S. Public Land Survey is just east of the city center, on the Ohio–Pennsylvania border. Because of its role in the ceramics industry, the town is one of the settings in author Holly Black's award-winning middle-grade novel Doll Bones. History. Native American petroglyphs exist in the area surrounding East Liverpool, including on Babbs Island and near the Little Beaver Creek. The Public Land Survey System of the United States was established by Congressional legislation in 1785 , in order to provide an orderly mechanism for opening the Northwest Territory for settlement. The ordinance directed the Geographer of the United States, Thomas Hutchins, to survey an initial east–west base line. Hutchins began in 1786, using as his starting point a stake on north bank of the Ohio River placed by a 1785 survey team from Virginia and Pennsylvania to fix their common north–south boundary. Hutchins' work, completed in 1787, established the Seven Ranges, with a baseline about line. This survey is believed to be "the first mathematically designed system and nationally conducted cadastral survey in any  modern country." Before settlement by Americans, Mingo, Lenape, and Wyandot peoples lived in the area until the Battle of Fallen Timbers led to the Ohio Country's settlement. East Liverpool traces its founding to 1798, when Thomas Fawcett purchased 1,100 acres of land along the Ohio River in what was then Jefferson County. In 1802, he platted the town of St. Clair, named for Governor Arthur St. Clair of the Northwest Territory. It was called Fawcettstown for a time. In 1816, the name changed to Liverpool. Over its first few decades, a grist mill, multiple stores, and wharves opened in  the town. The first schoolhouse opened in 1820, and the first religious center opened in 1834 when the Episcopalians erected a building on a 4th Street site provided by town developers. Liverpool was incorporated as East Liverpool in 1834 when Liverpool Township in Medina County objected to possible confusion. The arrival of English potter James Bennett in 1839 brought the establishment of the first bottle kiln site in East Liverpool, launching its industry. In 1905, the first city hospital opened. As of 1914, East Liverpool was served by the Cleveland and Pittsburgh Railroad. In the 1960s, much of downtown was  cleared to make way for the 4-lane expansion of Ohio State Route 11. The city reached its peak population of more than 26,000 in 1970, but its pottery industry had already begun to decline by the mid-1960s. As with other industries, production moved to developing countries where labor costs were cheaper. This cost many jobs and, ultimately, population in the Upper Ohio Valley area, as people moved away in search of work. In the mid-1990s, the city renovated its downtown district. To improve its urban design, it installed Depression-era lightposts, developed a new center called Devon's Diamond , and reconstructed the old high school's clock tower. This building is now the home of the East Liverpool High School Alumni Association. Pottery industry. The potteries of East Liverpool became the national center of ceramic toilet and table wares, with 85 firms operating at one time or another making two-thirds of the national output from 1880 to 1950. East Liverpool's pottery district encompasses East Liverpool and the surrounding towns of Wellsville, Ohio, and Chester and Newell, West Virginia, directly across the Ohio River. In 1887, East Liverpool had 21 general ware potteries that employed 2,558 operatives. By  1923 the 17 firms had 7,000 employees and operated 270 kilns, with $25,000,000 in annual output. Englishman James Bennett established the industry in 1839, making use of good transportation and rich local clays. It quickly became the community's leading industry. East Liverpool became known as "The Crockery City." Potters from Staffordshire, England, began pouring into East Liverpool, attracted by higher wages and the prospect of land ownership. By 1879, there were 24 potteries in East Liverpool, nearly all operated by English immigrants. As late as 1900, East Liverpool remained "essentially a transplanted potting town of Englishmen". Until the  turn of the century about 85% percent of the population could trace its heritage to England. After the English, the second largest ethnic group in East Liverpool were German settlers. From 1870 to 1890, the city more than doubled in population each decade as it attracted new industrial workers with the growth of the pottery industry. By 1910, its population exceeded 20,000. At various times, some of the largest potteries included the East Liverpool Pottery, Knowles, Taylor & Knowles; Taylor, Smith & Taylor; The Hall China Company, and Homer Laughlin China Company. Of these potteries, two continue to operate in the area : the American Mug & Stein Company and the Fiesta Tableware Company, formerly Homer Laughlin. In the mid-19th century, East Liverpool also produced most of the yellowware pottery used in the United States. Among the most famous of East Liverpool's ceramics was the porcelain known as Lotus Ware. Produced by Knowles, Taylor & Knowles in the 1890s, this Moorish- and Persian-influenced artware swept the competition at the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago. The Museum of Ceramics in downtown East Liverpool has the world's largest public display of Lotus Ware. National Register of Historic Places listings. Due to being the  home of a large industry with many wealthy business owners, there are today 16 different properties and 3 districts are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, in addition to the Beginning Point of the U.S. Public Land Survey, the only National Historic Landmark in Columbiana County. Historic districts. The Diamond Historic District is at the one-sided traffic diamond between Market Street and East Sixth Street. The area is triangular, bounded by three roads. Buildings at the Diamond date back to 1884. The East Fifth Street Historic District consists of three blocks of downtown East Liverpool along East  Fifth street between Market Street and Broadway, listed due to its examples of Neoclassical architecture. East Liverpool Downtown Historic District covers the whole of downtown in 22 acres, and is noted for its Italianate and Second Empire architecture as well as its prominence as a commercial center in East Liverpool's history. Historic structures. Many historic properties in East Liverpool were the homesteads of prominent business owners throughout the late 19th century. These include the Cassius Clark Thompson House (1876), Ikirt House (1888), Homer Laughlin House (1882), Godwin-Knowles House (1890), and the Richard L. Cawood Residence (1923), all of  unique architectural styles. The remaining structures on the listing are large, multi-story businesses that had historical significance in East Liverpool's economy and community during the 20th century, such as the original East Liverpool Post Office (1909), East Liverpool Pottery (1844), Andrew Carnegie's Public Library (1902), the original YMCA (1913), the Civil Works Administration's City Hall (1934), the Elks Club building (1916), Odd Fellows Temple (1907), Mary A. Patterson Memorial building (1924), Potters Savings and Loan (1904), the first Potters National Bank (1881), and the Travelers Hotel (1907). Areas and neighborhoods. Satellite communities. Though not within the  city limits, a few communities share East Liverpool's 43920 ZIP code and have East Liverpool mailing addresses, including the census-designated places of Calcutta, Glenmoor and La Croft, and the unincorporated community of Fredericktown. Geography. East Liverpool is located at (40.628510, −80.569063). It lies within the ecoregion of the Western Allegheny Plateau. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of , of which is land and is water. Demographics. 2010 census. As of the census of 2010, there were 11,195 people, 4,601 households, and 2,892 families residing in the city. The population density was . There  were 5,316 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 91.7% White, 4.6% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 3.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.1% of the population. There were 4,601 households, of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.0% were married couples living together, 20.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.1% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made  up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.97. The median age in the city was 37.6 years. 25.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24% were from 25 to 44; 26.5% were from 45 to 64; and 14.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.6% male and 52.4% female. 2000 census. As of the census of 2000, there were  13,089 people, 5,261 households, and 3,424 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,010.3 people per square mile (1,161.8/km). There were 5,743 housing units at an average density of 1,320.8 per square mile (509.7/km). The racial makeup of the city was 92.85% White, 4.81% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.21% from other races, and 1.76% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.72% of the population. There were 5,261 households, out of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.5% were  married couples living together, 16.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.9% were non-families. 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.01. In the city the population was spread out, with 27.1% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years . For every 100 females, there were 86.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $23,138, and the median income for a family was $27,500. Males had a median income of $27,346 versus $18,990 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,656. About 21.5% of families and 25.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.2% of those under age 18 and 13.0% of those age 65 or over. Government. East Liverpool operates under a  mayor–council government. Eight council members are elected as a legislature for 2-year terms, comprising four separate wards, three at-large districts, and a council president. In addition, an independently elected mayor serves as an executive. The current mayor is Gregory T. Bricker, and the current council president is John A. Torma. The mayor, auditor, treasurer, and law director are all elected to 4-year terms. Education. Primary and secondary. Children in East Liverpool (and immediate surrounding areas in Liverpool Township) are served by the public East Liverpool City School District. The current schools in the district are: Private  schools include the East Liverpool Christian School for grades K-12 and the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School for grades 7–12. In addition, two online schools, Buckeye Online School for Success and Quaker Digital Academy, operate out of downtown. St. Aloysius School (K-8) operated for 130 years as a Roman Catholic School in the Diocese of Youngstown before closing on June 6, 2015. Postsecondary. Kent State University has been operating a satellite campus, Kent State University at East Liverpool, since 1965. It is clustered around 4th Street in Downtown, and grants associate's degrees and bachelor's degrees. A trade  school, New Castle School of Trades, opened in Downtown in 2016. East Ohio College in nearby Calcutta also focuses on associate degrees and job training programs. Transportation. Highways. The following highways pass through East Liverpool: Airports. The Columbiana County Airport is four miles northwest of the city. Bridges. Since the 1890s, East Liverpool and the West Virginia communities of Chester and Newell have been connected by three different bridges spanning the Ohio River. Recreation. There are two public parks within East Liverpool city limits. Additionally, Beaver Creek State Park is outside the city limits but within the 43920 ZIP code . The East Liverpool Country Club has a 9-hole golf course designed by Willie Park, Jr., that opened on July 14, 1921. Athletics. Because of its size, East Liverpool has never had a major professional sports team, but during its heyday, many semipro and company teams and city and area leagues thrived. Baseball, basketball and American football were all popular among residents, and games attracted many patrons. The semipro East Liverpool Potters basketball team of the Central Basketball League played in the city from 1906 to 1909. No semipro or company teams exist in the city today. East Liverpool High  School athletics have been consistently popular among students and residents for the past 100-plus years. All the teams are known as the Potters. The school fields American football, baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country running, golf, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field, volleyball and wrestling teams. Most of these teams have had team and/or individual successes. Athletic facilities include Patterson Field, a football stadium opened in 1924 on the Ohio River, and the Potter Fieldhouse next to the high school. Media. East Liverpool was once home to several newspapers in the 1800s, but most were consolidated into "The Review , which today serves chiefly southern Columbiana County and northern Hancock County. Additionally, the Morning Journal" out of Lisbon reports in the area. The radio station WOHI 1490 AM has broadcast from the city since December 1, 1949, and is marketed as a classic hits station. The city also had a station on the FM dial 104.3, WOGI, but its license was moved to Moon Township, Pennsylvania, in 2000 and now serves the Pittsburgh radio market. Both stations were launched by the former East Liverpool Broadcasting Company. Sister cities. East Liverpool has one sister city: