Bexley, Ohio

Bexley is a city located in Franklin County, Ohio. Incorporated as a village in 1908, Bexely is a fine, old tree-lined suburb of Ohio's Capitol, Columbus, located on the banks of Alum Creek. A college town bisected by the National Road, Bexley resulted from a merger of neighborhoods including the prestigious Bullitt Park, established in 1889, and the Lutheran community centered on Capital University and Trinity Lutheran Seminary.

It is also the name of an ancient English village now largely consumed by the suburbs of London, but given prominence through lending its name to one London Borough of Bexley of 32 London Boroughs in the United Kingdom.

A community of nearly 13,000, Bexley is considered one of the most desirable areas in Greater Columbus with a diverse range of housing options, from family starters to estate-sized mansions, including the Ohio Governor’s Mansion, Jeffrey Mansion "Kelveden", and the estate used for the President of the Ohio State University. Located in northern Bexley, the Governor’s Mansion — originally built as a private residence in 1925 and given to the state in 1955 — has been home to Ohio’s governors since 1957.

Bexley, Ohio was named at the suggestion of an early resident, Mr. Kilbourne, in honor of his family's roots in Bexley, England. The village of Bexley, Ohio was incorporated in 1908 when prominent citizens of Bullitt Park along Alum Creek, including former Mayor of Columbus and industrialist Hon. Robert H. Jeffrey, agreed to merge with the mostly Lutheran community of Pleasant Ridge located around Christ Lutheran Church and the adjoining Lutheran seminary. Bullitt Park had been founded in 1889, when Logan M. Bullitt of Philadelphia submitted his first plat (1891) for the area. Wealthy citizens of Columbus continued to build urban townhouses and country homes to the east along Broad Street (the National Road) and Town (now Bryden), extending out to Franklin Park. By the 1890's, several large homes took root across Alum Creek in the Bullitt Park area, whose borders include the aforementioned mansions and park, as well as the the campus of the Columbus School for Girls, an exclusive private school. Camp Bushnell was overlaid for several months on the unsold lots of Bullitt Park in 1898, centered at Drexel Circle, bringing new utilities to the area, and subsequently, more home building. By 1909, Bullitt Park and the Lutheran community south of Main Street decided to merge neighborhoods and incorporate as the Village of Bexley. Later, with growth, the village of Bexley became the City of Bexley.

Bexley boasts several excellent public and private educational institutions including: Bexley City Schools; Columbus School for Girls; Saint Catherine School; Saint Charles Preparatory School – nearly 100 percent of its graduates attend college; Capital University – a liberal arts university known for its law, business, and music schools; and Trinity Lutheran Seminary – one of the region’s few seminaries. The Columbus Academy was formerly located just west of Bexley along Alum Creek, but has since moved to Gahanna.

Bexley High School is well-known as one of the top schools in the state of Ohio. The Lions, as they are known, have been state basketball, soccer, and tennis champions. Bexley has been the home of many prominent citizens including several recent governors of Ohio, including Bob Taft and Senator Voinovich, Bob Greene, the Chicago columnist who wrote "Be True to Your School", children's author R.L. Stine, world famous underground cartoonist Paul Palnik and billionaire Leslie Wexner - the wealthiest man in the State of Ohio, and many captains of business and industry. Bexley is home to several churches and synagogues, several historic sites and pieces of outdoor sculpture, the famous Rubino's pizzaria, the Drexel arthouse movie theater, several miles of the National Road, The Ohio State University President's Mansion, and the Governor's Mansion for the State of Ohio. Adjoining Bexley is the Franklin Park Conservatory.

Geography

Bexley, Ohio is located at 39°57'52" North, 82°55'58" West (39.964564, -82.932649)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.3 km² (2.5 mi²). 6.3 km² (2.5 mi²) of it is land and none of the area is covered with water.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 13,203 people, 4,705 households, and 3,387 families residing in the city. The population density is 2,080.7/km² (5,398.4/mi²). There are 4,974 housing units at an average density of 783.9/km² (2,033.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 92.45% White, 4.48% African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.99% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.47% from other races, and 1.39% from two or more races. 0.92% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 4,705 households out of which 40.9% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.9% are married couples living together, 9.4% have a female householder with no husband present, and 28.0% are non-families. 23.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.0% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.59 and the average family size is 3.09.

In the city the population is spread out with 27.3% under the age of 18, 12.5% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 88.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 83.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $70,200, and the median income for a family is $83,363. Males have a median income of $56,573 versus $39,851 for females. The per capita income for the city is $37,375. 4.6% of the population and 3.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 2.7% of those under the age of 18 and 6.5% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

External links

Template:Mapit-US-cityscale

For further information, see local libraries for the following:

Green's "Be True to Your School" McClure's "Reflections of a Bexley Boy" Harris's (Sketch History of Bullitt Park) Herrel's (Bexley Images)