FOUNDING OF NEW ALBANY
Ohio’s New Albany was established in 1837 as a small farming community. Noble Landon, one of the founding members, gave the community its name. The main source of his idea for the name “New Albany” may have been his upbringing in St. Albans, Vermont. William Yantis, a war of 1812 soldier, was the other pioneer. Francis Scott Key, the author of the “Star Spangled Banner,” lived next to him. During that time the land was divided and sold to the incoming settlers. New Albany was founded in 1856 after 50 individuals had moved into town. They held their first municipal elections at that time. In 1889, a sawmill was created. In 1922, the community chose their first female mayor.
The population of New Albany was still incredibly small in 1980. It didn’t yet reach Columbus and had less than 500 citizens. In the 1990s, the town started to expand quickly, partly as a result of the growth of Lex Wexner’s clothing business. L Brands is a significant, multi-billion dollar brand owned by Lex Wexner. Most famously owned by L Brands are Victoria’s Secret, Lane Bryant, and Bath & Body Works, and formerly Limited Too, but that was sold in 2008 and is now Justice.
Right in New Albany, Lex Wexner has the second-largest mansion in the state of Ohio. Their residences and the surrounding freeways that provide quick access in and out of the city were built at the same time. Wexner’s firm gave many locals jobs and attracted those from outside the area who were looking for work. It is a contributing factor in New Albany’s current prosperity.
GOVERNMENT OF NEW ALBANY
New Albany operates under the council-manager form of government. An appointed, qualified city manager serves as New Albany’s CEO under this organizational structure, which also combines the political leadership of elected officials with administrative acumen.
The city of New Albany offers a variety of municipal services, such as police protection, street maintenance, sewer and stormwater infrastructure maintenance, snow removal, leaf collection, planning, zoning, and construction inspections. The Plain Township Fire Department, which is an independent organization from the City of New Albany, provides emergency medical and fire services to all inhabitants of New Albany. The Franklin County Board of Health is in charge of providing medical services.
NEW ALBANY GEOGRAPHY
The coordinates of New Albany are 38°18′07′′N 85°49′17′′W. In total, New Albany has a surface area of 15.38 square miles, of which 15.21 square miles is land, and 0.44 0.17 square miles is water.
New Albany is bordered to the west by Westerville, to the north by Harlem Township, to the east by Jersey Township and to the south by Jefferson Township. Downtown New Albany is located near the roundabout of Market Street and Main Street, near many local businesses and restaurants.
NEW ALBANY DEMOGRAPHICS
EDUCATION IN NEW ALBANY OHIO
New Albany is renowned for having top-notch educational institutions. One campus serves as the location for all of its educational institutions. There are K-12 classes in eight buildings in the district, surrounded by an 80-acre nature park, which also connects them all with tree-lined paths. It is the only district in Ohio where each school is accredited by the US Department of Education as a “National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence”. The district serves a 26 miles diameter area around New Albany and Plain Township.
Public schools in New Albany spend $12,846 on each pupil. The average cost of schooling in the United States is $12,383. In New Albany, there are roughly 16.5 students for every teacher.
The high school graduation rate is over 99%, and 79% of residents have a bachelor’s degree or higher, many of which attend The Ohio State University, which is only a 20-minute commute for graduates.
EMPLOYERS AND BUSINESSES IN NEW ALBANY
FAMOUS PEOPLE FROM NEW ALBANY
Former Ohio State Buckeye’s Michael Redd (basketball) and Darron Lee (football) were both born in New Albany. Both moved on to play in their respective professional leagues.
Graham Rahal is an Indy Car driver that has been racing since 2004. His 18-year career he’s won 13 races in various leagues and series. He currently is a part of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.
Chase Buchanan was male tennis player from New Albany who played on the Ohio State tennis team although never amounted to win any titles.