New Albany

History

The land of New Albany was founded in the center of Plain Township in 1837 by Nobel Landon and William Yantis. The land was split into lots measuring by and sold to new settlers. One theory about the name is that some of the original settlers migrated from the Albany, New York, area. Albany, Ohio was laid out in 1832, prior to the founding of New Albany. During its history, the community has also been known by the name of Hope. The first annual New Albany Founders Day Celebration was held in 1976. State Route 161 and access to 161 from I-270 was reconfigured around this time, allowing freeway access into and out of town. In 2008, the New Albany Mill closed, 119 years after its downtown opening. The original sawmill had been converted to a hardware store and was a staple in the lives of many of the residents of New Albany. The 2009 Rifqa Bary controversy occurred in New Albany after teenager Fathima Rifqa Bary ran away to Florida under a claimed threat of an honor killing by her family due to her conversion to Christianity from Islam.

Geography

New Albany is located in the northeastern Franklin County with a portion extending east into the Licking County. It is northeast of Columbus at an elevation of . New Albany is situated in the headwaters of the Rocky Fork, a tributary of Big Walnut Creek. The tributaries of Rocky Fork, Rose Run and Sugar Run, flow northeast to southwest throughout the city. Blacklick Creek flows through the eastern end of the city. Three main roads intersect the city center: Dublin-Granville, U.S. Route 62/Johnstown Road, and New Albany-Reynoldsburg/Ohio Route 605/New Albany-Condit. These three roads divide the city into six roughly equal sections. In the southwest section is the New Albany Country Club, much of the club's golf course (designed by Jack Nicklaus), and Market Square. The south-central section contains the remainder of the golf course, with the rest mostly residential. The northwest section contains New Albany Schools and the performing arts center. The New Albany Links golf course (designed by Barry Serafin) and the surrounding neighborhoods are in the north-central section, along with Bevelhymer Park and the headquarters of Justice. Lastly, the northeast section contains the Mt. Carmel New Albany Surgical Hospital and the new headquarters of Bob Evans Farms, Inc. The city is divided into many subdivisions. North of Dublin-Granville Road are: Asbury Ridge, Cedarbrook, Hampstead Green, Hampstead Heath, New Albany Links, Tidewater, Upper Clarenton, and Windsor. South are the neighborhoods of: Alban Mews, Ashberry Ridge, Brandon, Clivdon, Crescent, Edge of Woods, The Farms, Fenway, Hawksmoor, Keswick, Lambton Park, Lansdowne, North Of Woods, Planter's Grove, the Reserve, Tensweep, Upper Brandon, Waterston, and Wiveliscombe.

Race & ethnicity