Bath Township

Bath Township was founded in 1818 and is located on the western edge of Summit County in Northeast Ohio. The township is contiguous to the cities of Akron and Fairlawn and to the Village of Richfield. It is approximately 20 miles south of Cleveland. The township comprises approximately 23 square miles, and the 2000 U.S. Census listed Bath’s population as 9,635.

The uniqueness of Bath is in its rural-residential nature and the dedication of its residents and government officials to preserving its open spaces. Together, citizens and township officials have worked tirelessly in the recent past to prevent compromising the open, natural spaces in Bath. The Bath Nature Preserve is a crown jewel of Bath and includes some 400 acres in the midst of the community. The acreage was formerly part of the Raymond Firestone estate and was purchased by the township in the mid-1990s after residents overwhelmingly approved a tax levy to fund that purchase.

Among the other unique characteristics of Bath are:

• the miles of roadways recognized as Scenic Byways by the State of Ohio;
• the 1998 Joint Economic Development District agreement with the cities of Akron and Fairlawn which has stabilized the township boundaries and stopped annexation attempts;
• a township Zoning Code rewrite and an extensive Comprehensive Land Use Plan that have been put in place to guide development;
• park lands – in addition to the nature preserve – that have been purchased and expanded for the benefit of the residents; and residents who have taken the lead on a regional effort to ensure the environmental integrity of the Yellow Creek Watershed.

All of these actions combined to place Bath among the 19-Nature Friendly Communities in the United States in 2005.

Bath is a very special community. It has an eclectic mix of old-timers with roots that can be traced back to Western Reserve pioneers such as the Hales; it is residents who grew up here and stayed here or came back after going away to school or seeing the world; it includes those who came to this community to build a life and raise their children here; and, most recently, there’s an influx of residents who have been attracted to Bath for its beauty, its schools, its uniqueness.

The Bath Country Journal is committed to continuing its role in the Bath community – to publish each month a snapshot of the stories of life in Bath Township and to help build on and foster a true sense of community in this community.