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This week’s #GOPCThread features our final #OHCommunitySpotlight of 2020, @_Bellefontaine_, #Ohio. Bellefontaine is a city in and the county seat of Logan County located 48 miles northwest of Columbus. Bellefontaine is the home of the highest point in Ohio, Campbell Hill.
The name Bellefontaine means "beautiful spring" in French, and is purported to refer to several springs in the area. However, locally, the original French pronunciation is not used, and it is pronounced "bell fountain." #GOPCThread #OHCommunitySpotlight
Originally a settlement for Shawnee war chief Blue Jacket, the city was platted by settlers in 1820 and incorporated by the legislature in 1835. In 1837, the Mad River & Lake Erie Railroad built the first railroad to Bellefontaine, beginning its reputation as a railroading town.
In the 1890s, the Big Four Railroad built a terminal in the city, boasting the largest roundhouse between New York & St. Louis. While the Big Four terminal would cease operations in 1983, Bellefontaine remains an important rail junction today #GOPCThread #OHCommunitySpotlight
In 1891, Bellefontaine became the location of the first concrete street in America. A small section of Main Street, on the west side of the Logan County Courthouse, was the first to be paved using that process. #GOPCThread #OHCommunitySpotlight
This concrete was strong enough to see little damage, requiring only $1,400 for maintenance in its first 50 years. Though reconstructed in the 1960s, in 1974 the street was added to the National Register of Historic Places #GOPCThread #OHCommunitySpotlight
Bellefontaine is also the home of McKinley Street, which at 20 feet in length, is recognized as the shortest street in America. (It was previously known as the shortest in the world until being eclipsed by a street in Wick, Scotland in 2006 #GOPCThread #OHCommunitySpotlight
This history, along with the presence of nearby Indian Lake, long made Bellefontaine a tourist attraction, and boat and RV rental businesses became an important part of the local economy. But with the decline of the railroad industry saw many local businesses leave the city.
While @HondaMfgOhio has, since it first began manufacturing motorcycles in Ohio in 1979, become the largest employer in Bellefontaine, by 2010 the core of the city was struggling. 70- 80% of the first-floor spaces in the downtown area were empty. #GOPCTread #OHCommunitySpotlight
Starting in 2011, 15 empty and dilapidated buildings were restored, 38 historic buildings were renovated and 30 new small businesses brought upwards of 200 new jobs to the area. These businesses include 7 restaurants & 17 specialty retailers #GOPCThread #OHCommunitySpotlight
This effort was led by @snstrong, a collective of individuals from Bellefontaine who worked to develop places, spaces & dreams for their small town, & have now expanded their mission to work with entrepreneurs in small towns across the country #GOPCThread https://bit.ly/2VZpn8p
The work for @snstrong and their efforts to improve their own downtown have recently been featured in @Forbes showcasing how in less than a decade, they have gone from a single building renovation to expanding to 13 other Ohio communities #GOPCThread https://bit.ly/2K3Otk4
The efforts have not just been concentrated on economic development. The Bellefontaine Chamber and city of worked to make placemaking improvements around the downtown area, including directional signage and streetscape improvements #GOPCThread #OHCommunitySpotlight
The Holland Theatre, a historic landmark first opened in 1931, was recently renovated and celebrated its grand re-opening following a major renovation in 2019. It is the only Dutch-style atmospheric theater in the United States http://thehollandtheatre.org/about-us/history/
Both the city and its downtown have benefited from state and national programs. In 2018, the city was designated an #OpportunityZone, designed to attract investors to the area #GOPCThread #OHCommunitySpotlight https://www.logancountyohio.com/ed-oz.html
In 2019, Bellefontaine’s downtown was approved by @OhioHistory and the @NatlParkService as a Historic District, which allows for potential tax credits for historic renovations in that area #GOPCThread #OHCommunitySpotlight https://bit.ly/3oua4Rm
Bellefontaine has shown that with hard work, commitment, and determination, big things can happen in small towns #GOPCThread #OHCommunitySpotlight
