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Newbury
Newbury Township is located in the heart of
Geauga County 45 miles southeast of downtown Cleveland. Newbury’s 25
square miles consists of 94% -residentially zoned property, 3%
Commercial/Business property and 3% Industrial property. Route 87 which
runs east-west through the township not only divides the township but is
also the location of the Commercial/ Business/ Industrial Districts.
Its 3 elected Trustees and Clerk manage Newbury
Township’s 1.5 million-dollar budget. The Trustees’ chief responsibilities
include providing its 5,805 (2000 Census) residents with a part time
police department, funding for its volunteer fire department, zoning
regulations and inspections, maintenance of 35 miles of roads through its
5 member road department, and care of Newbury’s four cemeteries.
Newbury has a rich
history dating back to its first settlers in 1810.
Many of the early settlers
were well educated and prosperous in New England. They faced financial
ruin in the depression following the War of 1812 and set out with few
possessions for a trip of over 40 days, through wilderness to the new
frontier. The word had spread across Connecticut that this was an "Earthly
Paradise" and the "Garden of America"and
soon many families made the journey west to settle in this section of the
Western Reserve.
Everything considered a luxury might be had almost without care, labor or
exertion. Little did they know what they would endure.
Education, love of the
land, strong family values and a sense of community were staples of the
early settlers, all of which still make up the fiber of today’s residents.
The first permanent
settler in Newbury was probably Lemuel Punderson, an agent for the
Connecticut Land Company, in 1810. Punderson Lake was part of the original
holdings of Lemuel Punderson. The lake covers 104 acres.
The Punderson Manor House
was originally intended to be a summer home for the Karl Long family of
Detroit. He was head of a Detroit trucking firm and in the 1920's started
construction of a 43-room mansion with 15 bathrooms and 4 fireplaces.
After spending $250,000, he had financial difficulties and the mansion was
left unfinished. The property reverted to the former owner until it was
sold to the state of Ohio in the 1950's. The state finished the building
and the Manor House Lodge and State Park grounds were opened.
The past decade has seen a surge in new housing
starts. Housing ranges from modestly priced homes in the range of $75,000
to multi-million dollar estates built on lots a minimum of 3 acres.
Residents enjoy a semi-rural lifestyle with the convenience of a wide
range of area malls and chain stores close by. |
