The community was named after Birmingham, England, for the fact its founders hoped the town eventually would boast an industrial base as famous as the English city's. A post office called Birmingham has been in operation since 1832.
On March 3, 2009, fire destroyed a restaurant and the post office in the community. Mail was rerouted to the post office in nearby Wakeman.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Birmingham. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1903Vermilion sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Birmingham.
From the old history books
What they wrote about Birmingham, 1889–1916
Passages that mention Birmingham, cut from the printed page as they were published.
A standard history of Erie County, Ohio1916 · page 1213Read the page →
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In 1813 Perez Hiram Starr came to the site of the present Village of Birmingham, Erie County, prior to the famous victory won by Commodore Perry in the naval battle on Lake Erie, in the War of 1812, and he was one of the very first settlers in this section of the county, his primitive loghouse having been the first dwelling erected in what is now Florence Township. On the Vermilion River he erected the fir.st grist mill iia Erie County, and this ancient mill was within the present limits of the Village of Birmingham. At Elyria ]\Ir. Starr erected the fir.st
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a standard history of erie county, ohio1916 · page 60Read the page →
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A Baptist Church was organized in 1818 by Rev. John Rigdon, from Richland County. At the same time another Baptist Church was organized in Lorain County, and meetings were held in the schoolhouse about a mile east of Birmingham. The Baptists from Florence finally united with these, and in July, 1837, by resolution of the church of Henrietta, a branch was organized at Birmingham consisting of nine members.
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There has also been a Baptist Church started and organized as far back as 1818, by a minister from Richland county, Rev. John Rigdon. At the same time another Baptist Church was organized in Lorain county, when meetings were held in the school house about a mile east of Birmingham. The Baptists from Florence finally united with these, and in July, 1837, t>y resolution of the church of Henrietta, a branch was organized at Birmingham consisting of nine members. The society was called the Henrietta and Birmingham Baptist Church. In May, 1840, this branch organized into an independent church.
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Edward D. Gibson. A man of sterling character and ilistinctive business ability, Mr. Gibson marked the passing years with worthy achievement, and was one of the representative merchants and honored and jnfluential citizens of the Village of Birmingham. Florence Township, at the time of his death, which here occurred on the 31st of Jlarch. 1905, since which time his widow has successfully continued the business which he here established and developed.
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Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Timeline
Birmingham, 1892 to 1906
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
