Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Middlefield’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Middlefield is more historic than 78% of U.S. towns, #343 of 993 in Ohio. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Middlefield’s overall grade.
Ohio towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Ohio town has 2.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Middlefield’s 3.6 sits near the middle of its state (59% of Ohio towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±8.5 points). Two sources give 1799.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Middlefield’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Once named "Batavia," the village received its current name because it was the midway point between Painesville and Warren. Middlefield was established in 1799 by James Thompson and his father, Isaac Thompson, and incorporated in 1901.
Joseph Johnson settled north of Middlefield on what is now known as Johnson Corners in 1800. In 1818, James Thompson built a hotel. This hotel, later named The Century Inn, is currently the home of the Middlefield Historical Association. The Historical Association operates a small railroad museum in the summers, The Depot, focused on the 1873 narrow gauge railway between Painesville and Warren.
Middlefield's first manufacturing company was the Johnson Pail Company, founded in 1895.
Passages that mention Middlefield, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Pioneer and General History of Geauga County, with Sketches of Some of the Pioneers and Prominent Men1880 · page 468Read the page →
Read the text
it was the 15th of June, and the Harpers were first at Unionville or Harpers field June 28, of that year. In 1800, “for, the purposes of better government of the scattered settlers,” a committee of the court of Trumbull county set off, Munson, Claridon, Huntsburgh, Middlefield, Burton, Newbury, Auburn, Troy and Parkman, to Middlefield. On the formation of Geauga county in 1806, all this territory constituted the township called Burton, and probably Bainbridge, Russel and Chester were added. In that far away time its borders reached over the 1 2 southern towns, but now it names only the title to five miles square of the
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Pioneer and General History of Geauga County, with Sketches of Some of the Pioneers and Prominent Men1880 · page 701Read the page →
Read the text
Another son, Sylvester Hosmer, made the first settlement on the road leading north to Middlefield from the center, and near the northern boundary of the town, by the purchase of about three hundred acres lying on both sides of the road, upon which he built, in 1853, the first steam saw-mill ever erected in the town. In 1852 he built a brick house, in which he resided till his death, in 1859. This farm is now owned by his two sons, Chester A. and Perry J.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
By decade
Middlefield, decade by decade
One decade in the archive so far: the 1970s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
In 1799, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. the census of 1910 counted 640 people here.
How does Middlefield rank for history?
Middlefield is more historic than 78% of U.S. towns, #343 of 993 in Ohio. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Middlefield?
One place: the Batavia House (listed 1987).
How old are the homes in Middlefield?
20% of Middlefield’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±8.5 points), against a typical 15% for an Ohio town; the median home was built in 1983.
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).
From Wikimedia Commons (6), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the USGS Geographic Names Information System 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.
1973
1973
1973
1973
1973