Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Reynoldsburg

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Reynoldsburg City Hall 1Photo: Sixflashphoto · CC BY-SA 4.0
B−History
History · Reynoldsburg

Reynoldsburg’s post office opened in 1833, and 1 of its places is on the National Register

More historic than 47% of U.S. towns · #689 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it

Most of Reynoldsburg was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1984. Its Register listing is the Alexander W. Livingston House. Its Register listing is the Alexander W. Livingston House. Below: maps from 1922 on and the census since 1850.

1833first post office
1on the National Register
2%homes built before 1940
4famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Reynoldsburg began

When was Reynoldsburg founded?

1833

The Reynoldsburg post office opened in 1833, the earliest record of the town by name.

First census: 309 in 18502020 census: 41,076193 years

How historic is Reynoldsburg?

B−

More historic than 47% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: the first Reynoldsburg post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Reynoldsburg’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Reynoldsburg is more historic than 47% of U.S. towns, #689 of 993 in Ohio. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Reynoldsburg’s overall grade.
Founding era1833, from the first post office: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 19402.3% of homes (±0.9) · typical OH town 14.5% · U.S. 8.4%C−National Register1 listing, 0.2 per 10,000 residents · typical OH town 2.9 · U.S. 2.4B−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 47%
NewerOlder
Ohio towns of 2,500+ (993)Ahead of 31%

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 Reynoldsburg’s 0.2 sits near the middle of its state (46% 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 C to B+. The pre-1940 share (±0.9 points) is firm at this size. The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.

Founding year: the first post office (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 Reynoldsburg’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Reynoldsburg are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Lost villages4 hamlets and corners are still on the map.Deep rootsA post office since 1833: 193 years of Reynoldsburg.On the map since 19257 editions of the USGS map, 1925 to 1994. Watch Reynoldsburg change.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Reynoldsburg’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Reynoldsburg’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Places that used to be

Old corners and burying grounds

Reynoldsburg’s post office has been open since 1833.

Hamlets and corners on the map
BriarcliffBrookside ParkKingswood FarmsRose Hill Heights
4cemeteries and burying grounds inside Reynoldsburg
Glen Rest MemorialMethodist HillPrimitive Baptist ChurchSeceder

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Timeline

Reynoldsburg, 1833 to 1992

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1833Post officeThe Reynoldsburg post office opens
  3. 20th century
  4. 1925On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  5. 1976Born hereCalvin Booth is born here
  6. 1985Born hereAman Ali is born here
  7. 1992Born hereLe'Veon Bell is born here
  8. 1992Born hereRoosevelt Nix is born here
The story

How Reynoldsburg came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Reynoldsburg.

Read it all →

Reynoldsburg was first settled in 1802 by James and Margaret Crawford. It was originally called Frenchtown when it was platted in 1831, named after its surveyor, John French. The present name is for James C. Reynolds, a local merchant who was instrumental to the village's founding. A post office called Reynoldsburgh was established in 1833, and the name was changed to Reynoldsburg in 1893.

Reynoldsburg is known as "The Birthplace of the Tomato," claiming the first commercial variety of tomato was bred there in the 19th century, and the Tomato Festival has been held every year since 1965. Every year there is a Tomato Festival Queen. The Tomato Festival takes place in August.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Reynoldsburg, 1858–1909

Passages that mention Reynoldsburg, cut from the printed page as they were published.

Within the first twelve or fifteen years the town of Reynoldsburg grew up to near its present size and business. For the last ten or twelve years it has been nearly stationary. In 1850, it contained a population of 564.
History of Franklin County [Ohio]1858 · page 215Read the page →
Read the text

Within the first twelve or fifteen years the town of Reynoldsburg grew up to near its present size and business. For the last ten or twelve years it has been nearly stationary. In 1850, it contained a population of 564.

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
In 1840, the population of this township, including the town of Reynoldsburg, was 1439. In 1850, it was 2156. In 1853, the township contained twelve school
History of Franklin County [Ohio]1858 · page 216Read the page →
Read the text

In 1840, the population of this township, including the town of Reynoldsburg, was 1439. In 1850, it was 2156. In 1853, the township contained twelve school

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Reynoldsburg became a postoffice in 1833 and John C. Reynolds was the first postmaster, being appointed in 1833, serving for seven years. His successors were: 1840, Hiram Sibel; 1842, John C. Reynolds; 1843, E. G.
Centennial history of Columbus and Franklin County, Ohio1909 · page 419Read the page →
Read the text

Reynoldsburg became a postoffice in 1833 and John C. Reynolds was the first postmaster, being appointed in 1833, serving for seven years. His successors were: 1840, Hiram Sibel; 1842, John C. Reynolds; 1843, E. G.

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Passage from Centennial history of Columbus and Franklin County, Ohio that mentions Reynoldsburg
Centennial history of Columbus and Franklin County, Ohio1909Read the page →

Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

By decade

Reynoldsburg, decade by decade

Today6 recent
Reynoldsburg Elected Parking Spaces 12017Reynoldsburg Elected Parking Spaces 1Frescoes in progress- August 20112011Frescoes in progress- August 2011Deaconicon2011DeaconiconDormition fresco-detail2010Dormition fresco-detail"Dormition of the Most Holy Birthgiver of God" fresco on the western wall of the Cathedral, 20102010"Dormition of the Most Holy Birthgiver of God" fresco…The very rev. Dushko Gorgievski2006The very rev. Dushko Gorgievski
On the map

Reynoldsburg on the map, 1925 to 1994

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Reynoldsburg. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Reynoldsburg on the 1925 USGS mapReynoldsburg on the 1943 USGS mapReynoldsburg on the 1955 USGS mapReynoldsburg on the 1964 USGS mapReynoldsburg on the 1973 USGS mapReynoldsburg on the 1985 USGS mapReynoldsburg on the 1994 USGS map1925East Columbus 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 Reynoldsburg.

Every building

Reynoldsburg, building by building, 1922

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a sheet.

Reynoldsburg fire insurance map, 1922, sheet 11922Sheet 1 of 3
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

On the National Register

1 historic place in Reynoldsburg

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
1
each building in a district counts
first listed
1994
Alexander W. Livingston House
Alexander W. Livingston House
Buildings
Alexander W. Livingston HouseBuilding

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

People over time

Reynoldsburg, census by census

05,00010,00015,00020,00025,00030,00035,00040,00045,000185019001950200041,076

Grew from 309 people in 1850 to 41,076 in 2020, more than tenfold.

17 censuses, 1850–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Reynoldsburg’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

4 famous people were born in Reynoldsburg

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Calvin BoothAmerican basketball player · b. 1976
Le'Veon BellAmerican football player · b. 1992
A
Aman AliAmerican comedian and journalist · b. 1985
R
Roosevelt NixAmerican football player · b. 1992
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Columbus181 historic placesATruro Township1 historic placeCPataskala9 historic placesB−Jefferson TownshipIts storyC−Pickerington4 historic placesBViolet Township5 historic placesCEtna TownshipIts storyC+

Questions about Reynoldsburg’s history

What year was Reynoldsburg founded?

The Reynoldsburg post office opened in 1833, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

How does Reynoldsburg rank for history?

Reynoldsburg is more historic than 47% of U.S. towns, #689 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 Reynoldsburg?

One place: the Alexander W. Livingston House (listed 1994).

How old are the homes in Reynoldsburg?

2% of Reynoldsburg’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 15% for an Ohio town; the median home was built in 1984.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

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 US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) 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.