Downtown Medina

No, I'm not talking about the city in Saudi Arabia, but rather about a town in Ohio, located about twenty miles to the south of where I live.  While Alejandro was here for a visit, we took a drive down to Medina.

Medina has a population of about 26,000 people, and is the seat of the county of the same name.  It was founded in 1818 by New Englanders as a settlement of the Western Reserve, a section of northeastern Ohio that was originally claimed by the state of Connecticut. The town was laid out in typical New England fashion with a village green in the center.


The gazebo on the town square

 

The county courthouse faces the square.

 



 

Most of the wooden buildings of the town's downtown district were destroyed in a fire in 1870.  The district was rebuilt with stone and brick.  Unlike so many towns where the old commercial center has been razed in the name of urban renewal, Medina has preserved its 19th century downtown.  The buildings are occupied by a variety of specialty shops and restaurants.  As a result, Medina's downtown continues to thrive, and has become something of a local tourist destination for its picturesque atmosphere.