In 1817 Ethan Alling, then aged 16, came to Township Five in the tenth range of the Connecticut Land Company, also known as Millsville. Alling was to survey the 400 acres (1.6 km2) of land his Connecticut family had purchased. He is considered the first settler of the town that would be renamed Twinsburg, and later he became the postmaster of the town, as well as a merchant, stagecoach operator, and hotel proprietor. A pair of identical twins named Moses and Aaron Wilcox, from Killingworth, Connecticut, purchased some 4,000 acres (16 km2) of land in 1819. They sold tracts at low prices to attract other settlers. The twins offered 6 acres (24,000 m2) of land for a public square and $20 to support the town's first school on the condition that the community would change its name from Millsville to Twinsburg.[4] The Twinsburg Post Office was established in 1825.[5]
In 1963, the Twinsburg Historical Society was founded. It was housed in the building formerly occupied by the Twinsburg Institute (founded by Samuel Bissell and built in 1863). The museum run by the Historical Society holds pictures, papers and documents related to the area's history. Tools and artifacts used by early artisans and farmers, furniture, including domestic items, clothes, and books, as well as letters and records of Twinsburg's early days, are all showcased.[4] The Mail Pouch Tobacco sign displayed on the barn was one of the last ones painted by the famous barn painter Harley Warrick.[citation needed]
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 32.3 km² (12.5 mi²). 32.2 km2 (12.4 mi2) of it is land and 0.1 km2 (0.04 mi2) of it (0.24%) is water.
As of the census[9] of 2010, there were 18,795 people, 7,507 households, and 5,124 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,364.9 inhabitants per square mile (527.0/km2). There were 7,898 housing units at an average density of 573.6 per square mile (221.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 78.5% White, 13.4% African American, 0.1% Native American, 5.7% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.2% of the population.
There were 7,507 households, of which 35.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.9% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 31.7% were non-families. 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.09.
The median age in the city was 41.4 years. 25.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 29.4% were from 45 to 64; and 14.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.8% male and 53.2% female.
Of the city's population over the age of 25, 44.1% holds a bachelor's degree or higher.[10]
2000 census
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 17,006 people, 6,641 households, and 4,695 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,366.7 inhabitants per square mile (527.7/km2). There were 6,871 housing units at an average density of 552.2 per square mile (213.2/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 86.93% White, 8.73% African American, 0.11% Native American, 2.95% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.31% from other races, and 0.96% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.03% of the population.
There were 6,641 households, out of which 35.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.7% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.3% were non-families. 24.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the city the population was spread out, with 26.7% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 35.5% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.2 males.
Twinsburg holds a yearly festival for twins, and other multiple births, called Twins Days. The festival started in 1976 and has grown to be the world's largest annual gathering of twins, with around 3,000 sets attending annually. The festival attracts twins, multiples, and their families from much of the world, with many sets returning year after year.[11]
The Twinsburg City School District is composed of five schools, 4,069 students, 234 classified staff, and 272 certified staff.[13] The schools have received the "Excellent with Distinction" rating for the Ohio state tests for the 2010–11 school year.[14] Schools in the city are as follows:
Wilcox Primary: Grades PK–1
Bissell Elementary School: Grades 2–3 and in 2016 Bissell Won the National Blue Ribbon school
According to the Twinsburg City Schools,[15] The "Old School" located on Darrow Road[16] was the only school building in Twinsburg until 1957, and was closed as a public school in 1992.[17] The Twinsburg campus of Kent State Geauga occupied the "Old School" building until building a new facility in 2012.[16] Supporters of the "Old School" have tried to have the building placed on the National Register of Historic Places, to prevent it from being torn down for redevelopment. The building has since been torn down. As of 2024, a vacant lot stands where the school once did.[18][17]
