Where in the World is Lithopolis?

Ever since I moved our Alumni post office box to the Lithopolis post office four years ago, I’ve been getting questions about where in the world is Lithopolis and why is our PO box there.

I’ll answer the second question first.  Just over four years ago my husband and I moved down to beautiful Fairfield County and within a few miles of the tiny village of Lithopolis.  Since I check almost daily for mail at the post office, it is simply more convenient to have it down here where we live.

Now, to answer the question about where Lithopolis is . . .

Established in 1814, Lithopolis is located in the NW corner of Fairfield County. Along Route 33, it is 20 minutes SE of Downtown Columbus and 15 minutes NW of Lancaster.  It is 2 miles south of Canal Winchester. 

Lithopolis gets its distinctive name from the Greek words "litho" and "polis" which, when translated together, mean "city of stone."  This unique name is attributed to the nearby quarry located in the ravine that runs north of the village and where Lithopolis free stone was once quarried.  It is a beautiful area that “civilization” hasn’t completely found yet.  The village boasts wonderful examples of pre-Civil War and early-1900 architecture.  Quaint shops full of antiques, fine art and "eclectibles" (eclectic collectibles) line the main street, along with a tea room and bistro, a day spa and a pizza shoppe.   

If you have computer access, go to www.lithopolis.com and check us out.  There’s some wonderful information on the site.

Lithopolis is best known for the Wagnalls Memorial Library, the village treasure.  The Memorial was commissioned by Mabel Wagnalls Jones in memory of her parents, Adam and Anna Wagnalls.  Adam was the co-founder of the Funk and Wagnalls Publishing Co. 

The Memorial stuns first-time visitors to Lithopolis. It takes awhile to accept this improbable location for a beautiful Tudor-Gothic structure.  The original building in the complex, dedicated on May 30, 1925, is constructed of native free stone from the quarry behind the building. 

But there’s a lot more to the library than just books.  It was built to accommodate a library and community center, a place where residents of Lithopolis and Bloom Township could gather for social and educational events, as well as to gain knowledge in the cultural arts.  We are just concluding our inaugural season of the Wagnalls Family Theatre.

I invite you to go to www.wagnalls.org or access it directly from www.lithopolis.com and look around.

Carol Miley Middaugh ‘62

Treasurer/Membership Chairman/Newsletter Editor

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