About

New Philadelphia is the county seat of Tuscarawas County, Ohio.  It is the county’s largest city with a population of over 17,000.

As its name suggests, the city is laid out in the same grid style as Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Even the primary streets – High Avenue and Broadway – are named after two original main streets in Philadelphia.

Today, our city has a thriving “Main Street” with many original buildings serving as home to locally owned businesses and shops, reflective of our pride in remembering the past while continuing to move forward.  We have one of the lowest crime ratest in the state, and recently was voted number four in the “50 Safest Cities in Ohio”.

History
The City of New Philadelphia has a history as rich and colorful as the valley that surrounds it. In 1804, John Knisely founded our town just west of the site of Schoenbrunn, a Moravian Indian missionary town. Taverns and merchants thrived here as the village was a focal point for travelers and settlers from the east.
With the construction of the Ohio-Erie Canal, New Philadelphia became a marketing center for agricultural products and the canal provided water power for mills. The coming of railroads led to coal mining and, eventually, to steel and manufacturing. Some other important dates in New Philadelphia history include the following:
-In 1808, Tuscarawas County was formed creating the rivalry between Dover and New Philadelphia over competition for the county seat.
-New Philadelphia was incorporated Feb. 12, 1833 with the first elections being held on May 6 of that year. B.M. Atherton was elected as Mayor.
-In 1854, the first railroad was completed.
-In 1895, the village was advanced to the status of city. The census of that year listed New Philadelphia at 5,673 residents.
-In 1898, the public square was paved providing our city's first paved streets.
-New Philadelphia Public Schools opened Sept. 9, 1900 with 5 school buildings and an enrollment of 1,267 students.
-Quaker Stadium held it's first game on Sept.29, 1928.
-New Philadelphia Post Office was built in 1929, modeled after Independence Hall in Philadelphia.