Medina, Ohio (population 25,139) was founded in the early 1800s as part of the Connecticut Western Reserve, land claimed by Connecticut in the Northwest Territory. Since easterners purchased most of this land, many of the early pioneers were from the New England states, although a strong contingent of Germans both from Pennsylvania and the "old country" settled in the western and southern portions of the county.
Agriculture has long been the economic mainstay of the area, along with coal mining and such companies as the A.I Root beekeeping company and the Hollowware Foundry. Today, Medina is a growing a bedroom community for Cleveland and Akron.
The town retains his charming character in the Court House Square area, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The square, surrounded by historic buildings, features a replica of an 1879 bandstand gazebo and has been the center of Medina’s summer band concerts and ice cream socials for more than a century.
Other historic attractions include the Court House, built in 1844 with Victorian alterations in 1872; the A.I. Root Homestead, built by “the father of modern-day beekeeping”; and the restored Town Hall and Engine House, built in 1878.
Designated a Preserve America Community in January 2006.