By 1808Delaware
It has been a year and a half since we paid an online visit to the village of Kilbourne, which nestles on the intersection of State Route 521 and the Old State Road in north and east of Delaware.
As we shared then, “Kilbourne, a hamlet with a population of 139 according to the 2010 census, sits squarely on the “Old State Road,” Ohio’s first federally funded highway. Constructed about 1820, it was envisioned as a route from Worthington to New Haven in Huron County. The project surveyor was the charismatic Col. James Kilbourn, for whom the town was named.”
At the time, we referenced a recently published Columbus Underground article about an effort to bring new life to the community.Entitled, “The Kilbourne Project: The Four Families that are Revitalizing an Entire Town,” the post looked at the plans for these families which had purchased multiple buildings – 11 of them, the article shares. “The end goal is to create a “micro-destination” for outdoor enthusiasts as well as a “vibrant, walkable, rural commercial district.””
The families in question have been busy since our last post. While COVID-19 and winter cold have put a temporary damper on some plans, the work continues and the project has received increased coverage.
Last April, Kilbourne area resident and investor Josh Scheutzow was interviewed on the Rural Revival podcast, and the project was profiled together with some wonderful photos. Click on the arrow to listen.
The Kilbourne Market is up and running, and during the winter is offering carry-out. Its Facebook Page shows how busy the market was in 2020, including hosting a number of musical performances and a farmers market.
In August, the Columbus Dispatch published a piece by Allison Ward entitled “Four families work to revive Delaware County village of Kilbourne.” In it, Kilbourne shared, “Our vision is to have a quaint, rural, walkable community area that people could visit on the weekends or in the evenings — but all of it will be sustained by the town.”
Later this week, we will publish the first of a series on the Old State Road, a remarkable surviving piece of historic Ohio.
