Nestled between the Scioto and Olentangy rivers, the land that includes present day Powell was part of a 4,000 acre tract granted to James Parker in 1800 for payment for his services during the Revolutionary War. The acreage was subsequently subdivided and a 500 acre tract in Southern Liberty Township was deeded to Thomas R. Hall. The first settlers disembarked on the shores of the Olentangy River near the Liberty Presbyterian Church on May 1, 1801. By 1813, the settlement a few miles southwest was known as Middlebury as the settlers came from the Middlebury Connecticut area.

In 1850 Thomas Hall opened a general store at the crossroads. The store served several roles in town, including that of a mail-drop off point. Around 1857, the settlement applied for a post office of its own. Apparently, granting such a request required some help which was given by Judge Thomas Watkins Powell of Delaware, Ohio. In appreciation for this assistance, the village was renamed Powell.

The town begins to thrive with the arrival of the Columbus and Toledo Railroad in 1872. A.G. (Gordon) Hall, son of Thomas, donates a right away through farmland for the railroad tracks assuring Powell of a depot and connection to the rest of the area. Gordon Hall initiates the surveying and plotting of the town proper which is recorded on March 29, 1876.

In 1947, Powell was incorporated as a Village. In early 1980 the population began to grow from 378 to approximately 11,000 in population by 2007. Powell became a city in April of 2000. Much of the growth of Powell is associated with the expansion of the Metro Columbus area.

Two organizations that help promote events and business in the downtown area are Powell Business Association and in 2006, the newly created Historic Downtown Powell Inc. The Historic Downtown Powell organization may become a Main Street program over the next two years. Main Street helps preserve historical sites of the community. Both of these organizations work with the business community to draw clientele to the downtown and coordinate the needs of the downtown business community.



"Liberty Township one of the wealthy flourishing subdivisions of the country." Is this a publicity line from a recent news article? No, in fact, it is a quote from the year 1880. (Powell/Liberty Historical Society).