Those
of us who live in Fairfax see this sign at the gateway from Columbia Parkway to
Fairfax several times a week. It looks so simple: “Village of Fairfax; 1955.”
As a lifelong resident of Fairfax, I knew that the village was incorporated in
1955, but never knew how this came about. In my ignorance, I assumed that a
bunch of community leaders just put their heads together one day and decided to
create a village. As it turns out, the road to the incorporation of the Village
of Fairfax was not a smooth one. It took decades, involved several court
decisions and elections, and benefitted from the support of one of the
country’s leading industrialists.
The first mention of forming a village was in August 1922 when a petition was circulated requesting incorporation. The primary issue was water quality and some residents said that incorporation would allow them to negotiate with the City of Cincinnati for water services. According to an article in the Cincinnati Commercial Tribune, “It is the purpose of the founders of Fairfax to make it a workingman’s paradise, a model community from politics, vice or crime, where solid American citizens may dwell contentedly in modest homes without the burden of high taxes.” The issue of incorporation came before the Hamilton County Commission, where there was opposition from some Fairfax residents who argued that they were poor people who couldn’t afford the higher rent and taxes that incorporation would bring. The petition was denied.
The issue of incorporation arose again in 1931. The Fairfax Welfare Association held a meeting to discuss incorporation or possible annexation to the City of Cincinnati. They invited mayors of two other Hamilton County communities to discuss the options. One option discussed at the meeting was the possibility of forming a city to include Fairfax, Mariemont, Plainville, and Madison Place. A March 12, 1931 editorial in The Cincinnati Post stated that the best option for these communities would be to join the City of Cincinnati. The taxes would be higher, but services would be better.
By late 1931, Fairfax residents were leaning heavily toward annexation to Cincinnati. The Cincinnati city solicitor advised that if Fairfax were annexed, the new Fairfax School would become part of Cincinnati Schools. There was still debt on the school and the question arose of who would be responsible for it, the Plainville School District (now Mariemont City Schools) that built the school or Cincinnati Schools, which would absorb the school. The Plainville school board wanted Cincinnati to annex Fairfax School and pay the outstanding bonds. The Cincinnati school superintendent was opposed to this because the district didn’t have the money to pay the bonds.
The agent for the residents seeking annexation then sent a letter to exclude the area surrounding the school from annexation. The Cincinnati school superintendent again expressed his opposition to annexation because children in the area to be annexed would be moved to the already crowded Madisonville School. The children in the annexed area would then have to walk up to 1 ½ miles to school. Fairfax School, which was built to accommodate a two or three hundred children, would then only be occupied by a few dozen.
In May 1932, the Fairfax Welfare Association and Citizens’ Club filed protests with Cincinnati City Council opposing annexation unless the children in the area to be annexed could attend Fairfax School. In June, Fairfax resident George Pickelheimer filed an injunction to prevent the Cincinnati city solicitor from presenting the petition for annexation to city council. Mr. Pickelheimer’s argument was that the representative for the residents seeking annexation sent a letter to request that the area around the school be excluded from annexation, rather than filing an amended petition for annexation. In June, the Fairfax PTA also spoke out against annexation. In August 1932, a judge ruled against annexation of Fairfax to Cincinnati, citing the problems with the schools in his decision.
Another decade passed and in February 1941 there was again talk of annexing Fairfax, Mariemont, and Madison Place to Cincinnati. The Mariemont Civic Association met to discuss annexation and invited Fairfax and Madison Place residents as well. Again, the primary concern was what would happen to the schools. Fairfax didn’t have its own fire department in those days, so joining the city would provide fire protection. Cincinnati would consider annexing Fairfax without the other two communities, but there was concern among Fairfax residents that their students would lose use of Plainville High School and have to be bused to Withrow High School and that children from the overcrowded Madisonville School would be sent to Fairfax School. There was also concern that annexation would result in higher taxes, though proponents stated that this would be offset by lower water and electric rates.
Mariemont decided against annexation and voted to incorporate as a village in April 1941. Madison Place didn’t pursue either annexation or incorporation, but decided to organize its own fire department and solicited Fairfax to provide its fire protection.
The Board of Elections scheduled a vote in Fairfax on annexation to Cincinnati for November 1943. Residents appeared to be divided on annexation. Proponents looked forward to getting better municipal services. There were rumors that Fairfax’s “handbook interests” (i.e., bookie joints) were driving the opposition, since they didn’t want to have to deal with Cincinnati Police, whom they thought would take a tough stance against their operations. Unfortunately, an October 5, 1943 article in the Cincinnati Post said that residents privately said they were concerned that there would be an “influx [of African Americans] from Madisonville if Cincinnati takes over.” The publicly stated reasons against annexation, though, were concerns over higher taxes and children’s education. Fairfax residents ultimately voted annexation down by a five to one margin. Under a new state law, Cincinnati could not pursue annexation of Fairfax for another five years.
Five years later, possibly anticipating another annexation attempt by Cincinnati, the Fairfax Welfare Association began discussion of incorporation. One issue this time was fire protection, which was provided by Madison Place on a subscription basis. If incorporated, a Village of Fairfax could tax residents for fire protection instead. In July 1949, the Welfare Association petitioned Columbia Township trustees for incorporation, but not without opposition. The Boosters Club, composed primarily of residents of the Audubon Park subdivision (which at that time was composed of Meadowlark Lane and the western block of Grace Avenue) preferred annexation to Cincinnati. Both sides were concerned with higher taxes. An election was held on July 27, 1949 and incorporation was defeated by a two to one margin.
Honestly, the village did eventually incorporate. I, for one, can use a break and a couple of Tylenol. Stay tuned for Part Two, coming soon.
