Richfield village and the township went separate ways in 2003
Richfield is two governments with one name, and the line between them took 36 years to settle. The village incorporated in 1967 by a vote of 577 to 464, but it stayed part of the township, and the two shared services and taxes for decades.
Here is how the split played out, from the township’s own history:
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1984-1985 | A village-township merger passed in the village but failed in the township |
| 1996 | A village merger with Bath Township passed in Bath but failed in the village |
| 1997 | Another village-township merger: village 908 for, 458 against; township 349 for, 531 against |
| 1999 | 402 of 716 qualified freeholders petitioned to separate from the village |
| August 2003 | The separation took effect, after court cases and an Attorney General opinion on dividing assets |
Richfield Township was founded in 1809 and once covered 25 square miles. After the separation and annexations it covers 16.35 square miles and about 2,700 people. Its administration and service department are at 3038 Boston Mills Road, which carries a Brecksville mailing address.
High-value homes in both Richfields
Richfield homes are among the most valuable in northern Summit County. In Richfield village, the median home value as owners estimate it is about $333,900, the median build year is 1973, and about 84% of occupied homes are owner-occupied, by the Census Bureau’s 2020-2024 estimates.
The Census Bureau’s Richfield Township figures include the village. Across that whole area, the median owner estimate rises to about $423,300 and the median build year to 1978. That suggests the unincorporated part of the township holds the pricier, newer homes.
What that means for you: an updated Richfield house with no deadline usually belongs on the open market. A direct sale fits better for an inherited house that needs everything, a property with a failing well or septic system, or a seller who has to move on a fixed date.
From the Richfield Coliseum to grassland
For twenty years Richfield was where Northeast Ohio went to see the Cavaliers. The Richfield Coliseum hosted the team from 1974 to 1994 and the NHL’s Cleveland Barons from 1976 to 1978, along with concerts.
After the Cavaliers moved downtown, the arena sat empty for years. By 1998, about 60 suitors had approached the owners about developing the 327-acre site, and a National Park Service study estimated a shopping center there would bring 15,000 cars a day onto the park’s two-lane roads.
Instead, the Trust for Public Land acquired the property and the arena was demolished in 1999. Crews tore up 80 acres of asphalt parking, and the land went to Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Today about 60 acres of grassland there draw bobolinks, Savannah sparrows and eastern meadowlarks, along State Route 303 just west of I-271.
Highways, Revere schools and private systems
Richfield sits where several major highways meet:
- Interstate 77, Interstate 271 and the Ohio Turnpike (I-80)
- State Route 303 (Streetsboro Road)
- State Route 176 (Broadview Road)
Schools are part of the Revere Local School District, formed when Bath and Richfield consolidated their schools in 1949. It serves Richfield village and Richfield Township, and Richfield Elementary is one of its four schools. The village also has an Akron-Summit County Public Library branch.
If your Richfield property uses a private well or septic system, Summit County Public Health requires a contractor’s inspection before the transfer. The Summit County septic and well guide explains the steps, and selling a house with septic problems covers what happens when the system fails.
Neighbors and next steps
Richfield borders Bath Township to the south, Boston Township to the east, Brecksville and Broadview Heights in Cuyahoga County to the north, and Granger and Hinckley townships in Medina County to the west. Our Bath Township page covers the other half of the Revere district, and probate and other county matters are on the Summit County page.
When you’d like to compare a cash number against a listing price, you can get a written offer for your Richfield property.