Medina County’s first settlement claim
Liverpool Township and Lodi both have a claim to being first. The township says, based on research and residents’ accounts, that Liverpool was the first permanent settlement in Medina County. The story starts in 1810, when Seba Bronson Jr., a Revolutionary War veteran, arrived in the “Hardscrabble” area at what is now the corner of Columbia and Grafton roads. He was a squatter: he planted corn, built a house and started a salt works. Liverpool Township itself was established in 1816 and named after Liverpool, England.
Before that, the land belonged to Daniel Coit of Connecticut, a member of the Connecticut Land Company, which bought the Western Reserve for about 40 cents an acre.
The Frog Jump Capital of Ohio
Valley City’s claim to fame is frogs. Since 1962 it has held a jumping frog contest modeled on Mark Twain’s “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” and on April 2, 1964, Governor Jim Rhodes proclaimed it the official state championship. The contest now runs in early August at Mill Stream Park and drew a record 750 frogs and 4,000 people in 2021. At the end of August, a street fair raises money for the local fire department.
Old village homes and newer township houses
Valley City and the surrounding township have different housing, according to the Census. Valley City’s numbers come from a small sample, so treat them as rough.
| Valley City (CDP) | Liverpool Township (whole) | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | about 785 | about 5,815 |
| Median year built | about 1980 | 1983 |
| Built 1939 or earlier | about 31% | about 12% |
| Mobile homes | about 7% | about 1% |
| Owner-occupied | about 77% | about 87% |
Houses that old can bring the familiar inspection list: original wiring, old plumbing, tired foundations and lead-based paint. If yours has old wiring, see selling a house with old wiring. Out on the township roads, homes are mostly newer and on larger lots, with a median value, as owners estimate it, of about $415,300 for the township as a whole.
The river, the roads and the services
The West Branch of the Rocky River forms Valley City’s eastern edge, and Plum Creek runs through its west side, both flowing north toward Lake Erie. If your property sits near either one, check the FEMA flood map before you sell; flood zone status affects a buyer’s insurance and loan.
State Route 303 (Center Road) runs about 4.5 miles east to Brunswick and 10 miles west to LaGrange. State Route 252 runs north about 10 miles to Olmsted Falls and south about 9 miles to Medina. The township sits roughly five miles west of Interstate 71.
Liverpool Township is run by three trustees and a fiscal officer from the township office at 6801 School Street (330-483-3102). The trustees appoint the zoning officials. Law enforcement questions go to the Medina County Sheriff’s Office. Students attend the Buckeye Local School District, shared with Litchfield and York townships.
Selling in Valley City
If your house is updated and you have time, you’ll likely net more by listing with an agent. A direct sale makes more sense for a pre-war house that needs work, an inherited property or a house that has to close by a certain date. We buy as-is, with no repairs or cleaning, and you choose the closing date. County rules, from the probate court to the $3 per $1,000 conveyance fee, are on our Medina County page. Get a written offer when you’re ready.