Centerville-Washington Township

When I’ve moved around the country, and I did move 17 times in 17 years with the Air Force, I always wanted to live near higher educational facilities. It made me feel that I was being surrounded by educated processes and higher level programs for my children. Since Air Force facilities are situated based on the convenience of their real estate locations, and not necessarily on their ability to offer a thoroughly cultural environment to their residents, I felt reassured by the approximately 50% of residents in Centerville Washington Township which have bachelor’s degrees or higher with an additional 28% having had other level training beyond high school.

Holding relatively traditional values, the town also stands as one of the oldest in Ohio and seems to sustain a cohesive, “together” feel while simultaneously wearing a gentle strategy of enhanced cultural and family life.

At the same time that George Washington was serving his last term as President, the first settlers came to and settled in the Centerville-Washington Township area. As the town began to grow, earlier period log homes were replaced by limestone homes and there are still 30 homes in the center of town which reflect that period. In fact, it is the largest collection of early limestone buildings in the state of Ohio!

Summertime finds many medians with planters and flowers all over town. Spotted throughout the town also are its signature Gazebos. Located just 10 miles south of Dayton, through Route 48 (Far Hills Road), the heart of Centerville can be found at the intersection of 48 and 725/Franklin Road. The town rests on 32 square miles with approximately one-fourth incorporated into the city of Centerville. Washington Township is its surrounding suburbia and homes are “largely single-family executive type dwellings with both apartment and condominium developments and often with open space areas.”

Once you live there, you begin to see that Centerville has its own exclusive atmosphere, with lots of small specialty shops around the heart of town, (the Architectural Preservation District-shown to the right) to include great food places such as Graeter’s Ice Cream, Panera Bread, and City BBQ. Further into the town there are numerous fine restaurants, business facilities, as well as the nearby Dayton Mall.

“Through the communications council, the City produces cable television programs including ‘Centerville Reports’, a nationally recognized news magazine program, and ‘Lets Talk Centerville’, a monthly call-in program. ‘Centerville Reports Today’ and ‘Centerville Datebook’ are other government programs that keep their residents informed about local happenings.”

Centerville High School also proves a main attraction for newcomers–a comprehensive four-year school with high academic standards of excellence and touting amazing 61.2% cumulative grade point averages landing between 3.0-4.0, and an awesome 96% moving on to formal education beyond high school. That’s pretty impressive considering their enrollment of 2700+ students! Their sports facility accommodates 27 sports including an extensive sports medicine program and is a member of the Greater Western Ohio Conference which has 18 member schools. The school won 34/35 all-sports championships for the last 35 years!

Centerville High is “organized utilizing a small school concept, capitalizing on the advantages of both a large and a small school. As a large school, it provides opportunities for staff specialization, a diverse curriculum, and well-equipped facilities. As a small school, it’s a climate that offers personal attention and effective enrichment opportunities as a common practice.” The school has a central core and three academic units. In the winter of 2008 it even opened a Performing Arts Center! With recognitions such as the “Drug Free Award”, the naming of “National Blue Ribbon School” , and an Ohio Department Of Education School Report Card “Excellence with Distinction” status, the Centerville-Washington Township school system rocks!

Washington Township has a large recreational facility, a private swim and tennis club, a golf course, local museums, a senior center, Town Hall plays, two local libraries, and a wide assortment of neighborhood parks for children. In the summertime, among the many events presented to the public, the town sponsors a July 4^th Americana Festival, and a summer concert series at Stubbs Park on Spring Valley Road, offering a summer-long array of local and diverse musical talent every weekend of the summer for free! Residents flock to the hillside amphitheater with beach chairs, blankets, and cozy, sociable smiles! I have attended at least one concert every summer for the last 9 years and I have never been disappointed!

New residents can acquire a New Resident Pack by calling 937-433-7151, and kids can download a cool Activity Book here – with lots of fun facts about the town as well as a pretty good resource of information for adults.