Lendl was attracted to the area and moved his business to Olde West Chester on Cincinnati-Dayton Rd. from Ohio 42. He resides in Beckett Ridge, so he also lives nearby and enjoys being involved in the local community.
“It’s a nice location,” Lendl said. “I made an effort to reach out to everybody in the area to get to know the people that were here, and to help promote their businesses as well.”
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
People love the feeling and the aesthetics of being in a place that has the feeling of “Americana” in it, he said, comparing it to Route 66.
“Route 66 has all those old buildings on it, and so it’s got that old-time feel,” Lendl said. “So, for me, it was just the right place to locate my businesses. People like the feeling and the ambiance of Olde West Chester. That’s what people come here for. Having a past is important for projecting into the future.”
There are a variety of businesses and organizations located in Olde West Chester from spas, salons, and a jeweler to wealth management, financial and investment firms as well as churches and non-profits. It’s also the home to the History Center and 1823 Plaza, a pocket park at the intersection of Station and Lesourdsville West Chester roads.
“It’s a beautiful area. You get off the interstate, you drop down through a lazy winding street, you come into the older buildings, and you pass a gazebo, a covered bridge and a steepled church. These are just really nice features of an American street,” Lendl said.
With a museum and headquarters at the History Center, the West Chester-Union Township Historical Society (www.westchesterhistoricalsociety.org) continues its mission to collect, care for, study, display and preserve West Chester’s history.
Olde West Chester, once known as Hogtown and Mechanicsburgh, grew as a center of commerce in the 1800s. It was a significant stop along the railroad with a general store, a blacksmith, a milliner’s shop and more.
Starting with farmers and blacksmiths, it became the birthplace of the entrepreneurial spirit that continues there today.
One of the buildings still standing in Olde West Chester is E.W. Scripps’ former home, which was built in 1840. E.W. Scripps was a newspaper publisher and founder of The E.W. Scripps Company.
The home is now owned by St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church.
“The Scripps are a family that made a huge difference in the world,” said Lendl. “The work they started continues today, and it is the legacy of a family that was here in West Chester for many years.”
Hosted by the Olde West Chester Business Association, community members can celebrate West Chester’s rich history at the upcoming Founder’s Day Walk in Olde West Chester next month.
Guests can take a stroll down the sidewalks in the Olde West Chester corridor. and many of the local business and non-profits will offer a variety of activities.
The event, held mainly outdoors, along the street, will include food trucks and a beer tent, family games and activities, a local craft fair, rides and inflatables, axe throwing, trolley rides and more.
The Old West Chester merchants began West Chester’s bicentennial celebration with the first Founder’s Day Walk in 2023, which featured the grand opening of the History Center. This year marks the third annual Founder’s Day Walk.
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The Founder’s Day Walk will take place 2-6 p.m. June 7 in the Olde West Chester business district, located on Cincinnati-Dayton Road between West Chester Road and Station Road.
Formerly known as Union Twp., West Chester celebrates Founder’s Day on June 2, marking the date it separated from Liberty Twp. in 1823. For more information about West Chester’s history, go to westchesteroh.org/200. West Chester commemorated its bicentennial anniversary in 2023.
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