Fairfield to celebrate 60th birthday

Fairfield turns 60 years old on Oct. 20, and the city and historical society have partnered to mark the milestone with events throughout Fairfield’s birthday month.

The celebration kicks off Oct. 14, with the opening of historical displays in the Community Arts Center’s gallery, including views created by archivist Bob Pendergrass, said Debbie Pennington, a Fairfield city council member and president of the historic society.

The gallery will be open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays. The exhibit will run through Oct. 21.

Whereas the city’s 50th birthday was a year-long celebration, this year’s birthday will focus more specifically on the decade that gave birth to Fairfield, said Ben Strickler, the city’s community events coordinator.

The next event will be at 7 p.m. Oct. 16, featuring Chris and the Cruisers playing the hits of the 50s and 60s. The Community Room will be themed to the 1950s, with food at 50s prices.

“It’s an opportunity to celebrate Fairfield’s history, and the historical society has really stepped up to help with that … we’re turning back time with the music,” he said.

The anniversary of Fairfield’s incorporation is Oct. 20. On that date, the Community Arts Center will host events including a first-day cover stamp cancellation ceremony, and the art gallery will hold a free reception with cake.

According to the city’s website, the area was first settled in 1787, when Judge John Cleves Symmes, a colonel in the Revolutionary War located “the garden spot of any place that he had seen.” Symmes purchased land between the mouth and the source of the two Miami Rivers, approximately 330,000 acres for 67 cents per acre.

Fairfield was initially only a township, but community leaders agreed to form a community to fend off annexation to Hamilton. The village was incorporated in 1954, with the city following the next year.

About the Author