Ohio Magazine Selects Barnesville as One of Ohio’s Best Hometowns
Ohio Magazine recognizes Barnesville among five great places to live, work and visit
Ashland, Barnesville, Green, Mount Vernon and Yellow Springs will be recognized as great places to live, work and visit in Ohio Magazine’s annual Best Hometowns issue, which will be published Nov. 1.
To determine this year’s honorees, Ohio Magazine solicited nominations in the spring and conducted visits across the state over the summer. The editors evaluated finalists in six categories — Community Spirit, Education, Entertainment, Health and Safety, Business Environment, and Culture and Heritage — to help make their selections.
The magazine’s editors chose Barnesville in part for its strong sense of community, historic architecture and its ongoing efforts to preserve local landmarks for future generations.
Each of Ohio Magazine’s Best Hometowns honorees will be featured in both the Nov./Dec. 2025 and July/Aug. 2026 issues of the magazine and online at ohiomagazine.com, giving readers a look at what makes each community special. Those selected are encouraged to mark the honor throughout the year.
In making the announcement Wednesday, Jim Vickers, Ohio Magazine editor, told Mayor Jake Hershberger “Barnesville has been selected as a 2025-26 Ohio Magazine Best Hometown. We enjoyed our visit to town and are excited to share your story with our readers and online visitors”.
Vickers and the magazine’s photographer and videographer visited Barnesville on June 27. During the daylong visit, they toured the Dickinson Cattle Company, took a walking tour of the downtown historic district, visited ongoing construction at the State Theater building, met Barnesville Pumpkin Festival officers and enjoyed lunch at our town’s newest eatery, Tlaquepaque Mexican Restaurant.
In the afternoon, the team toured the Watt Center for History and the Arts, checked out the B & O Depot and the ongoing railroad tunnel project, visited the Olney Friends School Campus and the historic Stillwater Meeting House, toured the three-story Belmont County Victorian Mansion Museum and visited several downtown retail locations including the Barnesville Antique Mall.
Mayor Jake Hershberger hosted the tour along with Belmont County Tourism Director Jackee Pugh and Barnesville Chamber’s Jill Hissom. Historian Bruce Yarnall shared the community’s rich history with the team throughout the day.
For more information about Ohio Magazine’s past Best Hometowns honorees, visit ohiomagazine.com/besthometowns.
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