Local events in Rome Township, Lawrence County
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Checked October 20; the events page is refreshed daily.
How Rome Township, Lawrence County began
Rome Township occupies the southeastern corner of Lawrence County, the farthest upstream of the county's Ohio River townships, and takes its name from the seven hills converging at La Belle, likened to the hills of Rome on the Tiber. Its lasting claim to fame is agricultural rather than industrial: the original Rome Beauty apple tree was discovered as a seedling and planted on the riverbank here around 1816-1817, and the variety's 1832 renaming for the township carried the name into orchards nationwide. The village of Athalia sits on its shoreline, and the township hosts the Lawrence County Fair near Proctorville.
Where the name comes from
Named for the seven hills that converge at La Belle within the township, likened to the seven hills of Rome on the Tiber.
Before the town
No Native village, mound, trail, or treaty event specific to Rome Township is recorded.
Nations recorded here: Shawnee.
Timeline
- — Joel Gillett (sources differ on the year and on "Gillet"/"Gillett"/"Gillette") discovers a seedling apple tree among a nursery shipment; his son Alanson (or, per one source, Horatio Nelson Gillett as a cousin taking cuttings) plants and propagates it on the Ohio River bank in Rome Township near Proctorville.
- — The apple variety, originally called Gillett's Seedling, is renamed Rome Beauty in honor of the township.
- — Rome Township had 879 residents, rising to 1,134 in 1850 and 1,638 in 1860.
- — The original Rome Beauty tree is destroyed by riverbank erosion.
- — Rome Township had post offices at Athalia and Miller.
- — The census counted 2,851 residents, rising to 3,122 in 1900 and falling to 2,530 in 1910, including Athalia village.
- — A state report counted 156 apple orchards with 212,916 trees in eight Lawrence County townships including Rome, and the state placed a marker near the county fairgrounds for the Rome Beauty.
- — The Miller-Knight House, at 2 Township Road 1046, is added to the National Register of Historic Places (August 4).
- — The township's population is recorded at 8,779 across 34.0 square miles in the decennial census.
Stories
The apple that took the township's name around the country
Sometime around 1816 or 1817, Joel Gillett found a seedling apple tree growing among a shipment of nursery stock -- an accident of shipping, not a deliberate graft. It was planted on the Ohio River bank in Rome Township, near what is now Proctorville, and left to grow. When it began bearing a glossy, deep-red fruit good for both eating and baking, relatives took cuttings to start a nursery and spread it further. In 1832 the variety, until then known simply as Gillett's Seedling, was renamed Rome Beauty in honor of the township where it had first grown. The original tree did not survive the century -- it was lost to riverbank erosion in the 1850s -- but the variety outlasted it and remains popular for baking and cooking.
Local history sources: en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · archive.org · archive.org
Water
Ohio River surface water, treated at the Ironton Water Treatment Plant (built 1993, approved capacity 4 million gallons per day, about 1.3 MGD produced). The foot-of-Vernon-Street siting describes the original 1872 waterworks, not the current intake location. The water here
- Hecla Water Association94% of residentsOhio River
- Proctorville Village6% of residentsGroundwater wells (2 wells)
Hospitals, fire stations and more
Inside Rome Township, Lawrence County's boundary: 1 health center, 2 fire and EMS stations, 4 public schools, 1 poor-rated bridge, 1 Superfund site, 1 Toxics Release Inventory facility and 5 spill cases. Press a pin or a name for its whole record and its source.
Community health centers (1)
-
Proctorville Health Care CenterHealth center · Proctorville
- Run by
- a federally qualified health center
- Setting
- Clinic
- City
- Proctorville
- Coordinates
- 38.46354, -82.32047
Find a Health Center (HRSA) ↗ HRSA data (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
Source: HRSA health center service delivery sites, active, September 2026 (school-based sites left out). Health centers see patients whether or not they have insurance, with fees on a sliding scale.
Fire and EMS stations (2)
-
Rome Volunteer Fire Department Station 1Proctorville
- Address
- 9666 County Road 107, Proctorville, OH 45669
- Coordinates
- 38.44969, -82.32920
USGS National Map structures (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Rome Volunteer Fire Department Station 2Crown City
- Address
- 15747 State Highway 7, Crown City, OH 45623
- Coordinates
- 38.53680, -82.30236
USGS National Map structures (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
Source: USGS National Map structures (most Ohio records last updated 2019 to 2022), checked against the Columbus and Cleveland station lists. The department that answers a call is set by jurisdiction and mutual aid, not by distance.
Public schools (4)
-
Fairland East Elementary School3.5 of 5 stars · Proctorville
- Address
- 10732 County Road 107, Proctorville, OH 45669
- School district
- Fairland Local School District
- Kind (NCES)
- Regular School
- Students, 2023-24
- 341
- Teachers (full-time equivalent)
- 19
- Report card, 2025-26
- 3.5 of 5 stars
- Ohio building IRN
- 011106
- NCES school ID
- 390479303045
NCES school record ↗ Ohio School Report Card ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Fairland High School3.5 of 5 stars · Proctorville
- Address
- 812 County Road 411, Proctorville, OH 45669
- School district
- Fairland Local School District
- Kind (NCES)
- Regular School
- Students, 2023-24
- 372
- Teachers (full-time equivalent)
- 20.37
- Report card, 2025-26
- 3.5 of 5 stars
- Performance index
- 77.1%
- Four-year graduation rate
- 98.3%
- Ohio building IRN
- 011114
- NCES school ID
- 390479303044
NCES school record ↗ Ohio School Report Card ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Fairland Middle School4.5 of 5 stars · Proctorville
- Address
- 7875 County Road 107, Proctorville, OH 45669
- School district
- Fairland Local School District
- Kind (NCES)
- Regular School
- Students, 2023-24
- 339
- Teachers (full-time equivalent)
- 17
- Report card, 2025-26
- 4.5 of 5 stars
- Performance index
- 84.8%
- Ohio building IRN
- 011122
- NCES school ID
- 390479303046
NCES school record ↗ Ohio School Report Card ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Fairland West Elementary School3.5 of 5 stars · Proctorville
- Address
- 110 Township Road 1125, Proctorville, OH 45669
- School district
- Fairland Local School District
- Kind (NCES)
- Regular School
- Students, 2023-24
- 324
- Teachers (full-time equivalent)
- 23
- Report card, 2025-26
- 3.5 of 5 stars
- Performance index
- 85.6%
- Ohio building IRN
- 000177
- NCES school ID
- 390479304628
NCES school record ↗ Ohio School Report Card ↗ Street map and directions ↗
Source: NCES EDGE public school locations 2024-25 and Common Core of Data 2023-24 (type, students, teachers); Ohio School Report Cards 2025-26 (Department of Education and Workforce), matched by name within the district.
Bridges rated poor (1)
-
Federal Creek Rd over Federal CreekPoor · built 1950
- Condition
- Poor: a deck, superstructure, substructure or culvert rated 4 or below on the 0 to 9 scale
- What it is
- Bridge
- Built
- 1950
- Length
- 11 ft
- Owner
- County
- Vehicles a day
- 208
- Coordinates
- 38.55459, -82.31173
National Bridge Inventory (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory 2025. "Poor" means one major part rated 4 or below on the 0 to 9 scale; it calls for repair, not closing, unless the state posts or closes the bridge.
Superfund sites (1)
-
Proctorville Hg SpillSuperfund program · Proctorville
- Address
- 552 County Road 12, Proctorville, OH 45669
- County
- Lawrence County
- Status
- Superfund program site, not on the National Priorities List
- EPA program ID
- OHN000521890
- EPA registry ID
- 110071432829
EPA facility record ↗ EPA Facility Registry Service (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
Source: EPA Facility Registry Service, Superfund (SEMS) and National Priorities List sites. Many program sites were assessed and needed no cleanup.
Facilities reporting toxic releases (1)
-
Minova Usa Inc.Toxics Release Inventory · Proctorville
- Address
- 58 County Road 12 South, Proctorville, OH 45669
- County
- Lawrence County
- Status
- Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (active)
- EPA program ID
- 4566WMNVSN58CUN
- EPA registry ID
- 110040373832
EPA facility record ↗ EPA Facility Registry Service (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
Source: EPA Facility Registry Service, Toxics Release Inventory reporters. Reporting a release is required of large users of listed chemicals; it is not by itself a violation.
Spills reported since 2021 (5)
-
Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road)2025-08-14 · Rome Twp
- Reported
- 2025-08-14
- What spilled
- Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road)
- Where
- Rome Twp, Lawrence County
- Ohio EPA district office
- SEDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2508EPA0001365
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Sewage Human Reached water2023-12-28 · Rome Twp
- Reported
- 2023-12-28
- What spilled
- Sewage Human
- Reached a waterway
- 99 - Unnamed
- Where
- Rome Twp, Lawrence County
- Ohio EPA district office
- SEDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2312EPA0002099
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Mercury / Quicksilver (Hg)2023-01-18 · Rome Twp
- Reported
- 2023-01-18
- What spilled
- Mercury / Quicksilver (Hg)
- Where
- Rome Twp, Lawrence County
- Ohio EPA district office
- SEDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2301EPA0000104
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road)2022-09-22 · Rome Twp
- Reported
- 2022-09-22
- What spilled
- Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road)
- Where
- Rome Twp, Lawrence County
- Ohio EPA district office
- SEDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2209EPA0001452
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Oil Motor / Lube Oil / Vehicle2021-04-07 · Rome Twp
- Reported
- 2021-04-07
- What spilled
- Oil Motor / Lube Oil / Vehicle
- Largest amount reported
- 30 gallons
- Where
- Rome Twp, Lawrence County
- Ohio EPA district office
- SEDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2104EPA0000471
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
Source: Ohio EPA emergency response spill reports, 2021 to September 2026, one point per case where Ohio EPA placed it. A report is what the caller or responder recorded; amounts are often blank or estimated.
Its ZIP codes
Each ZIP code that touches Rome Township, Lawrence County, with the share of its residents who live here and the same headline figures as the ZIP page.
| ZIP | Share | Water | Radon | Home value | Schools | Flood |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45669 Rome Township and Proctorville | 75% | Ohio River surface water, treated at the Ironton Water Treatment Plant (built 1993, approved capacity 4 million gallons per day, about 1.3 MGD produced). The foot-of-Vernon-Street siting describes the original 1872 waterworks, not the current intake location. | 1.7 pCi/L average radon | Median year built 1980 | Fairland Local · 3.5 stars overall | 13% of residents in the 1% floodplain |
| 45623 Ohio Township and Crown City | 23% | Mostly private wells | Too few radon tests | Median year built 1985 | Gallia County Local · 3 stars overall | 14% of residents in the 1% floodplain |
| 45678 Windsor Township and Scottown | 10% | Mostly private wells | Too few radon tests | Median year built 1987 | Symmes Valley Local · 3.5 stars overall | 6.7% of residents in the 1% floodplain |
Local government
Who holds office in Rome Township, Lawrence County, how its elections and ballot issues came out, and the state auditor's record.
Money issues on the ballot since 2021: 1 of 1 passed.
Ballot issues
| Date | Issue | For | Against | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-11-02 | Issue: Rome Township Tax Levy Fire | 685 | 371 | Passed (64.87% for) |
Elections for office
| Date | Office | Candidates and votes |
|---|---|---|
| 2021-11-02 | Township Trustee | Mark Bailey 765, 41.08%; Chancie Love 417, 22.4%; Brian Pinkerman 680, 36.52% |
| 2019-11-05 | Township Trustee | Tony D. Black II 132, 6.5%; Bob Mayo 778, 38.29%; Thomas Schneider 382, 18.8%; Edward R. Smith 541, 26.62%; Jim Smith 199, 9.79% |
| 2019-11-05 | Township Fiscal Officer | Cheyrl A. Jenkins 1,712, 100.0% |
Winners in bold. Results from the county board of elections' official canvass unless marked.
Auditor of State record
- No fiscal caution, watch or emergency on the Auditor of State's lists.
- Agreed Upon Procedures, 2023 to 2024, released 2025-05-08
The county
Lawrence County: 9 ZIP codes, 20 cities, villages and townships, 58,180 people.
Nearby places
Quick answers
What county is Rome Township, Ohio in?
Rome Township, Lawrence County is a township in Lawrence County, Ohio, with 8,500 residents.
How did Rome Township, Ohio get its name?
Named for the seven hills that converge at La Belle within the township, likened to the seven hills of Rome on the Tiber. Source
What ZIP code is Rome Township, Ohio?
Rome Township, Lawrence County is served by ZIP codes 45669, 45623 and 45678; 45669 holds the largest share of its residents.
Where does Rome Township, Ohio get its water?
The main water source for Rome Township, Lawrence County (Hecla Water Association): Ohio River surface water, treated at the Ironton Water Treatment Plant (built 1993, approved capacity 4 million gallons per day, about 1.3 MGD produced). The foot-of-Vernon-Street siting describes the original 1872 waterworks, not the current intake location.
Cite this page
Cite this page as:
Cracked Buckeye, "Rome Township, Lawrence County", https://crackedbuckeye.com/place/rome-township-lawrence-county/, built 2026-10-31, accessed [date].
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