The Founding of Worthington / Worthington, A Planned Community

Side A: The Scioto Company, led by James Kilbourn (Kilbourne) of Granby and Berlin, Connecticut, founded Worthington in 1803, the year that Ohio became a state. The Scioto Company was organized as a land company in 1802 with 38 original proprietors from Connecticut and Massachusetts. They purchased 16,000 acres of land along the Olentangy River for $1.25 per acre. The name Worthington was adopted in honor of Thomas Worthington, Territorial Land Commissioner, United States Senator, and future Ohio governor. He advised Kilbourn on the location for the settlement and his name provided recognition for the community. Side B: Based on a plan adopted by Scioto Company proprietors before their arrival in Ohio, Worthington was established following the New England model. The town formed a grid pattern around a village green. Settlers were required to own at least one town lot and a rural tract for farming; some settlers were designated to operate the first tavern and sawmill. The church and school were assigned double lots on the square and tracts to farm for their support. An Episcopal Church, school, subscription library, and Masonic lodge soon followed. Within months, Worthington was a complete New England town transplanted to Ohio.