Barberton

Barberton is a city in Summit County, Ohio, United States. The population was 26,550 at the 2010 census. It is adjacent to Akron and is part of the Akron metropolitan area. Learn more about Norton.



Barberton was founded in 1891 by industrialist Ohio Columbus Barber, who planned the town according to his vision of industry, progress and community. In 1894 he moved the manufacturing operations of the Diamond Match Company, which he formed from a merger of 11 companies, from Akron to Barberton. He soon was producing 250 million matches a day. In the valley running parallel to the Tuscarawas River and the Ohio & Erie Canal, he oversaw the construction of factories, residential neighborhoods and a compact commercial downtown. In the center of the new city was Lake Anna, named after Barber's only daughter, Anna Laura Barber. See further information here.