Map of Somerset village, Ohio

Somerset is a village in Perry County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,481 at the 2020 census. It is located 9.5 miles (15.3 km) north of the county seat New Lexington and has a dedicated historical district. Saint Joseph Church, the oldest Catholic church in Ohio, is located just outside Somerset on State Route 383.

Somerset village overview:
Name:	Somerset village
LSAD Code:	47
LSAD Description:	village (suffix)
State:	Ohio
County:	Perry County
Elevation:	1,083 ft (330 m)
Total Area:	1.17 sq mi (3.02 km²)
Land Area:	1.17 sq mi (3.02 km²)
Water Area:	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km²)
Total Population:	1,481
Population Density:	1,271.24/sq mi (490.83/km²)
ZIP code:	43783
Area code:	740
FIPS code:	3972977
GNISfeature ID:	1065343
Website:	www.somersetohio.org

Online Interactive Map

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Somerset online map. Source: Basemap layers from Google Map, Open Street Map (OSM), Arcgisonline, Wmflabs. Boundary Data from Database of Global Administrative Areas.

Somerset location map. Where is Somerset village?

Somerset location on the U.S. Map. Where is Somerset village. — Somerset location on the U.S. Map.

Somerset location on the Ohio map. Where is Somerset village. — Location of Somerset in Ohio.

History

The village of Somerset was established in 1807 by settlers from Somerset, Pennsylvania at the spot on Zane’s Trace located midway between Lancaster and Zanesville. Seven years later, parts of Fairfield, Muskingum, and Washington counties were merged to create Perry County, and the house of a Somerset resident was named the first temporary courthouse. In 1819, the county government arranged for the erection of a purpose-built courthouse in Somerset; while most of the building was used for a jail, it also included a courtroom and space for some county offices. Ten years later, a permanent courthouse was constructed on the village’s public square.

As the village of New Lexington grew in importance, its residents began to agitate for the county seat to be moved to their community. From 1851 to 1859, the state legislature passed three separate laws to permit the county seat to be moved; contentious elections and a decision by the Supreme Court of Ohio saw the county seat move to New Lexington, back to Somerset, and finally back to New Lexington. After it ceased to be used as a courthouse, the building was leased to Somerset for use as its village hall.