Township History
Colerain Township was first settled in the spring of 1790 by a surveyor, John Dunlap, who named the settlement after his birthplace of Coleraine, Ireland. The settlement, Fort Coleraine, commonly called Dunlap’s Station, was located on the bend of the great Miami River several miles below the bridge to Ross, Ohio.
Only one year after it had been settled, Dunlap’s Station was temporarily abandoned following a brutal attack it sustained by Native Americans. John Dunlap and the 11 families living at the Fort moved down river to the settlement at North Bend.
Culture & Traditions
In 1794, Coleraine was established as a Township. The “e” at the end of Coleraine was dropped sometime later, Americanizing the name Colerain. The villages of Barnesburg, Bevis, Dunlap and Groesbeck were established in the early 1800s along Blue Rock and Colerain Roads, two of the oldest roads in the area. German immigrants farmed the southwestern portion between 1840 and 1870, heavily influencing the township’s cultural and architectural traditions.
One of the Largest Townships in Ohio
Today, Colerain Township is one of the largest townships in the state of Ohio encompassing 42.9 square miles while serving 58,499 residents. Colerain Township is located north of Cincinnati and is conveniently located off of two major interstates providing easy access to our residential and business communities.
Township Services
Residents and businesses of Colerain Township receive the benefit of a full-service township providing a variety of services including
- Administration
- Fire and EMS
- Parks and Services
- Planning and Zoning
- Police
- Public Works
- Senior and Community Center
Historical Documents
View copies of the Township’s historical documents available online. The following historical documents are available:
For information on the Cemetery book, please contact Tawanna Molter, Colerain Township Parks and Services, at 513-385-7503 or via email or email the Coleraine Historical Society.