HISTORY OF BROOKSIDE

The Village of Brookside is located in Belmont County, Ohio approximately three miles from the eastern border of the State, close to the Ohio River and across the river from Wheeling, West Virginia.

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Brookside includes approximately a half mile square on National Road (Gateway to the West) named Route 40 by the Ohio State Transportation Department.

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Ohio initially became a State and gained its Statehood in 1803.  The Statutory Village of Brookside was incorporated on May 28, 1900.  Brookside was so named because of the streams on each side of the Village and Wheeling Creek, which runs perpendicular to the runs, joining the Ohio River. 

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Brookside initially was founded by Townsend Frazier in the 1800’s.  He and his wife, Elizabeth Evans Bailey, were born in Loudoun County, Virginia.  Townsend was born July 21, 1796 and Elizabeth on October 3, 1796.  In the year 1815 Frazier at the age of 19, moved into Belmont County, Ohio where his uncle had a farm in the western part of the County.  Townsend Frazier’s occupation involved carpentry, masonry and surveying.  He married Elizabeth Evans Bailey on January 19, 1820.  The couple had twelve children.  In 1839, that Townsend Frazier was hired by the Zane family to survey the 1280 acres and divide the acreage into seven lots (approximately 106 acres each).  Frazier purchased what he had determined to be the best lot for $8,308.89.  This lot included a barn and the old inn.  This became the beginning of the creation of the Village of Brookside.

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Later in 1850, Frazier built on his lot a large 10 room house with fire places in every room and a cellar space with bricks he constructed in his own brick yard.  Today this house is on the National Registry for Historic Places and is known as the “Wilson Funeral Home” owned by the late Charles Wilson and is located at the corner of National Road and Overbrook Drive in the Village of Brookside.