Coolville, OH

Coolville sits on the west bank of the Hocking River in Athens County, a few miles upstream from the river’s meeting with the Ohio. The waterway gives the village its shape, while US 50, SR 32, and SR 7 pass along the north side as Appalachian Corridor D. That route puts Coolville in the travel pattern between Athens, the lower Hocking valley, and the Ohio River communities. The village belongs to Troy Township, and the river remains the clearest way to understand why this small place developed where it did.

Coolville was platted in 1818 by Simeon W. Cooley, whose name became the town’s name. For a time, slack water created by an Ohio River dam allowed small boats to reach the lower Hocking River near Coolville; improved roads eventually made river navigation less useful. Today, residents are served by Federal Hocking Local School District, with the high school in Stewart, and by a public library branch connected to Athens County Public Libraries. The mix of river, regional highway, school district, and library gives Coolville the feel of a place tied to several nearby communities while still keeping its own village center.