Amherst Map
Amherst is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is located in Lorain County. The population was 11,797 at the 2000 census.
The town of Amherst was established by German immigrants between 1811 and 1816. Jacob Shupe was the founder of Amherst. He had the first sawmill, distillery, and gristmill in the Amherst area. Mr. Shupe actually started early industry in the Amherst area. He settled on a high hill near the Beaver Creek, close to the intersection of Cooper Foster Park Road and North Main Street. His house still stands today and is a part of the New Indian Ridge Museum.
Soon after being settled, Amherst acquired the title Sandstone Center of the World. Many early buildings are constructed of native sandstone, and the quarries were also an important source of grindstones. There were nine sandstone quarries in the area operating at the peak of production. Cleveland Quarries Company, established in 1868, no longer quarries Birmingham Buff Sandstone and Berea Sandstone in Amherst.
Nearby cities include Avon, North Ridgeville, Grafton, Avon Lake, Wakeman.