This is the seventh article in a series about the townships of Fayette County.

At the Nov. 5 general election, Perry Township will have one township trustee and the township fiscal officer to elect.

Perry Township is one of 10 townships within Fayette County. It is situated in the southern area of the county and contains New Martinsburg. According to the 2010 US Census Bureau, out of the 29,030 population in Fayette County 1,041 residents lived in Perry Township.

The trustee who has a term expiring on Dec. 31 is Richard Wilson Jr. The fiscal officer who has a term expiring March 31 of next year is Brenda Hughes. Hughes was initially appointed to her position in 2017 after her predecessor, Howard Smith, passed away.

Both Wilson and Hughes will be running for re-election on Nov. 5.

The other two trustees who have terms expiring on Dec. 31 of 2021 are Tommy Creachbaum and Heath Dusty Smith.

Perry Township has three active cemeteries they must maintain. According to Hughes, they do not have inactive cemeteries. Active cemeteries are those that can accept new burials while inactive cemeteries are those cemeteries that cannot accept new burials.

Trustees are responsible for the maintenance of cemeteries whether they are active or inactive, including cemeteries that have been abandoned.

Hughes explained that each cemetery is maintained by a different trustee. Sugargrove Cemetery is overseen by Creachbaum, Cothren Cemetery is overseen by Smith and Walnut Creek is overseen by Wilson.

One of the most recent projects happening within Perry was the widening of Zimmerman Road done by county workers.

Another project is the expansion of a building to house the township’s snow plow and tractor. The tractor is mostly used for mowing, according to Hughes.

There are two township workers. Jerry Tuttle handles the cemeteries while Chris Ford helps with road ditch mowing. Hughes explained Ford is a county employee who helps them on the side.

“We really don’t have any recreational facilities in Perry Township,” said Hughes. “We don’t have a playground, or a lake or anything like that.”

The Perry Township hall is used for their meetings but can also be rented out to the townships residents to use. The hall includes a kitchen with a refrigerator.

According to the Ohio Genealogy Express website, Perry Township had initially been part of Wayne and Green townships up until 1845 when it was first organized.

The Fayette County Historical Society Museum, which is located at 517 Columbus Ave. in Washington Court House, is featuring the history of the townships as its exhibit this year. People are welcome to tour the museum while it’s open through Sept. from 1-4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. There is no cost although donations are welcome.

Follow the Record-Herald for future articles detailing more information on the individual townships within Fayette County. For more information now please visit www.ohiogenealogyexpress.com. For specific information on what the board of township trustees are responsible for, please visit codes.ohio.gov/orc/5 to look over the Ohio Revised Code section 5.

Reach Jennifer Woods at 740-313-0355.