The first stop for ONN-TV is in Granville, where quaint shops and inns line the streets.

Granville is nestled against the western edge of the Appalachian Plateau. The streets look like something you'd expect to find along the shores of New England.

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But this quaint town of 3,200 is rich with Ohio history from its Greek revival homes to its Welsh roots.

"It was the baptists that took the initiative to found Denison in 1831, and at that point it was known as the Literary and Theological Institute," said Donald Schilling, a Denison University Professor.

You'd be hard-pressed to find a place where college and community co-exist more peacefully.

Indeed, education is the industry in Granville.

"Education was obviously very important for the economic well-being and for the character of Granville. And over the years, certainly the two have been intimately connected," said Schilling.

It's that focus on education that makes Granville such an ideal place to raise a family. In fact, the Granville school system is one of only four in the state to consistently meet every standard on Ohio achievement tests.

"I think that Granville's unique in the sense that most of the activities happen right down here, downtown, so we're always trying to pull everybody together and have community events that are shared by everybody," said Scott Prebles, Granville School Superintendent.

The quaint shops downtown and the cozy inns are uniquely Granville. A perfect picture of small town, U.S.A.

"Opportunities to ride your bicycle without a lot of traffic, opportunities to walk up and down the street in a

safe neighborhood, people who have very similar goals and aspirations for their children and their community.

It's just a nice place to be," said Prebles.

Check back with ONN-TV and ONNtv.com next week when we will feature Yellow Springs, Ohio and make sure to check out the Ohio Magazine Web site for more on all of the Best Hometowns.

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