How you got here: About Amberley > History

"Necessity is the mother of invention" - Plato

So it was that after a series of burglaries and fires prompted people living in this area to organize into a group to address these situations for the future, the Committee of Concerned Citizens was formed circa 1935.

Included in this prestigious group of landowners were Justin Rollman and Herbert French. Along with other movers and shakers of the time, they succeeded in securing for this region the governmental representation it needed to provide local autonomy, police and fire protection and other vital public services.

Rollman and his wife, Josephine, initiated the process.  It was the frightening incident where they were followed home from a night out on the town in Cincinnati and robbed at gunpoint that prompted Justin to contact neighbors about arranging for police protection. Another incident involving a huge fire at the property of Louis Kaufman showed the urgent need for a local fire department as well.

After completing lengthy research, the Committee fulfilled the legal requirements necessary to form a government and on April 5, 1940, Amberley was incorporated as a village. With 606 residents at the time, it was well below the level of 5,000 inhabitants that comprise a city. Today's census figures indicate that Amberley currently has a population of 3,425 - still within the limits of the designation of a village.