[6] In the valley running parallel to the Tuscarawas River and the Ohio & Erie Canal, he oversaw the construction of factories, residential neighborhoods and a compact commercial downtown.

Barberton became known as the "Magic City" because of its rapid population growth during its formative industrial years, at a time of waves of immigration from eastern and southern Europe.

In 1891, when Barberton was incorporated, the scattered farms that had originally characterized the landscape were transformed into a fledgling city of 1,800.

It included his 52-room, French Renaissance Revival-style mansion, completed in 1909, and lush gardens, dozens of barns and other structures in the same style, and greenhouses.

Barber built 35 structures for the Anna-Dean Farm, all in the French Renaissance Revival style.

[8] Today, five of the eight primary buildings and associated property of the farm complex are owned by the Barberton Historical Society.

1, the former Dairy Barn, restored in 1985 and now the world headquarters of the Yoder Brothers Corporation, horticulturists.

The building has castle tower-like silos, visible from much of the east side of the city.

The Creamery has been restored as a residence for the same family since 1943 and served as the birthplace for the Apostolic Church of Barberton founded in 1950.

[7] After sale by Western Reserve University following World War 2, most of the 40-acre Barber estate was broken up and redeveloped for suburban residential housing.

"The Magics" became the mascot name of the Barberton High School athletic teams.

During this period, the city lost a large part of its economic base as factories shuttered and stores went vacant.

The Magic City: Unemployment in a Working-Class Community (Cornell University Press, 1989) documents the consequences of the migration of major industries from the region and the responses of residents to such dramatic changes.

In 1985, key business stakeholders and government leaders created the Barberton Community Development Corporation (BCDC).

The BCDC has facilitated the creation of over 2,000 jobs, and in excess of $100 million in business expansion projects.

The current schools serving the city are: Barberton's sources of news include daily newspapers from nearby major cities, such as the Akron-based Akron Beacon Journal and the Cleveland-based The Plain Dealer, along with a weekly newspaper called the Barberton Gazette, which began on August 24th, 2023.

[18] Previously, the city was served by the Barberton Herald, a weekly newspaper that ceased publication on December 29, 2022.