Black Diamond Tiny Home Community Opens in Shawnee, Ohio

One call with the developer of the new Black Diamond Tiny Home Village, and it’s clear that preserving American history and rebuilding community is their true passion. Shawnee, Ohio, is an historic boomtown from the height of the coal mining era. Attracting diverse ethnicities to work in the mines, the cultures that the new residents brought with them transformed Shawnee into an entertainment hub in Appalachia. However, with the mines long closed, the population has since dwindled to around 500 people. With the help of preservation grants, Black Diamond Development Company is aiming to revitalize downtown Shawnee. The primary goal of preserving history goes hand in hand with creating new jobs. One of the building renovations will bring the first physician’s office back to the town since the 1950s!

Bringing life back to a downtown only succeeds if there are residents to fill new jobs. To that end, the revitalization project involves more than just rebuilding downtown businesses. The residential arm of the project includes creating a new tiny home community. Black Diamond Tiny Home Village aims to provide housing opportunities for the anticipated population growth in Shawnee, as well as students from Hocking College and Ohio University (both located about 30 minutes away). 

The tiny home community is just as well thought out as the careful historic renovations. It sits nestled within Wayne National Forest, the only national forest in Ohio. If you’ve ever visited this area, you know that the state motto “Find It Here” must be referring to the Wayne. The nature-immersive community offers direct access to Ohio’s best outdoor recreation destination. With the first 15 tiny home spots ready for leasing in May 2024, the full capacity of the community is projected to be 60 homes. There will be a co-working space on site, as well as access to Diamond Lake. This spring fed lake was created during the 1850s to provide water to the steam locomotives that hauled coal from Shawnee across the country. Now, it’s a picturesque respite for all residents of the Black Diamond Tiny Home Village to enjoy.

Staying true to their mission to bring jobs and commerce back to Shawnee, all lots are for residential occupancy only. No short-term rentals are permitted. Lot rental is $500/month with water and sewer included. Discounts are available for full prepayment on a long-term lease.

Tiny homes on wheels also have a fun, if small, connection to the history of the region. Metallurgical coal, like that once mined from Shawnee, is primarily used in steel making. The foundation of the area’s economy in the 1800s now serves as the foundation for the tiny home chassis rolling new life back to Shawnee.