New Richmond was laid out on September 22, 1814 by Jacob Light comprising of a total of 85 acres. In February of 1816 Thomas Ashburn laid out the town of Susanna directly adjacent to New Richmond. The two towns merged in 1828 at what is now called Union Street. With this merger also came the largest period of growth New Richmond has ever witnessed. During the 1820's to the 1880's New Richmond flourished with the birth of the steamboats. Business was plentiful and the Village was heading towards the goal of its founders in becoming a future rival to the nearby Cincinnati. Much of the charm and character of the Village is found in the remaining structures that were built in this time period. As the 1880's came so did the rise of the roads system and railroads, and the decline of the Ohio River as a major shipping route. The previous positive effects of the River on community growth were diminished. Coupled with the repeated flooding, New Richmond steadily declined, and the 1937 flood was seen as the final blow.

Thanks to the construction of the Beckjord Plant and the construction of U.S. 52 the Village has seen a steady but slow resurgence. The construction of the Beckjord Plant has been seen by some as something of a mixed blessing. The need for housing of construction workers helped spur the development of mobile home housing in low-lying areas of the Village where older structures had been destroyed by previous flooding. The mobile homes were inconsistent with the character of the original village. Recent flooding has made it quite apparent that mobile homes in the flood plain are not a desirable development pattern to see continued.

New Richmond now enters a new era. The future of New Richmond is still to be determined.