 Although well within the Great Lakes region (a sub region of the Midwest) and arguably located at the center of the Rust Belt, significant influences from New England and the South have contributed to New London's cultural identity.The village was founded by settlers from Connecticut (and to a lesser extent other parts of the Northeast) along with neighboring communities in the Firelands in the early nineteenth century.The village's New England heritage is most evident in its architecture, the names of local families, and the presence of a village green (a common characteristic of many cities and towns in Northern Ohio).