This page highlights before and after photos for past and present Downtown historic buildings. Click on any photo for a larger view.

**Last Updated: 7/3/2024- Added to Fulton Street.

Existing Historic Buildings

Broad Street
1. The Wyandotte Building: 21 W. Broad Street: 1898

2. Ohio State Capitol Building: 1861

3. Hayden-Clinton Bank Building: 22-26 E. Broad Street: 1869

4. Trinity Episcopal Church: 125 E. Broad Street: 1869

5. Columbus Athletic Club: 136 E. Broad Street: 1915

6. Benjamin Smith House: 181 E. Broad Street: 1856

7. St. Joseph’s Cathedral: 212 E. Broad Street: 1872

8. Franklin County Memorial Building: 280 E. Broad Street: 1902

9. Ohio State Life Insurance Building: 366 E. Broad Street: 1926

10. Broad Street Methodist Episcopal Church: 501 E. Broad Street: 1885

11. Baptist Temple: 583 E. Broad Street: 1898

12. Benjamin Huntington House: 620 E. Broad Street: 1875

Cleveland Avenue
1. Ford Motor Company Plant: 427 Cleveland Avenue: 1913

Fifth Street
1. Holy Cross School: 204 S. 5th Street: 1871

2. The Central Ohio Paper Company Building: 226 N. 5th Street: 1918

3. Rogers Printing Building: 231 N. 5th Street: Around 1910

Fourth Street
1. Masonic Temple: 34 N. 4th Street: 1899

2. Champlin Printing Company Building: 225 N. 4th Street: Around 1910

Gay Street
1. Ruggery Building: 22 E. Gay Street: 1895

2. New York Central Building: 56-60 E. Gay Street: 1880: The building was significantly modified between 1910-1915.

Grant Avenue
1. St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church: 280 N. Grant Avenue: 1853

High Street
1. Great Southern Hotel: 310 S. High Street: 1897

Long Street
1. YMCA Building: 40 W. Long Street: 1923

2. St. Paul’s African Methodist Episcopal Church: 639 E. Long Street: 1905

Main Street
1. Ohio Machine Company Building: 88 W. Main Street: 1885

2. Hartman Building: 150 E. Main Street: 1902

3. Acme Laundering Company Building: 454 E. Main Street: 1911

Mound Street
1. St. John’s Evangelical Church: 59 E. Mound Street: 1874

2. John Lauterbach House: 136 W. Mound Street: 1868

Neil Avenue
1. The American Nut Company Building: 391 Neil Avenue: Around 1905: The address was 391 Dennison until highway construction in the late 1950s-early 1960s rerouted Neil Avenue. Dennison now ends at Goodale.

Oak Street
1. Broad-Oak Automobile Garage: 622 Oak Street: Around 1905

Park Street
1. Mixed-Use Building: 501 N. Park Street: Around 1890

Rich Street
1. Allen Thurman House: 513 E. Rich Street: 1884

Spring Street
1. Orr, Brown and Price Building: 49-51 W. Spring Street: 1912

State Street
1. Post Office and Custom House: 121 E. State Street: 1887: The building was significantly altered and expanded between 1907-1912.

2. Norwich Hotel: 172 E. State Street: 1890

Third State
1. Central Union Telephone Company Building: 33 N. 3rd Street: 1907

2. Ohio State Telephone Company Building: 107 N. 3rd Street: 1914

3. Standard Motor Car Service Station: 253 N. 3rd Street: 1905: The Standard Motor Car Service operated from 1913-1923.

4. Del Monte Building: 341 S. 3rd Street: 1908

Town Street
1. Frederick Lazarus House: 380 E. Town Street: 1879

2. Abram Cohen House: 390-392 E. Town Street: 1886

3. Edwin Sharp House: 529 E. Town Street: 1885

4. David Gray House: 530 E. Town Street: 1850

5. William Halliday House: 539 E. Town Street: 1885

6. Frank Bonnet House: 550 E. Town Street: 1870

7. Herman Bauer House: 560 E. Town Street: 1870

8. Residential House: 595 E. Town Street: Around 1870

9. Elzey Burkam House: 603 E. Town Street: 1890

10. Ruth Lantz House: 615 E. Town Street: 1875 and Residential House: 621 E. Town Street: 1873

11. Belmont Apartments: 630 E. Town Street: 1925

Demolished Historic Buildings

Broad Street
1. Board of Trade Building: 30 E. Broad Street: 1889-1969: Demolished to begin construction of the Rhodes State Office Tower.

2. American Insurance Union Auditorium and Colonial Theater: 40-50 W. Broad Street: AIU Auditorium 1906-1924/Colonial Theater: 1909-1924: Both buildings were demolished in 1924 to make way for the new American Insurance Union tower, now known as LeVeque Tower.

3. Outlook Building: 44 E. Broad Street (Left): 1901-1970
Spahr Building: 50 E. Broad Street (Right): 1897-1970
Both the Outlook and Spahr buildings were demolished to prepare the site for the construction of Rhodes Tower, which was completed in 1973.

4. Retail Building: 54 W. Broad Street: Before 1880-1924: Demolished to make way for the American Insurance Union Tower, now known as LeVeque Tower.

5. William Doherty House: 68 E. Broad Street: 1829-3/1921: This was one of the oldest homes Downtown at the time of its demolition, and was the first Columbus house built with stone steps. The home was demolished to build the office building that still occupies the site. I previously had very poor quality photos of the house. While there are no known up close and more direct photos of the house, the 1909 photo is at least clear. I would like to thank Mike Feist for sending me a link to the better image. The current address is 64-66 E. Broad Street.

6. First Congregational Church: 74 E. Broad Street: 1857-4/18/1932: The church was demolished after a new, larger church was built at 444 E. Broad Street. The site has remained a parking lot since 1932.

7. John Deshler House: 86 E. Broad Street: 1860-1926: Demolished by the adjacent church for a parking lot. The parking lot remained until construction of the Key Bank building in 1964.

8. Rowlands Building: 100 E. Broad Street: 1922-1964: Demolished to construct the Columbus Center building.

9. Trinity House: 136 E. Broad Street: 1853-1913: This building was originally home to the Esther Institute, Columbus’ first boarding school for girls. It became the Trinity Espicopal parish house, or later known as Trinity House in the late 1860s. By 1912, the building was abandoned and deteriorating, so the Columbus Athletic Club members purchased the building as the site for their new club building. A sad note is that, during its demolition on December 24, 1913, part of the building collapsed onto two workmen, killing one instantly and injuring the second so badly he later died. The new Columbus Athletic Club was completed in 1915 and remains to the present day.

10. Wesley Chapel: 180 E. Broad Street: 1885-1/14/1936: It seems that financial problems during the Depression years and other complications ultimately were responsible for the end of this church. In September, 1935, the quarterly conference voted to abandon the building and have its members join other churches in the area. The plan was for almost immediate demolition for a gas station. The gas station lasted several years, but the site was mostly used for parking until the 1970s when the Borden Building was constructed in 1974.

11. Bishop’s Church House: 198 E. Broad Street: 1848-4/10/1949: Demolished by St. Joseph’s Church to build a new residence.

12. Edward F. Fisher Company Building: 213-215 E. Broad Street: Around 1900-1963: This central office of the funeral director business was located on East Broad until the company went out of business in 1961. The Ohio Education Association bought the building that year and would demolish it to build the current office building on the site. The current address is 225 E. Broad Street.

13. E.T. Mithoff House: 237 E. Broad Street: 1846-1948: The house was used for many years as the “Khaki Club”, a social gathering place for veterans. It was demolished to build an office building, but the site itself was largely used for parking. Later, the parking lot was used by the first Wendy’s restaurant. The site has been a small park since around 1990.

14. Henry Miller House and Duplex: 247-257 E. Broad Street: 1855-1870-1949: The home on the right was 247 E. Broad Street, the home of Henry Miller. At 255-257 E. Broad was the duplex they owned. Both buildings were likely built in the 1860s. It seems both properties likely survived until 1947, when construction of another building began. That building later became the original Wendy’s in 1969. Today it is The Catholic Foundation.

15. Elks Lodge #37: 250 E. Broad Street: 1915-1970: Demolished by Midland Mutual to create a plaza and green space for its new office building.

16. Alfred Kelley House: 282 E. Broad Street: 1838-1962: Demolished to build the Christopher Inn. The house was originally taken apart to later reconstruct at another location, but lack of funding eventually cancelled that project. Parts of the old mansion are now scattered at various locations across the state. The site is now a parking lot.

17. Central High School: 303 E. Broad Street: 1862-12/1928: The school was used until 1924, when the new Central High was completed on the Scioto Peninsula in Franklinton. It was briefly used as city offices for a few years before being demolished in 1928 by The Columbus Mutual Insurance Company. Under their ownership, the site had a gas station between roughly 1935 to 1941, when the gas station was demolished to build the current office building for Columbus Mutual. The office building was sold to Capital University in 1996.

18. Sells-Court Apartments: 310 E. Broad Street: 1904-1959: Demolished to build an office building, but the site was used as a parking lot until the mid-1990s when the current OSERS Building was constructed.

19. Sage Valentine House: 347 E. Broad Street: 1860-4/16/1957: The widow of Sage Valentine put it in her will that the house should be demolished upon her death, despite the local historical society wanting to turn it into a museum. The site has been a parking lot since.

20. Thomas Johnson House: 368 E. Broad Street: Around 1870-1924: Demolished to build the Ohio State Life Insurance Company Building.

21. Charles Hunter House: 383 E. Broad Street: Around 1890-1930: This house was demolished to build the single-story retail and office building that currently occupies the site. The building has been modified many times.

22. Joseph Outhwaite House: 447 E. Broad Street: Around 1880-Around 1950: Demolished for unknown reasons. The current building on the site wasn’t constructed until 1955.

23. John Joyce House: 471 E. Broad Street: 1880-1938: The house was bought by Motorists Mutual Insurance in 1937 and was quickly demolished to make way for their new offices. Those offices were demolished in 1972 to build the current office building.

24. Francis Sessions House: 478 E. Broad Street: 1840-1928: Demolished to build the Columbus Museum of Art.

25. John Lilley House: 485 E. Broad Street: 1874-8/13/1931: The house was demolished to expand Broad Street United Methodist Church. The actual site of the house, however, is largely vacant green space.

26. William Moneypeny House: 492 E. Broad Street: 1888-1930: Demolished to build the Columbus Museum of Art.

27. Thomas Powell House: 518 E. Broad Street: 1853-Around 1927: Demolished to build the State Auto Mutual Insurance Company building, which was completed in 1928 and remains at the site.

28. Marcus Pritchard House: 537 E. Broad Street: Around 1885-1936: Unknown reasons for demolition. The site became a parking lot and has remained one since.

29. Alexander Patton House: 552 E. Broad Street: 1878-Around 1964: Unknown reason for demolition. The site ended up as a parking lot for many years, but it now largely green space.

30. Clinton Firestone House: 580 E. Broad Street: 1887-February, 1962: The Firestones only lived in the house until 1913. It served as offices for a few insurance companies until 1960. The story of its demolition seems somewhat muddy. It was occupied by Buckeye Union Casualty Company until 1960. It seems that the house was then sold to a company called 580 East Broad Inc., which demolished the house in early 1962 with plans to build a “general office building”. However, that office building never seems to have been built for some reason, and by 1964, ownership of the site had reverted back to Buckeye Union. Buckeye Union then sold it again the following year. The site has been a parking lot since the demolition.

31. John Deshler House: 584 E. Broad Street: 1888-1980: The home was demolished to build the single story automotive building that currently occupies the site.

32. Oscar Peters House: 600 E. Broad Street: Around 1885-1936: Unknown reason for demolition. The site has served as a used car lot since at least the 1940s.

33. Lincoln Hotel: 631 E. Broad Street: 1899-1979: Demolished for a parking lot that remains to the present day.

34. William Rodgers House: 637 E. Broad Street: 1900-1962: Demolished for the construction of I-71. The site is now an onramp.

Chestnut Street
1. Aler Wallpaper Company Building: 45 E. Chestnut Street: Around 1900-1950: Demolished for a parking lot. The current office building went up in 1965.

Cleveland Avenue
1. William Thompson House: 54 Cleveland Avenue: Around 1895-1958: Unknown reason for demolition, but likely for a parking lot. Most of the original buildings along Cleveland Avenue came down for parking reasons, considered an urban renewal tactic at the time. The site is now part of the Columbus College of Art and Design campus.

2. James Pender House: 70 Cleveland Avenue: Around 1880-1966: Demolished for parking lots. The site is now part of the CCAD campus.

3. William Pack House: 198 Cleveland Avenue: Around 1880-1974: Likely demolished for surface parking. Today it is part of the CCAD campus.

Fifth Street
1. Garland Apartments: 68 N. 5th Street: 1897-Around 1985: Demolished for unknown reasons, but the site was a parking lot until the construction of a section of the Neighborhood Launch project went on the site in 2010.

Fourth Street
1. Overland-Dunkle Company Building: 47 N. 4th Street: Around 1910-1979: Demolished to build the current office building, which was completed in 1980.

2. Women’s Educational and Industrial Union Building: 64 S. 4th Street: 1903-1961: The Women’s Educational and Industrial Union was originally in part of a frame building at this location in 1894, but that building was demolished for the brick building in 1902. The building housed the YWCA until 1929, when it moved to 65 S. 4th across the street. It was used for various purposes before being abanonded. Its demolition was likely for the parking lot that still exists on the site.

3. Rolf Heater Manufacturing Company Building: 222 N. 4th Street: Around 1910-1982: Demolished for unknown reasons. It has remained a parking lot ever since.

4. Mixed-Use Building: 344-350 S. 4th Street: 1860s-1962: Demolished as part of “urban renewal”. The office building and parking lot went on the site in 1967.

Front Street
1. Chemical House #1: 83 N. Front Street: 1892-1954: Despite its name, this was not the first fire station in the city, but rather an example of how often the names and numbers changed of such buildings. The building was torn down to expand parking for the Columbus Police HQ, which was used for several decades before becoming green space.

2. John Ostot House: 318 S. Front Street: 1834-Around 1945: Unknown reasons for demolition. The site was used as a parking lot for many years. The corner of Front and Noble, on which this sat, no longer exists, as Noble street on this block was removed during the construction of the new Franklin County Courthouse in 2009. The 2019 photo show the approximate location of the home.

Fulton Street
1. Franklin County Jail: 36 E. Fulton Street: 1889-1971: Demolished to build the current parking garage.

Gay Street
1. Columbus Railway Power & Light Building: 104 E. Gay Street: 1883-After 1936: The exact date of demolition has proven difficult to pin down. Neither records nor aerial photos show when it occured, but that the original building remained until at least 1936. By 1951, a newer version of the CRP&L was on the site, which itself was demolished in the 1960s for the present office building.

2. Michael Harding House: 320 E. Gay Street: 1893-1962: Demolished for unknown reasons, but the site has remained a parking lot.

3. John Gillivan House: 426-428 E. Gay Street: 1888-1970: Demolished for a parking lot. Today, the site is part of the Columbus College of Art and Design campus.

High Street
1. Dickinson Restaurant: 54 N. High Street: 1854-1894: Demolished to build a new Columbus Dispatch building, completed in 1895. The Dispatch building burned in 1907, and the current buildings were completed after.

2. Frisbie Building: 83 S. High Street: 1910-11/1982: Demolished to prepare for the construction of the Vern Riffe Center, which was completed in 1988.

3. Andrew Dobbie Dry Goods Building: 130 S. High Street: Around 1900-1986: The building was demolished in preparation to build City Center Mall.

4. Central National Bank Building: 152-156 S. High Street: 1905-1983: Demolished in preparation for the construction of City Center Mall. The site is now part of the HighPoint development.

5. Merchants and Manufacturers National Bank: 184 N. High Street: 1886-1945: Demolished to construct a new building. The site now contains a parking lot for the Nationwide office complex.

6. Odd Fellows Temple: 198 S. High Street: 1870-1936: Demolished after a large fire on 2/19/1936.

7. Hoover Rowlands Furniture Building: 208 S. High Street: 1906-Around 1975: Demolished for a parking lot. The parking lot remained until the construction of City Center Mall and is now the site of HighPoint at Columbus Commons.

8. Hotel Star: 227-233 N. High Street: Around 1890-2/15/1923- Destroyed in a fire. Today, the site is part of the Nationwide HQ complex.

9. Baker’s Art Gallery Building: 232 S. High Street: 1924-1984: Demolished for the redevelopment of Capital South. The site is now part of 250 High.

10. Thurman Green Building: 242-244 S. High Street: 1887-1980: Demolished as part of the “Capitol South” project that would eventually include the construction of City Center Mall. The site is now part of 250 High.

11. Green Joyce & Company Building: 243-251 N. High Street: Around 1885-1978: Demolished to build the Nationwide complex that currently occupies the site.

12. Knickerbocker Theater: 246-254 S. High Street: 1914-1982: Demolished for the redevelopment of Capital South. The site is now part of 250 High.

13. Beggs Building: 250 N. High Street: 1905-Around 1948: The building seems to have been incorporated into Nationwide offices in 1948, but due to the drastic changes, it should be considered demolished.

14. St. Paul’s German Lutheran Church: 265 S. High Street: 1870s-1917: Demolished to construct new development. The site is currently a parking lot.

15. Clinton Building: 266 N. High Street: 1886-1977: Demolished for the 280 Plaza project that currently occupies the site.

16. Sehrimer Building: 295 S. High Street: Around 1860-1919: Demolished for to build the Franklin Loan and Savings Company building, completed in 1920.

17. (Right) Columbus Auction House: 329-331 S. High Street: 1890-Around 1968: Demolished for a parking lot.
(Left)Stoneman Building: 333 S. High Street: 1916-1973: Demolished for a parking lot. Both sites are now part of the Franklin County Courthouse.

18. George Foster House: 347 S. High Street: Around 1840-1885: Demolished for a mixed-use building that was later demolished in 1973. The site remained a parking lot until the Franklin County Courthouse was built in 2008.

19. Franklin County Courthouse: 352 S. High Street: 1887-1974: The building had been modified many times over the years, and had lacked proper, consistent maintenance. Additionally, the city was uninterested in renovating what they considered to be an outdated structure. Today, the site is Dorian Commons.

20. Union Station: 400 N. High Street: 1897-10/22/1976: Demolished in preparation to build the Columbus Convention Center.

Jefferson Avenue
1. George Nash House: 43 Jefferson Avenue: 1888-1959: Demolished for the current apartment building.

2. John Jones House: 240 Jefferson Avenue: Around 1895-Around 1965: Most of the homes on this block of Jefferson were demolished in the mid-1960s for parking for Columbus State, and the site remains parking to the present.

Kiefer Street
1. William Jones House: 560 Kiefer Street: Around 1885-1970s: The exact dates for this house are in question. It appears in the records back through 1888, and appears on aerial photos through 1971. At some point during the 1970s, the last remaining homes on Kiefer Street were demolished for parking lots, of which this house was also a victim. Because of its location, an after pic was difficult to get, but in the 2021 photo, the house would’ve stood facing the camera roughly between the light pole and the tree in the center.

Long Street
1. Moneypeny-Hammond Company: 30-38 E. Long Street: Around 1895-1964: Demolished for a parking lot that remains to the present day.

2. Hotel Columbus: 235 E. Long Street: 1912-1980: Closed on 2/9/1977. Demolished for unknown reasons, but most likely for parking. The site remained a parking lot until the Neilston apartment building was constructed in 2018.

3. Normandie Hotel: 259-261 E. Long Street: 1891-1970: Demolished after the city condemned the building for lack of adequate fire protection. The site was vacant for many years, but now contains part of the Neighborhood Launch development.

4. City Window Cleaning Company: 432 E. Long Street: 1897-Around 1975: Demolished for unknown reasons, but probably for some type of urban renewal project. Today the site is part of a parking lot for Columbus State.

Main Street
1. Jackson Guldan Violin Company: 165 W. Main Street: 1870-Around 1978: The violin company occupied the building from 1915 to 1971. Demolished for a parking lot. Waterford Tower was built on the site in 1987.

2. Jay’s Jewelry: 641 E. Main Street: 1886-1962: Demolished for the construction of I-71.

Mound Street
1. James Pollas Saloon: 280 W. Mound Street: Around 1890-1951: Demolished for unknown reasons. The site is currently vacant.

2. Hardesty Brothers Mill: 304 W. Mound Street: 7/26/1880-5/28/1927: The building burned down. The site was generally occupied by other businesses until the mid-1990s when the Miranova complex began construction and the site was cleared. It remains vacant.

Mt Vernon Avenue
1. Norfolk & Western Railroad Depot: 220 Mt Vernon Avenue: 1900-1981: Demolished mostly due to being obsolete. The site has been used by Abbott Labs as parking for many years.

Naghten Street
1. Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Freight Station: 1905-1960: Demolished to construct a new 3rd Street Viaduct in preparation for the construction of the Goodale Expressway. The location was where 3rd crosses Nationwide.

Park Street
1. Columbus Auditorium: 570 Park Street: 1885-1910: Originally openging as a roller rink, it was remodeled and coverted into an auditorium in 1897. The roof collapsed during a severe snowstorm on February 18, 1910, and it was demolished sometime later.

Rich Street
1. Mixed-Use Building: 31-33 W. Rich Street: 1885-2008: Demolished to build a new parking garage.

2. Louis Hoster House: 555 E. Rich Street: 1897- : The house was used as a private residents until 1918, when it was converted into the Hermine Schonthal Community House. In 1967, it was demolished to build the Teamsters Union Hall for Columbus Teamsters Local 413, which it remains the use of to the present day.

Second Street
1. Brewer Marks House: 261 S. 2nd Street: Around 1870-1963: Demolished for a parking lot. It is now part of Bicentennial Park.

Sixth Street
1. Francis Carter House: 80 S. 6th Street: 1842-1925: This home served as the Governor’s Mansion between 1858-1859. It was sold to the Knights of Columbus in 1910 and later demolihed by the organization to construct the building that still exists. The building was completed in 1926 and now belongs to the Salesian Society.

Spring Street
1. Hanover Block: 17 E. Spring Street: 1890-1976: Originally called the Hanover Block, this building was converted into the Jefferson Hotel in 1907, which it remained until its closing on May 15, 1975. It was demolished in 1976 and the site remains a parking lot.

2. Wholesale Row: 30-52 W. Spring Street: 1896-Unknown: This building was demolished sometime between 1922-1950, but I was unable to get an exact year or why it was demolished. Today the site is part of the William Green Building, which was completed in 1990.

3. Jones, Witter and Company Building: 74-82 E. Spring Street: Around 1889-1968: Demolished for a parking lot that still exists.

4. Mixed-Use Building: 131 E. Spring Street: Around 1910-1979: Demolished for a parking lot that remains to the present day.

5. Ohio Penitentiary: 254 W. Spring Street: 1834-1997: Demolished to build the Arena District.

6. Newton Lantz House: 579-585 E. Spring Street: Around 1895-1996: Demolished by Columbus State for parking.

State Street
1. Columbus City Hall: 39 E. State Street: 1868-11/21/1921: A massive fire destroyed this building, and the remains were subsequently demolished. This fire was devastating in more ways than just losing a historic building- the city lost almost all land and housing records dated before 1920. This is why on the Franklin County Auditor site, transfer records all start in 1920. Today, the site is part of the Ohio Theater complex.

2. Hartman Theater: 73 E. State Street: 11/13/1911-7/1971: The theater closed in 1969 and sat empty until the owners of site- Helena Corp.- decided to tear it down for a surface parking lot. The theater had been in excellent condition at the time of its demolition. The site remained a parking lot until the construction of the Capitol Square project was completed in 1984.

3. Hartman Building: 79 E. State Street: 1911-3/31/1981: Demolished to make way for the Sheraton Hotel and Capitol Square tower.

4. McLene Apartments: 185 E. State Street: 1904-1987: Demolished for a parking lot.

5. Frank Brooks House: 253 E. State Street: Around 1870-2018: The house had been altered by mid-20th Century office additions for the O.R. Woodyard Funeral Home, but was still clearly visible until its demolition for a mixed-use apartment complex.

6. The American Art Film Company Building: 344 E. State Street: Around 1870-1923: The building was originally a single family home before being used as offices, including for the AAFC, through the early 1920s. It was demolished to construct the Charminel Hotel. Today, the site is a parking lot for Grant Medical Center, as the Charminel was demolished by the hospital in the mid-1990s.

Third Street
1. Columbus YMCA: 34 S. 3rd Street: 1893-1923: Demolished to build the Dispatch Building, which remains to the present day.

2. Virginia Hotel: 50 N. 3rd Street: 1908-1961: Demolished to build what is now the Renaissance Hotel.

3. Augustus Whiting House: 66 S. 3rd Street: 1841-1930: Demolished for new development, but that only lasted until 1953. That year, Ohio Federal Savings and Loan tore down the building and built the existing building on the site.

4. Engine House #3: 133 S. 3rd Street: 1872-Around 1980: Demolished to construct the current Sheraton Hotel complex.

5. Standard Sanitary Manufacturing Company: 243 S. 3rd Street: Around 1905-1978: Demolished for a parking lot during the Capital South redevelopment. The site was eventually used to construct the Capital South Garage that served City Center Mall, which remains.

Town Street
1. Columbus Railway, Power and Light Company: 22 W. Town Street: 1895-1907: Demolished to build a new Lazarus building, which still exists today.

2. It’s rare to be able to show the progression of development on any particular site over time, but I was able to do that for 40 East Town Street, as shown below.
-First Methodist Episcopal Church #1: 40 E. Town Street: 1814-1826: This was the first building on the site and was demolished to build church #2.

-First Methodist Episcopal Church #2: 40 E. Town Street: 1826-1852: This was the 2nd church built on this site for the First Methodist congregation. It was demolished to build the 3rd. The before photo is one of the oldest photos for this site.

-First Methodist Episcopal Church #3: 40 E. Town Street: 1853-1928: The church was sold to the city of Columbus in 1890 and significantly altered to become the headquarters of the Columbus public school library system.

-Columbus Public School Library: 40 E. Town Street: 1853-1928: The library building was demolished to build a car dealership. The dealership and most of the buildings on the block had been demolished by 1983, when the site was cleared to make way for City Center Mall. Today, the site is in middle of Columbus Commons park.

3. Columbus City Prison: 88 W. Town Street: 1879-1920: Demolished for other development.

4. Alexander Huston House: 370 E. Town Street: 1865-1/21/1993: Demolished for a parking lot that still exists.

5. Samuel Brubaker House: 513 E. Town Street: 1883-1963: The house in the old picture was originally much smaller, but was greatly expanded in a 1904 renovation. In 1953, the house’s porch and columns were removed for “safety” by the then occupier, the Ohio Services for the Blind.  The house was demolished to build other development on the site, but it doesn’t appear that it was all that substantial. Today, the site is vacant grass.

6. Tod Galloway House: 553 E. Town Street: 1852-1966: Demolished to build the existing office building.

7. Washington Gladden House: 631 E. Town Street: Around 1880-1962: Demolished to build I-71.

Washington Avenue
1. Residential House: 72 N. Washington Avenue: Around 1880-1982: The house had been used as a women’s dormitory for CCAD for many years before being demolished for a parking lot.

Water Street (Marconi Boulevard)
1. Residential Building: 309-311 Water Street: Before 1870-Before 1951: The exact dates of existence for this building is unknown. From historic maps, we know that it was gone before 1951, but was still there for sure as late as 1930 given the photo date. As for when it was built, the style suggest sometime during the 1860s. Other than possible poor condition, it’s unknown why it was demolished. The site stayed a parking lot until the development of the Arena District in the late 1990s.

2. Residential Building: 313-315 Water Street: Before 1870-Before 1951: The exact dates of existence for this building is unknown. From historic maps, we know that it was gone before 1951, but was still there for sure as late as 1930 given the photo date. As for when it was built, the style suggest sometime during the 1860s. Other than possible poor condition, it’s unknown why it was demolished. The site stayed a parking lot until the development of the Arena District in the late 1990s.

Continue viewing historic building before and after series in other neighborhoods with the Historic Building Database