This page has before and after photos and descriptions for Franklinton historic buildings. Only buildings constructed prior to 1930 are included. Click on any photo for a larger image.

**Last Updated: 12/10/2024- Added to McKinley Avenue.

Existing Historic Buildings

Avondale Avenue
1. Avondale Elementary School: 156 Avondale Elementary: 1893

Broad Street
1. Ohio Central Passenger Station: 379 W. Broad Street: 1895

2. Engine House #6: 540 W. Broad Street: 1880

2. General William Henry Harrison War of 1812 HQ: 570 W. Broad Street: 1805

3. Holy Family Roman Catholic Church: 584 W. Broad Street: 1889

4. Retail/Office Building: 619 W. Broad Street: Around 1900: The original address of 619-629 W. Broad is now 635 W. Broad.

5. Residential/Retail Building: 937-941 W. Broad Street: Around 1900

6. Engine House #10: 1096 W. Broad Street: 1896

7. Retail Building: 1158 W. Broad Street: Around 1915: The current address is 1160 W. Broad. The building was significantly altered in 1947.

Campbell Avenue
1. George Somerson House: 920 Campbell Avenue: 1924

2. Walter Shapter House: 927 Campbell Avenue: 1929

3. Harlan Parrett House: 928 Campbell Avenue: 1927

4. Olin Parrett House: 932 Campbell Avenue: 1927

5. William Reardon House: 954 Campbell Avenue: Around 1915

6. Hattie Bliler House: 971 Campbell Avenue: 1924

7. Lester Baker House: 976 Campbell Avenue: 1928

Central Avenue
1. Residential House: 34 S. Central Avenue: Around 1910

2. West High School: 120 S. Central Avenue: 1908

Dana Avenue
1. Dana Avenue Elementary School: 300 Dana Avenue: 1911

Eaton Avenue
1. Isaac Miner House: 819 Eaton Avenue: 1823

Grubb Street
1. Holy Family Parish School: 57 S. Grubb Street: 1912: The building was spared by literal feet by the construction of 315, as seen in the second photo.

Jones Avenue
1. Emma Gallagher House: 38 Jones Avenue: Around 1905

2. Mary Ryan House: 40 Jones Avenue: Around 1898

3. William Elgin House: 54-56 Jones Avenue: Around 1898

McDowell Street
1. Ruby Chemical Company Building: 68 McDowell Street: Around 1910

State Street
1. Residential Building: 485-489 W. State Street: 1874

2. Rosa Meier House: 616 W. State Street: Around 1880

Sullivant Avenue
1. Columbus Library Branch: 840 Sullivant Avenue: Around 1905

Wisconsin Avenue
1. William Tussing House: 15 Wisconsin Avenue: Around 1895: This house sits behind the home of 23 Wisconsin Avenue along the alley.

Demolished Historic Buildings

Broad Street
1. Henry C. Godman Shoe Company: 347 W. Broad Street: Around 1895-1921: This was the first major factory for Godman Shoe Company, but lasted a relatively short time. This building was torn down to build a new manufacturing plant that opened in 1922. That second plant stopped manufacturing shoes in the 1940s, but the building survived until late 1990s.

2. Macklin Hotel: 387 W. Broad Street: Around 1895-1956: There seems to be some disagreement on just what this building was. Some records call it the Macklin Hotel, but old maps suggest it was used for manufacturing or even a brewery. In the photo, the banner reads “Hosters Beers”, which suggests the latter. Regardless, the building seems to have survived until the 1950s before being demolished for unknown reasons. The site has remained a parking lot.

3. Dennis Clahane House: 494 W. Broad Street: Around 1890-1933: Unknown reasons for demolition. Unlike many buildings in the area, this seems to have survived the 1913 flood, showing up on maps as late as 1922. In 1933, most of the buildings on the block came down, though nothing new was constructed on the site until a retail and office building was built there in 1947. That building complex was torn down in 2016 to make way for the Gravity mixed-use project.

4. Windsor Place Apartments: 504 W. Broad Street: 1897-1960: Unknown reason for demolition, but the responsible party was Huntington National Bank, which acquired the property in 1955. The site remained a parking lot through 2013 when Franklin Station was built.

5. Holy Family Church Priest Residence: 582 W. Broad Street: Around 1850-1895: This house seems to have been replaced by the current building sometime 1891-1900, as the new home shows up on maps as early as 1901.

6. Franklinton Elementary School: 666 W. Broad Street: 1878-3/13/1956: The school was demolished to make way for the construction of Rt 315.

7. Poole Building: 669 W. Broad Street: 1876-7/31/1927: Demolished to build newer development. The newer building was demolished in 1962 during the construction of 315.

8. Lucas Sullivant House: 707 W. Broad Street: 1801-2/4/1965: The first brick home in Franklin County, it was modified several times over the years and eventually became part of a convent. It survived 315’s construction only to be demolished a few years later to make way for commercial development. That development was torn down in 2018 and the site is vacant.

9. Monticello Apartments: 934 W. Broad Street: 1900-1992: A probable arson fire in 1991 severely damaged the structure. Though there was a buyer for the property to restore the building, the city refused to give the time necessary to move the project forward due to the public danger of the damaged building. The site has been vacant ever since.

10. Mixed-Use Building: 1014-1016 W. Broad Street: Around 1890-2013: Originally a single-family home, the building was modified over the years to include businesses. It was likely demolished due to poor condition. The site has been vacant since.

11. Thomas Ross House: 1043 W. Broad Street: Around 1895-1978: Demolished to build the present gas station.

12. Mixed-Use Buildings: 1213-1225 W. Broad Street: The 3 buildings were built between 1890-1915. The 2 buildings between 1217-1225 were demolished in 1974 for unknown reasons and have remained vacant lots ever since. 1213-1215 W. Broad (on the far left), the oldest building of the bunch, survived all the way to 2017 before coming down due to neglect of the property by the owners.

13. Residential House: 1330 W. Broad Street: Around 1890-1967: The house had been a private home until about 1941, when it was acquired by Columbus Mutual Life Insurance. It was then sold to the business located at 1328 W. Broad, the Do Nut Bakery, in 1944. Do Nut owned the house until 1957, before it was sold to another bakery, Cummins Bakery. It seems that it was still in that business’ possession when it was demolished in 1967 for unknown reasons. The site has remained a vacant lot ever since. The old single-story bakery building at 1328 remains standing.

Campbell Avenue
1. Rosa Williamson House: 888 Campbell Avenue: Around 1900-2018: Demolished due to poor condition. The site remains vacant.

Davis Avenue
1. Residential House: 20 N. Davis Avenue: 1840-Around 1950: The home was demolished for a parking lot. Today, it is the site of an office building.

Doyle Street
1. Alfred Chilcote House: 756-758 Doyle Street: Around 1885-Around 1978: Demolished to build a surface parking lot for Mt. Carmel. The site is now a parking garage.

2. Peter Messmore House: 757 Doyle Street: 1891-Around 1978: Demolished to build the current parking garage for Mt. Carmel.

3. Edward Keenan House: 777-779 Doyle Street: 1893-Around 1978: Demolished to build the current parking garage for Mt. Carmel.

Gift Street
1. Lucas Sullivant Land Office: 15 N. Gift Street: 1822: Was originally located at 714 W. Gay Street, but was moved to its present location in 1983. The 1947 photo was taken from the Gay Street location.

Jones Avenue
1. Lydia Rankin House: 48-50 Jones Avenue: Around 1899-1975: Unknown reasons for demolition. The site remains vacant.

McKinley Avenue
1. Frank Pettit House: 1703 McKinley Avenue: Around 1900-Around 1968: Demolished to expand Grandview Avenue.

2. Residential House: 1781 McKinley Avenue: 1924-Around 1960: Demolished for unknown reasons.

Merrimac Avenue
1. George Rhodes House: 1444-1446 Merrimac Avenue: Around 1895-1980: Demolished for unknown reasons. The site remains vacant.

Sandusky Street
1. Edward Nicklaus House: 192 S. Sandusky Street: Around 1910-2005: Demolished due to poor condition. The site remains vacant.

Skidmore Street
1. Holy Family Church Sisters House: 24 N. Skidmore Street: Around 1890-1955: Demolished for unknown reasons, but probably for the small parking lot that still exists.

State Street
1. Catherine Meyers House: 522 W. State Street: 1880-1995: Demolished for unknown reasons. The site has remained vacant.

2. George Davidson House: 1890-1992: Demolished for unknown reasons, but likely due to condition. The site was redeveloped in 2019.

3. Thomas Marshall House: 584 W. State Street: Around 1900-2002: Demolished due to poor condition. The site has remained vacant.


4. Herbert Baker House: 586 W. State Street: Around 1900-1999: Demolished due to condition. The site has remained vacant.


5. Mixed-Use Building: 594 W. State Street: Around 1910-1985: Unknown reasons for demolition. The site has remained vacant.


6. Residential House: 705 W. State Street: Around 1895-1960: Demolished as part of the construction of what would become Rt. 315. In the after photo, the house stood in roughly near the corner of the light brown building.


7. Charles Neff House: 721 W. State Street: Around 1889-Around 1975: Demolished for parking and remained parking until the current structure was built in 2003. In the after photo, the house sat roughly in the center of the photo.


8. Residential House: 762-764 W. State Street: Around 1900-Around 1968: Demolished for a parking lot. Today, the site is a parking garage.


9. Residential House: 782 W. State Street: Around 1900-Around 1968: Demolished for a parking lot for Mt Carmel Hospital. The site is now a parking garage.

Sullivant Avenue
1. Columbus Police Workhouse: 515 Sullivant Avenue: 1896-1931: The building was heavily damaged by a tornado in 1929. Instead of rebuilding long-term, the City decided to build a new building. The old building was patched up temporarily while a new police HQ building was built across the river at 120 W. Gay Street. Not long after the new HQ was opened, the old building was demolished. Today, the site is part of Dodge Park.

Town Street
1. The Columbus Heating and Ventilating Company: 425-435 W. Town Street: Around 1910-2010: The building was demolished due to years of neglect. Most of the roof and inner floors had collapsed by 2010, so the city tore down the remaining structure. Today the site is a parking lot.

2. Residential Houses: 864-874 W. Town Street: Around 1900-1973: Demolished to build a parking lot for Mount Carmel West Hospital.