{"nrhp_refnum":"74001495","name":"Ohio State Arsenal","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"139 W. Main St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Columbus","county":"Franklin County","state":"OH","lat":39.95538838600004,"lon":-83.00305154299997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1974-07-18","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Military","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A brick State Arsenal at 139 West Main Street in Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio, built in 1861 on a stone foundation to store the state's public arms.","why_significant":"The nomination calls it a good example of a specialized Italianate style building and one of the earliest arsenals still in use in Ohio. It was built on the site of Ohio's first penitentiary, which had served as an arsenal and arms repair shop from 1823. The arsenal is also described as a reminder of past and present defenses.","narrative":"Built in 1861 of brick on a stone foundation, the Ohio State Arsenal in Columbus was designed specifically for storing the state's arms. The rectangular building measures roughly one hundred by sixty feet and is marked by four octagonal towers with conical roofs, each containing a winding staircase. Arched, multi-paned windows, arcaded corbel tables and a plain cornice complete the Italianate styling. Inside, heavy weapons were kept on the first floor, while the second floor is an open, column-free space with fixtures for rifles and handguns. The site was once Ohio's first penitentiary, which later served as an arsenal and repair shop beginning in 1823 before being razed after a land ownership suit. Legislative acts of 1857, 1859 and 1860 led to construction, funded with $14,000 and kept affordable through extensive convict labor. An eagle and shield from the battleship Ohio is mounted on the wall. The state still staffs and maintains the building.","period_of_significance":"19th Century (built 1861)","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Italianate","criteria":[],"status_note":"Described as in good condition and still manned and maintained by the state; the surrounding brick wall and cast iron fence are leaning and need attention.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:09.261235-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/74001495.pdf"},"photo":null,"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71988535","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":null},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/franklin-county/ohio-state-arsenal-74001495/"}