{"nrhp_refnum":"79001839","name":"Old Port Columbus Airport Control Tower","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"420 E. 5th Ave","address_restricted":false,"city":"Columbus","county":"Franklin County","state":"OH","lat":39.98703959100004,"lon":-82.87198260299994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1979-07-26","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Transportation"],"significance_levels":["national"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"The original 1929 air terminal and octagonal observation/control tower of the former Port Columbus airport at 420 E. Fifth Avenue, Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio, designed by the Allied Architects Association.","why_significant":"The nomination argues that the 1929 terminal was among the earliest airport facilities in the country and was the first transfer point in the westbound transcontinental passenger service combining train and air travel. It is presented as a reminder of Columbus' contribution to American air transportation. Additional documentation argued that the tower retains enough integrity despite later additions.","narrative":"Located in the southeastern corner of Port Columbus airport, this brick terminal building was completed in 1929 and dedicated on July 8 of that year. The original block is rectangular, with a plain ten-bay facade, a stone entrance surround and restrained brickwork along the cornice. Its most distinctive feature is an octagonal, three-story tower with a glass-enclosed top level under a hipped roof. Later wings and additions, all predating 1958, partly obscure the tower base, but the original buff brick structure remains visible. The terminal was the first transfer point in a westbound transcontinental service in which passengers rode trains from New York to Columbus, flew Ford Tri-Motors to Oklahoma, and continued by rail and air to Los Angeles. Charles Lindbergh attended the dedication. The service lasted about two years before all-air schedules became possible. A newer terminal replaced the building in 1958, and it later housed offices and small aircraft operations.","period_of_significance":"1929","architect_builder":"Allied Architects Association","architectural_style":null,"criteria":[],"status_note":"Owned by the City of Columbus; in 1978 it was occupied and used for offices and small aircraft operations, with traffic control moved out in 1958 when a new terminal replaced it. Condition checked as fair.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:12.191979-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/79001839.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79001839/79901ca048-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79001839/79901ca048-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Bubba73","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Old_Port_Columbus_Airport_Control_Tower_and_Terminal,_Columbus,_OH,_US_(07).jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Bubba73</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Old_Port_Columbus_Airport_Control_Tower_and_Terminal,_Columbus,_OH,_US_(07).jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71988625","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Port_Columbus_Terminal","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q96397268"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/franklin-county/old-port-columbus-airport-control-tower-79001839/"}