{"nrhp_refnum":"86003404","name":"Broad Street Apartments","other_names":["Ralston Apartments","Broadmoor Apartments"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"880--886 E. Broad St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Columbus","county":"Franklin County","state":"OH","lat":39.96511428600007,"lon":-82.97705074499999,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1986-12-16","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Community Planning and Development","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A three-story brick apartment building at 880-886 East Broad Street in Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio, built in 1916 to designs by Howell & Thomas with Cheek Bros. as builder.","why_significant":"The inventory states it is the earliest luxury apartment building developed along East Broad Street, marking a shift in development there after streetcar lines and automobiles made the east side convenient for downtown commuters. It is also an example of Second Renaissance Revival style. Its low scale and classical detailing blend with the residential character of the area, and it has kept its residential use.","narrative":"Built in 1916, this three-story brick apartment building at 880-886 East Broad Street in Columbus was designed by Howell & Thomas and constructed by Cheek Bros. It was first proposed with four stories but built with three. The U-shaped plan wraps a courtyard, and bay windows bring light to the courtyard apartments. Carved stone panels, terra cotta ornament and string courses decorate the exterior, while the interior has oak woodwork, French doors and fireplaces with glazed tile. The building is recognized as the earliest luxury apartment house on East Broad Street. Streetcar lines and the growing use of automobiles encouraged such development, drawing businessmen who wanted a short commute downtown and older single residents who no longer wanted to maintain a large house. Its modest height, brick and stone trim, and classical detailing let it fit comfortably among neighboring homes. It also remains in residential use, which many comparable buildings on the street have not.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Howell & Thomas (architects); Cheek Bros. (builder)","architectural_style":"Georgian Revival influence; described in the significance statement as Second Renaissance Revival","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Listed in good condition and still used as apartments; some original windows were replaced by jalousie windows in 1956.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:14.187744-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/86003404.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86003404/9b10e1ec28-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86003404/9b10e1ec28-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Broad_Street_Apartments.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Broad_Street_Apartments.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71985198","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broad_Street_Apartments","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q28123555"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/franklin-county/broad-street-apartments-86003404/"}