Columbus Near East Side District
Why it's listed
Columbus Near East Side District is a large residential area just east of downtown Columbus, covering about 630 acres around Bryden Road and the nearly 100-acre Franklin Park. Its brick and stone houses, churches, schools and apartment buildings date mostly from the 1880s to the 1930s and show Italianate, Queen Anne, Romanesque, Colonial Revival and Tudor styles. Houses in the western half are large for their small lots, while later buildings to the east are more widely spaced. Notable landmarks include the Fair Avenue School, designed by Frank L. Packard, and the Old First Methodist Church, designed by George Bellows Sr. The district was home to wealthy and prominent Columbus families and to the grandfather of writer James Thurber. Freeways and population change brought decline, but the lack of new construction left much of the early architecture intact. It was listed for its architectural quality and its record of the city's eastward growth.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · catalog entry. Generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29).
| Period of significance | 1860-1930 |
|---|---|
| Styles | Range of late 19th and early 20th century styles including Italianate, Queen Anne, Richardsonian Romanesque, Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival and eclectic |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Literature, Architecture, Social History |
| Acreage | 630 |
| Boundary source | NPS cultural-resource GIS polygon |
| Full listing page | Columbus Near East Side District (property record) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.