Columbia Building
Also known as: The Clock Restaurant in the Larrimer Building
Why it's listed
Located at 161-167 North High Street in Columbus, this five-story commercial building dates to about 1895 and has a smooth dressed sandstone facade, an unusual choice for 19th-century commercial buildings in the city. Its top two floors and parapet were removed in 1961, and a new cornice was added in 1981. The ground floor holds the storefront and interior created in 1905 for the Bott Brothers' bar and billiard business. Stribling & Lum designed curved glass windows topped by leaded colored glass domes. Inside, the Botts built a hand-carved Philippine mahogany bar with inlay, said to have won a ribbon at the 1893 World Columbian Exposition, along with plaster ceiling ornament, a mosaic floor and stained glass windows. After Prohibition the space became the Clock Restaurant in 1925, which remains a downtown landmark. The restored storefront and fixtures are the only identified Bott work left in Columbus.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is significant for the 1905 storefront designed by Stribling & Lum and the hand-crafted bar interior installed by the Bott Brothers. It is also significant as the long-running Clock Restaurant, a downtown landmark eatery since 1925, and as one of few remaining 19th-century commercial buildings on High Street. Its sandstone facade is a rare treatment in Columbus.
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) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 83001967, listed August 12, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 161-167 N. High St., Columbus |
|---|---|
| County | Franklin County |
| Listed | August 12, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83001967 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Stribling & Lum, Architects (storefront); Bott Bros. Manufacturing Co., designers (bar fixtures) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Storefront restored and a new marquee built to reflect the original; the Clock Restaurant is still in business. The top two floors and stone parapet were removed in 1961 and a new cornice was added in 1981. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.96586, -83.00160 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 83001967.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q94933292
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.