East Broad Street Commercial Building
Also known as: Golden Lotus Restaurant; Jang Mea Restaurant; McArthur Savings
Why it's listed
Built around 1930 at 747-751 East Broad Street in Columbus, this 3½-story brick building shows the Jacobethan Revival style in a commercial setting. Stucco and half-timbering decorate the upper north facade, stone hood moulds, quoins and finials add trim, and bands of casement windows and an asymmetrical design complete the look. The building reflects the way small commercial structures began to replace the largely residential East Broad Street corridor in the 1920s and 1930s, spurred by downtown growth, suburbs such as Bexley, and increasing automobile travel to the east side. Its design was meant to blend with neighboring homes. Over the years it housed doctors' offices, insurance agencies and a Kroger store, which occupied one section from 1930 to 1946. A Chinese restaurant has operated here continuously, first as the Golden Lotus and later as Jong Mea. The pagoda-style storefront and canopy date to the mid-1950s, and rear additions were made during the twentieth century.
Significance in brief: It represents the low-scale commercial buildings that began appearing along East Broad Street in the 1920s and 1930s, as business activity moved into a mostly residential corridor. It is also a good example of a period revival commercial structure that blends with its residential surroundings, showing Jacobethan Revival features.
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 86003424, listed December 16, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 747, 749, 751 E. Broad St., Columbus |
|---|---|
| County | Franklin County |
| Listed | December 16, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86003424 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Jacobethan Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Recorded in fair condition and used for a restaurant, offices and a bank; a Chinese restaurant has occupied the building since 1930. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Columbus Near East Side District |
| Coordinates | 39.96429, -82.98066 (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 86003424.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q104881548
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.