New Indianola Historic District
Why it's listed
Along North Fourth Street and Chittenden and Eleventh Avenues in Columbus stands a group of about 90 brick rental buildings, all erected between 1916 and 1921 by developer Charles F. Johnson. The buildings fall into six types: duplexes, single-family houses, a pair of frame houses, four-family buildings, multi-family rows and four pairs of apartment courts set perpendicular to Fourth Street. Large front porches, one-over-one windows, decorated parapets and consistent setbacks give the streets a unified look. Johnson bought and platted the land in 1916, and the district was largely complete by 1921. It was aimed at renters drawn by nearby employers, Ohio State University and streetcar service to downtown. City directories show middle-class tenants, especially in the courts. The district was recognized for its architectural cohesion, its concentration of rental housing unmatched elsewhere in Columbus, and its survival as an early streetcar suburb. Some state board members disputed its significance.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the district is architecturally significant as a dense, intact concentration of early twentieth century rental housing found nowhere else in Columbus. It shows many rental building types, from single-family houses and duplexes to four-family buildings, rows and paired courts, with strong architectural harmony. It is also a well-preserved example of a World War I-era streetcar suburb developed quickly by a single developer.
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 85000947, listed April 30, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by Chittenden and Grant Aves., Fifth St., Seventh Ave., and Fourth St., Columbus |
|---|---|
| County | Franklin County |
| Listed | April 30, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85000947 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1916-1921 |
| Architect / builder | Charles F. Johnson, Developer |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as well preserved with a high degree of integrity; of 93 buildings, 90 contribute and three are intrusions (a 1960-era apartment building, a gas station and a concrete block garage). Some buildings have lost their porches. |
| Acreage | 18 |
| Coordinates | 39.99218, -82.99795 (NPS GIS) |
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.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 85000947.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.