Ohio Asylum for the Blind
Also known as: Ohio Department of Highway Safety Building
Why it's listed
Construction of the Ohio Asylum for the Blind in Columbus began in May 1869 and was finished in May 1874, delayed by a shortage of construction workers. The cut sandstone building rises three stories beneath a mansard roof and measures roughly 175 by 60 feet. It was designed for 250 students and 65 staff. Twin towers flank a square central section that once carried a tall belfry and spire, removed in a twentieth-century renovation. The east side has a varied series of wings, including a chapel-like section. The school grew out of the first state school for the blind in the United States, opened in 1837, and the larger building replaced an overcrowded first structure. Blind Ohioans were educated here until the early 1950s, after which state highway safety offices took over the building. It is valued as a well-preserved Second Empire design and as a product of the post-Civil War public building boom under Governor Rutherford B. Hayes.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it a well-preserved example of Second Empire architecture and a reminder of the post-Civil War public building boom. It housed the state's school for the blind until the early 1950s. It was also part of Governor Rutherford B. Hayes' capital building program.
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 73001436, listed July 26, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 240 Parsons Ave., Columbus |
|---|---|
| County | Franklin County |
| Listed | July 26, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73001436 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (built 1869-1874) |
| Architectural style | Second Empire |
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as state government office space (Ohio Department of Highway Safety) after the blind school moved in the early 1950s; condition listed as fair, altered, on its original site. |
| Acreage | 2.5 |
| Within district | Columbus Near East Side District |
| Coordinates | 39.95928, -82.98092 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
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 73001436.
- 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.