Ohio State Office Building (Boundary Increase)
No coordinates published for this listing.
Why it's listed
Rising fourteen stories above the east bank of the Scioto River in Columbus, this white marble Art Deco building at 65 South Front Street was built between 1931 and 1933 to house Ohio's state departments, which had previously been spread across downtown. Authorizing legislation passed in 1929 after years of debate over the idea and its financing, and a state property levy paid for the project. Its exterior carries inscriptions and sculpted panels honoring Ohio's pioneers, World War I veterans and industries. Inside, bronze doors, tile and mosaic ceilings, and a Hall of Fame of prominent Ohioans line the public spaces. Murals by artists including Rudolph Scheffler, John F. Holmer, H.H. Wessel and LeRoy Daniel MacMorris decorate the hearing rooms and the state library reading room. Reflecting pools and terraces form the setting, and the building anchors the civic center along the river with neighboring Neo-Classical government buildings. It remains in government office use.
Significance in brief: The building is described as a richly detailed Art Deco structure whose sculpture, mosaics and murals reflect important 20th-century American mural painting. It was the first single building for Ohio's state departments, which had been scattered around downtown Columbus. It is also a key part of the Scioto River civic center complex.
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 100007452, listed February 17, 2022. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 25-145 South Front St, Columbus |
|---|---|
| County | Franklin County |
| Listed | February 17, 2022 |
| Reference number | 100007452 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a government office building; the form notes worn murals and a planned renovation of the hearing rooms, and one hearing room was formerly a day care center. |
| Acreage | 3 |
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 100007452.
- 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.