Old North End Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Why it's listed
This expansion of the Old North End Historic District adds 282 resources, 251 of them contributing, to a working-class neighborhood north of downtown Columbus. Streets laid out on a grid are lined with 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 story brick and frame homes set close together on narrow lots. Single-family Gabled Ell houses are the most common type, joined by duplexes, American Foursquares, including 21 on one block of Mt. Pleasant Avenue built as a 1904 subdivision, and 17 brick terrace apartment buildings. A few commercial and industrial buildings, such as a former theater, service stations, a sawtooth-roofed machine shop and a candy company warehouse, add to the setting, along with the 1874 Second Avenue Public School. The area was listed because it housed railroad workers and employees of nearby factories and businesses, and because its largely vernacular 19th and early 20th century buildings form intact streetscapes. Most contributing buildings date from 1880 to 1910, and the period of significance ends in 1930.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the area is significant under Criterion A for housing railroad workers and workers from north-side industries, and for early institutions such as the Say Brewery site, Second Avenue School and North Side Day Nursery. Under Criterion C, it contains a concentration of vernacular 19th and early 20th century housing, including 17 terrace apartment buildings, that shows the development of Columbus' working-class north end.
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 99000702, listed June 10, 1999. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by W. First and E. Second Ave., N. Pearl St., E. Fifth Ave., and Summit St. and Beacon Alley, Columbus |
|---|---|
| County | Franklin County |
| Listed | June 10, 1999 |
| Reference number | 99000702 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | Ends in 1930 (start date not stated in the text provided) |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Italianate, Queen Anne, Tudor Revival, Classical Revival and Craftsman, though most buildings are vernacular |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Industry, Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Area retains integrity, with few non-contributing buildings; the Second Avenue School is still operating. |
| Acreage | 35 |
| Coordinates | 39.98482, -83.00172 (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 99000702.
- 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.