Columbus City Hall (Ohio)

Last updated
Columbus City Hall
Columbus, Ohio JJ 52-crop.jpg
City Hall from the southwest
Columbus City Hall (Ohio)
General information
Architectural style Neoclassical
Address90 West Broad Street
Columbus, Ohio
Coordinates 39°57′46″N83°00′12″W / 39.962783°N 83.003328°W / 39.962783; -83.003328
GroundbreakingOctober 29, 1926
InauguratedApril 18, 1928
Renovated1936, 1949
Technical details
Floor count5
Design and construction
Architecture firmAllied Architects Association of Columbus
Other information
Public transit access COTA alt logo.svg 4, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12
Ic directions bike 48px.svg CoGo

Columbus City Hall is the city hall of Columbus, Ohio, in the city's downtown Civic Center. It contains the offices of the city's mayor, auditor, and treasurer, and the offices and chambers of Columbus City Council.

Contents

City Hall was designed in a Neoclassical style by the Allied Architects Association of Columbus. It replaced offices in the Central Market building as well as a former permanent city hall. The new city hall was built from 1926 to 1928, during a period of extensive construction building the city's riverfront civic center. An additional wing was added to City Hall in 1936. Renovations took place in 1949 and 1986, and the building was determined to be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places as part of a historic district in 1988.

History

Central Market, home to the first city hall Central Market 1873-crop.jpg
Central Market, home to the first city hall
Columbus City Hall (1872-1921) Columbus City Hall.jpg
Columbus City Hall (1872–1921)

Columbus's first city hall was at the Central Market building, but it moved to a new building on Capitol Square in 1872. In 1921, a fire destroyed that building, [1] [2] now the site of the Ohio Theatre. [3] James John Thomas, mayor of Columbus from 1920 to 1931, laid the cornerstone for a new City Hall on October 29, 1926. [4] The building was dedicated on April 18, 1928.

Initially built in three sections surrounding a central courtyard at a cost of US$1.7 million (equivalent to $19,970,000in 2019), [5] a fourth section was added on the east side of City Hall in 1936 to enclose the courtyard and provide additional office space. The structure was further renovated in 1949. [6]

City Council chambers, located on the second floor, were fully restored in 1986, and feature Art Deco elements echoing those found throughout the building. [6]

In 1988, the building was included as a contributing property to the Columbus Civic Center Historic District, nominated to the National Register of Historic Places. The nomination was prepared in the late 1980s by the City of Columbus's Economic Development Division. The district was determined to be eligible for the National Register on September 14, 1988, due to its association with community planning, engineering, government, and transportation in the city, and for its Art Deco, Neoclassical, and Renaissance Revival architecture. [7] Even though its suitability was confirmed, the district was never listed. [8]

The south patio of City Hall facing Broad Street was named the M. D. Portman Plaza in 1996 after a long-serving City Council member. [9] From 1955 to 2020, the plaza was home to a 20 foot (6.1 m) tall bronze statue of Christopher Columbus by Italian sculptor Edoardo Alfieri. [10] The statue was a gift to the city of Columbus from the citizens of Genoa, Italy. It was removed during the George Floyd protests in the city [6] and will be placed in a less controversial location.

Attributes

The five-story building, constructed of Indiana limestone, was designed by the Allied Architects Association of Columbus in the Neoclassical style. [6] Allied Architects also designed the adjacent Central Police Station building at West Gay Street and Marconi Boulevard, which opened on March 26, 1930, was vacated in 1991 with the opening of a new police headquarters building, and was renovated in 2012 as 77 North Front Street to allow the consolidation of various city government offices. [11] [12] City Hall was originally also the venue for the city's Municipal Court, and its proximity to the Police Station building provided for efficient movement of prisoners between the two buildings. The former third-floor municipal courtroom in City Hall now serves as a studio for the city's cable-carried government information TV channel. [13]

Columbus City Hall is one of the buildings contained within the Columbus Civic Center Historic District, nominated to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Columbus, Ohio</span> Capital and largest city of Ohio, United States

Columbus is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest after Chicago, and the third-most populous U.S. state capital after Phoenix, Arizona and Austin, Texas. Columbus is the county seat of Franklin County; it also extends into Delaware and Fairfield counties. It is the core city of the Columbus metropolitan area, which encompasses ten counties in central Ohio. It had a population of 2,138,926 in 2020, making it the largest metropolitan area entirely in Ohio and 14th-largest city in the U.S.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LeVeque Tower</span> Skyscraper in Columbus, Ohio

The LeVeque Tower is a 47-story skyscraper in Downtown Columbus, Ohio. At 555 feet 5 inches (169.29 m) it was the tallest building in the city from its completion in 1927 to 1974, and remains the second-tallest today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downtown Columbus, Ohio</span> Neighborhood in Columbus, Ohio

Downtown Columbus is the central business district of Columbus, Ohio. Downtown is centered on the intersection of Broad and High Streets, and encompasses all of the area inside the Inner Belt. Downtown is home to most of the tallest buildings in Columbus.

Columbus, the capital city of Ohio, was founded on the east bank of the Scioto River in 1812. The city was founded as its capitol, beside the town of Franklinton, since incorporated into Columbus. The city's early history was gradual, as residents dealt with flooding and cholera epidemics, and the city had few direct connections to other cities. This led creation of a feeder canal, and later, freight and passenger railroads. The city became known for its industry and commercial businesses into the 20th century, though it experienced a lull in development in the late 20th century. In the 21st century, Columbus has been increasingly revitalized, led by parks projects, new developments, and efforts to beautify individual neighborhoods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Statue of Christopher Columbus (Columbus City Hall)</span> Statue in Columbus, Ohio, U.S.

Christopher Columbus, or simply Columbus, is a 1955 sculpture by Edoardo Alfieri, originally installed outside Columbus, Ohio's City Hall, in the United States. The statue was unveiled in 1955, celebrating Christopher Columbus's voyages to the New World. It was removed in July 2020, in light of the explorer's abusive relationship with indigenous Americans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battelle Riverfront Park</span> Park in Columbus, Ohio, U.S.

Battelle Riverfront Park is a 4.1-acre (1.7 ha) park in downtown Columbus, Ohio, United States, near Columbus City Hall. The park was established in 1983. It is named after Gordon Battelle and was funded by the Battelle Memorial Institute.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Discovery Bridge (Columbus, Ohio)</span> Overpass on the Scioto River

The Discovery Bridge, commonly known as the Broad Street Bridge, is a bridge in Columbus, Ohio, United States, carrying Broad Street over the Scioto River and connecting Downtown Columbus to Franklinton. The bridge was named in reference to Christopher Columbus's "discovery" of the Americas; the bridge includes artistic bronze medallions featuring symbols of the explorer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scioto Mile</span> Park in Columbus, Ohio

The Scioto Mile is a collection of parks and trails along both banks of the Scioto River in Columbus, Ohio, connecting parts of the Scioto Greenway Trail with downtown Columbus and Franklinton. The nine parks cover 145 acres (59 ha).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scioto Mile Promenade</span> Park and promenade in Columbus, Ohio, U.S.

The Scioto Mile Promenade, also known simply as the Promenade, is a public park and promenade in downtown Columbus, Ohio. The park is part of the Scioto Mile network of parks and trails around the city's downtown area, and has a riverwalk stretching along the east bank of the Scioto River, from Battelle Riverfront Park to Bicentennial Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph P. Kinneary United States Courthouse</span> Federal courthouse in Columbus, Ohio

The Joseph P. Kinneary United States Courthouse is a federal courthouse in Columbus, Ohio, in the city's downtown Civic Center. It was formerly known as the U.S. Post Office and Court House. It was designed by Richards, McCarty & Bulford and was completed in 1934. The supervising architect was James A. Wetmore. It was renamed for Joseph P. Kinneary in 1998. It is still in use by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Capitol Square</span> Public square in Columbus, Ohio

Capitol Square is a public square in Downtown Columbus, Ohio. The square includes the Ohio Statehouse, its 10-acre (4.0 ha) Capitol Grounds, as well as the buildings and features surrounding the square. The Capitol Grounds are surrounded on the north and west by Broad and High Streets, the main thoroughfares of the city since its founding, forming the city's 100 percent corner. The grounds are surrounded by 3rd Street on the east and State Street on the south. The oldest building on Capitol Square, the Ohio Statehouse, is the center of the state government, and in the rough geographic center of Capitol Square, Columbus, and Ohio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Columbus Civic Center (Ohio)</span> Civic center in downtown Columbus, Ohio

The Columbus Civic Center is a civic center, a collection of government buildings, museums, and open park space in Downtown Columbus, Ohio. The site is located along the Scioto Mile recreation area and historically was directly on the banks of the Scioto River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Floyd protests in Columbus, Ohio</span> 2020 civil unrest in Columbus, Ohio after the murder of George Floyd

The George Floyd protests were a series of protests and civil disturbances that initially started in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area of Minnesota, United States, before spreading nationwide. In Columbus, Ohio, unrest began on May 28, 2020, two days after incidents began in Minneapolis. The events were a reaction to the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) officer Derek Chauvin, who knelt on Floyd's neck for over nine minutes, asphyxiating him.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broad Street (Columbus, Ohio)</span> East-west street in Columbus, Ohio

Broad Street is a major thoroughfare in Central Ohio, predominantly in Franklin County and Columbus. It stretches east from West Jefferson at Little Darby Creek to Pataskala. The street is considered one of Columbus's two main roads, along with High Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government of Columbus, Ohio</span> City government

The government of Columbus, Ohio, headquartered at Columbus City Hall in Downtown Columbus, is organized into a mayor-council system. The mayor is responsible for the administration of city government. The Columbus City Council is a unicameral body consisting of seven members elected or appointed at-large. The city has numerous government agencies, responsible for public education, health, and safety; emergency services; recreational facilities; sanitation; water supply; and welfare services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huntington Plaza</span> Office building in Columbus, Ohio

Huntington Plaza, formerly the Huntington Trust Building, is an office building in Downtown Columbus, Ohio. It is owned by Huntington Bancshares, and is part of the Huntington Center complex, which also contains the Huntington Center skyscraper, the Huntington National Bank Building, and DoubleTree Hotel Guest Suites Columbus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">77 North Front Street</span> City office building in Columbus, Ohio

77 North Front Street is a municipal office building of Columbus, Ohio, in the city's downtown Civic Center. The building, originally built as the Central Police Station in 1930, operated in that function until 1991. After about two decades of vacancy, the structure was renovated for city agency use in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scioto River Bridge Group</span> Historic bridges in Columbus, Ohio

The Scioto River Bridge Group was a set of historic bridges in Columbus, Ohio. The bridges were:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Columbus City Prison</span> Columbus, Ohio prison operating from 1879 to 1920

The Columbus City Prison was a municipal prison in Downtown Columbus, Ohio. The building was constructed in 1879 in a castle-like style, designed by architect George H. Maetzel. The building served as a prison and headquarters of the Columbus Police Department until a fire demolished the structure in 1920.

References

  1. Egger, Charles, ed. (1975). Columbus Mayors (PDF). Columbus Citizen-Journal . Columbus, Ohio. p. 44.
  2. Lentz, Ed (2003). Columbus: The Story of a City. The Making of America Series. Arcadia Publishing. p. 111. ISBN   9780738524290. OCLC   52740866.
  3. Perkins, Michael A. (Dec 17, 2004). Leveque: The First Complete Story of Columbus' Greatest Skyscraper. Author House. p. 10. ISBN   9781468518962.
  4. "Columbus City Hall cornerstone dedication (1926 photo)". OhioMemory.org. December 5, 2015. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  5. "CONTENTdm".
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Scioto Riverfront History: City Hall". sciotogreenways.com. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  7. "Main Street Dam Removal & Scioto Greenways Feasibility Study". Stantec. 2012. pp. 14–15. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  8. "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form". National Park Service. 2016. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
  9. Carmen, Barbara (May 21, 1996). "Columbus City Council names the south patio of City Hall 'M D Portman Plaza' at Portman's last official Council meeting". Columbus Dispatch. p. 2 C.
  10. "Uncrating Christopher Columbus, 1955". The Columbus Dispatch. October 10, 2011. Archived from the original on June 20, 2021.
  11. "Central Police Station (1945 photo)". Columbus Metropolitan Library Digital Collection. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  12. Lydia Coutré (August 14, 2012). "Columbus wants to consolidate city offices". Columbus Dispatch. Archived from the original on August 16, 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  13. "CTV Columbus Government Television Home".

Further reading