Downtown Columbus, Georgia

Last updated
Downtown Columbus
Fireworks in downtown columbus, ga.jpg
Fireworks in Downtown on July 4, 2009.
Country United States
State Georgia
County Muscogee
City Columbus
Population
 (2007)
  Total8,080
ZIP codes
31901, 31902, 31908, 31993, 31997, 31998

Downtown Columbus, Georgia, also called "Uptown" (see here), is the central business district of the city of Columbus, Georgia. The commercial and governmental heart of the city has traditionally been toward the eastern end of Downtown Columbus, between 10th Street and 1st Avenue. Recent developments, particularly between Broadway and 2nd Avenue, have expanded the boundaries of the "central" part of the neighborhood. The term "Downtown Columbus" can also mean this smaller, more commercial area, particularly when used in the context of the city's nightlife and restaurants.

Contents

South of Broadway is a much more residential area, characterized by historic homes, new infill construction, and some public housing. This part of Downtown Columbus has the highest concentration of hotels, particularly along Front Avenue, and the Broadway commercial corridor is the center of business.

Overview

[1] [2] [3] [4]

Buildings

The following is a list of the tallest buildings in Downtown Columbus.

#NamePictureHeight (ft)StoriesYearNotes
1 Aflac Building 246191975Aflac HQ is the tallest building outside of Atlanta in the state of Georgia
2Columbus Consolidated Government Center235131973
3The Ralston Addition111977
4Corporate Center129101973
5The Ralston Addition110101919
6The Ralston Addition91941
7The Ralston10691914
8Columbus Regional Hospital≈11091968
9Muscogee County Jail North Tower81984
10Columbus Marriott81982
11Muscogee County Jail South Tower72002
12Hotel Indigo72021Built along the river. Has 107 hotel rooms and features the rooftop bar eighteen85
131601 First Avenue61999
14AC Hotel by Marriott Columbus62021

Historic places

Two Historic Districts are located in the main district of downtown: the Columbus Historic District and the Columbus Historic Riverfront Industrial District Structures listed in the National Register of Historic Places include Columbus Ironworks, the former Ledger-Enquirer Tower, and the YMCA. [5] The Columbus Battlefield spans across the Chattahoochee River in the location of Mott's Green.

Homes

Mott House memorial facade, constructed in 2016 Mott House memorial.jpg
Mott House memorial facade, constructed in 2016

Downtown Columbus is home to many Antebellum homes, most listed in the NRHP, including the 1839 Goetchius House, the Garrett-Bullock House, and the Illges House. [6] The Mott House was destroyed by fire in 2014; its memorial facade, pictured, was completed in 2016.

Places of interest

Downtown Columbus is full of places that may interest tourists. These places include government buildings, sporting venues and other miscellaneous places, such as parks and convention centers.

Arts

Columbus Public Buildings Columbus Public Buildings - DPLA - a92d596082651977cca737b20d1e6f76.jpeg
Columbus Public Buildings

Governmental facilities

Museums

Recreation

Sporting venues

Places of worship

Downtown in 1880, showing the Church of the Holy Family (image by Theodore R. Davis) Downtown columbus, georgia 1880.jpg
Downtown in 1880, showing the Church of the Holy Family (image by Theodore R. Davis)

Downtown consists of many places to worship, such as historic Church of the Holy Family, Columbus' first Roman Catholic parish. The area is also home to other historic congregations, including First Baptist Church, First Presbyterian Church, St. George's Anglican Church, St. Luke United Methodist Church, and Trinity Episcopal Church.

Transportation

There are many modes of transportation in Downtown Columbus that can be used by both tourists and residents. METRA Transit System operates bus service in downtown, which connects riders to other places in the city. The primary way of getting around downtown for many people is by car. Downtown Columbus is accessible from Interstate 185 by J. R. Allen Parkway, which allows direct travel into the area via 2nd Avenue. Downtown is also served by two arterial roads, Veterans Parkway (north–south) and Victory Drive (east–west).

"Downtown"/"Uptown"

There is confusion brought about by the use of the terms "Downtown" and "Uptown" for Columbus' central business district. Uptown Columbus is the title given to both a non-profit organization operating to encourage area growth and development (sometimes called "urban renewal") and also to the actual physical area of that development itself, which is an expanding subsection of the Downtown district located in the areas from Broadway to the Chattahoochee River. [9]

Tornado

On April 20, 2009, at approximately 12:40 AM Eastern Daylight Time, an EF2 tornado hit downtown with winds up to 135 miles per hour (217 km/h). This tornado caused damage to the Columbus State University Campus, the Springer Opera House, and the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts. This is the first time a tornado touched ground in downtown Columbus since weather records keeping began in the 1890s. While there were dozens of injuries, there were no fatalities. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muscogee County, Georgia</span> County in Georgia, United States

Muscogee County is a county located on the central western border of the U.S. state of Georgia named after the Muscogee that originally inhabited the land with its western border with the state of Alabama that is formed by the Chattahoochee River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 206,922. Its county seat and only city is Columbus, with which it has been a consolidated city-county since the beginning of 1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chattahoochee County, Georgia</span> County in Georgia, United States

Chattahoochee County, also known as Cusseta-Chattahoochee County, is a county located on the western border in central Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,565. The county seat is Cusseta, with which the county shares a consolidated city-county government. The city of Cusseta remains a geographically distinct municipality within Chattahoochee County. The county was created on February 13, 1854.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cusseta, Georgia</span> Consolidated city-county in Georgia, United States

Cusseta is a city in Chattahoochee County, Georgia, United States. It is part of the Columbus, Georgia-Alabama metropolitan statistical area. The population was 9,565 in 2020. The city is the county seat of Chattahoochee County, with which it shares a consolidated city-county government. Despite this, Cusseta is not coterminous with the county; it remains a geographically distinct municipality within the county.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Columbus, Georgia</span> Consolidated city-county in the United States

Columbus is a consolidated city-county located on the west-central border of the U.S. state of Georgia. Columbus lies on the Chattahoochee River directly across from Phenix City, Alabama. It is the county seat of Muscogee County, with which it officially merged in 1970; the original merger excluded Bibb City, which joined in 2000 after dissolving its own city charter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chattahoochee River</span> River in Georgia, United States

The Chattahoochee River forms the southern half of the Alabama and Georgia border, as well as a portion of the Florida and Georgia border. It is a tributary of the Apalachicola River, a relatively short river formed by the confluence of the Chattahoochee and Flint rivers and emptying from Florida into Apalachicola Bay in the Gulf of Mexico. The Chattahoochee River is about 430 miles (690 km) long. The Chattahoochee, Flint, and Apalachicola rivers together make up the Apalachicola–Chattahoochee–Flint River Basin. The Chattahoochee makes up the largest part of the ACF's drainage basin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downtown Atlanta</span> Central business district of Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Downtown Atlanta is the central business district of Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The largest of the city's three commercial districts, it is the location of many corporate and regional headquarters; city, county, state, and federal government facilities; Georgia State University; sporting venues; and most of Atlanta's tourist attractions. It measures approximately four square miles, and had 26.850 residents as of 2017. Similar to other central business districts in the United States, it has recently undergone a transformation that includes the construction of new condos and lofts, renovation of historic buildings, and arrival of new residents and businesses.

<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 state capital and Ohio's largest city, has numerous neighborhoods within its city limits. Neighborhood names and boundaries are not officially defined. They may vary or change from time to time due to demographic and economic variables.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downtown Paterson</span> Commercial district in Passaic County, New Jersey, US

Downtown Paterson is the main commercial district of Paterson, Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The area is the oldest part of the city, along the banks of the Passaic River and its Great Falls. It is roughly bounded by Interstate 80, Garret Mountain Reservation, Route 19, Oliver Street, and Spruce Street on the south; the Passaic River, West Broadway, Cliff Street, North 3rd Street, Haledon Avenue, and the borough of Prospect Park on the west; and the Passaic River also to the north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Springer Opera House</span> United States historic place

The Springer Opera House is a historic theater at 103 Tenth Street in Downtown Columbus, Georgia. First opened February 21, 1871, the theater was named the State Theatre of Georgia by Governor Jimmy Carter for its 100th anniversary season, a designation made permanent by the 1992 state legislature. The Springer has hosted legendary performers such as Edwin Booth, Oscar Wilde, Ethel Barrymore, Agnes de Mille, and bandleader John Philip Sousa. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 and named a National Historic Landmark in 1978 for its architecture and state of preservation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horace King (architect)</span> American architect (1807–1885)

Horace King was an African-American architect, engineer, and bridge builder. King is considered the most respected bridge builder of the 19th century Deep South, constructing dozens of bridges in Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. King was born into slavery on a South Carolina plantation in 1807. A slave trader sold him to a man who saw something special in Horace King. His owner, John Godwin, taught King to read and write as well as how to build at a time when it was illegal to teach slaves. King worked hard and despite bondage, racial prejudice and a multitude of obstacles, King focused his life on working hard and being a genuinely good man. King built bridges, warehouses, homes, and churches. Horace King became a highly accomplished Master Builder and he emerged from the Civil War as a legislator in the State of Alabama. Affectionately known as Horace “The Bridge Builder” King and the "Prince of Bridge Builders," he also served his community in many important civic capacities."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Highlands Dam</span> Body of water in Georgia, united States

North Highlands Dam is a structure on the Chattahoochee River at the northern edge of the Columbus, Georgia, United States. It is approximately 4.2 miles (6.8 km) north of 9th Avenue in downtown Columbus. The dam was built in 1899 to provide power for the former Bibb City Mill. It was one of the first large dams constructed in the South. The North Highlands Dam was owned by the Columbus Electric and Power Company, until that utility was purchased by Georgia Power in 1930.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">City Mills Dam</span> Dam in Alabama, United States

City Mills Dam was a dam on the Chattahoochee River, between Downtown Columbus, Georgia, and Phenix City, Alabama. The dam was built in 1907 to power the City Mills grist mill. Previously, a wooden dam dating to 1828 had existed at the site. The dam impounded a 1.3-mile (2.1 km) run of the river reservoir of approximately 110 acres (0.45 km2).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eagle & Phenix Dam</span>

The Eagle and Phenix Dam was a stone dam on the Chattahoochee River, in downtown Columbus, Georgia. The dam was built in 1882 to power the Eagle and Phenix Textile Mill. It was located just south of the 13th Street Bridge connecting Columbus to Phenix City, Alabama. The dam produced a 45-acre (18 ha) run of the river reservoir that extended approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) upstream.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MidTown (Columbus, Georgia)</span> Neighborhood in Muscogee, Georgia, United States

Midtown has an area of six square miles in Columbus, Georgia. It possesses residential neighbourhoods, eleven public schools, the Columbus Museum, the Columbus Public Library, the Muscogee County Public Education Center, the Columbus Aquatic Center and the international headquarters for Aflac. The population of Midtown is 22,000 residents living in 8500 households and is 10 kilometres north of Fort Benning on I-185.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Columbus Historic District (Columbus, Georgia)</span> Historic district in Georgia, United States

Columbus Historic District in Columbus, Georgia is a historic district that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1969. Its area was increased in 1988. The original district included 20 city blocks and nine partial city blocks, and was bounded by the Chattahoochee River on the west, Ninth Street on the north, Fourth Avenue on the east, and Fourth Street on the south.

The Shannon Hosiery Mill, Inc. was incorporated in Columbus, GA on November 8, 1938. The one story mill sat on a 5 ½ acre lot 1338 Talbotton Ave in the northeastern side of Columbus. The cost of the buildings and the grounds was around $100,000. It produced silk hosiery for the southeast region of the United States. The first president was N.S. Illges, and vice president was J.P. Illges. Other officers included W.T. Cothran as secretary and treasurer and E.C. Alford as assistant secretary. Shannon Hosiery Mill, Inc. targeted the southeast region. By 1955, J Chadbourn Bolles had become the new president of the mill.

Frederick Roy Duncan, often known as F. Roy Duncan, was an engineer and architect. His architectural practice was based in Columbus, Georgia, where he was born in 1886 and where he is buried.

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Columbus, Georgia, US.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lion House (Columbus, Georgia)</span> Historic house in Georgia, United States

The Lion House, also known as the Hoxey–Cargill House, is a historic building in Columbus, Georgia. The building, located in the High Uptown Historic District, was built in the 1840s and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.

References

  1. "The Ralston". Emporis. Archived from the original on October 16, 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  2. "Buildings in Columbus". Emporis. Retrieved 2 January 2021.[ dead link ]
  3. "All buildings | Buildings". Emporis. Archived from the original on November 2, 2013. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
  4. "Muscogee County Courthouse | Buildings". Columbus /: Emporis. Retrieved August 5, 2013.[ dead link ]
  5. National Register of Historic Places listings in Muscogee County, Georgia
  6. "[Photograph of Illges House, Columbus, Muscogee County, Georgia, ca. 1974]". 2004.
  7. "Built to thrill: 12 crazy man-made adventures". USA Today. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
  8. Blue Heron Adventure
  9. "Uptown Columbus". Archived from the original on 2015-11-18. Retrieved 2015-11-04.
  10. Tornado tears through Downtown

32°28′54″N84°54′35″W / 32.48155°N 84.90985°W / 32.48155; -84.90985