High Street (Columbus, Ohio)

High Street
High Street in the Short North looking north
LocationDelaware and Franklin counties, Ohio
North endColumbus (northern boundary)
South endHamilton Township
East3rd Street
WestWall or Front Street

High Street is a major thoroughfare in Central Ohio, predominantly in Franklin County and Columbus. It stretches from the northern border of Columbus in Delaware County south to the southern boundary of Franklin County just past Columbus's municipal boundaries. The street is considered one of Columbus's two main roads, along with Broad Street.

Route description

[edit]
High St. south from Town St., in Downtown Columbus, Ohio
High St. south from State St., c. 1909-1910

High Street extends north and south far into Ohio, though it is named High Street starting at the northern end of Columbus (in Delaware County). North of this it is U.S. Route 23. Continuing south, the road quickly enters Franklin County and passes through some northerly suburbs in Columbus. The road enters Worthington and Riverlea, two municipalities that are enclaves of Columbus. The street is the primary corridor of Worthington's central business district. High Street resumes in Columbus, going through its Clintonville neighborhood. There it adjusts from running approximately due south to slightly southeast. It continues through Old North Columbus and then the University District, where it also passes by the Ohio State University. Immediately afterward, it enters the Short North Arts District, a historic and shopping district centered around High Street. The road continues into Downtown Columbus. There, the street enters Capitol Square, intersecting with Broad Street, the other main artery of the city.

The square is the cultural center of downtown, and includes the Ohio Statehouse, the state capitol building. High Street continues south out of Downtown through the Brewery District by German Village, and readjusts more south upon entering Merion Village. It continues through a large stretch of the city's South Side, where it terminates just south of the city borders in Hamilton Township, continuing on as U.S. Route 23.[1]

History

[edit]
High Street, running roughly north to south, has always been one of the city's main thoroughfares; the other, Broad Street, runs roughly east to west.

High Street has been one of Columbus's two main corridors since its founding, along with Broad Street, meeting at a 100 percent corner downtown.[2] The street (among other main corridors) was laid out from the city's founding in 1812 into the following year.[3] These streets and the entire grid were laid out 12 degrees off from a north-south and east-west alignment.[4]

High Street is likely named for the high ridge along which it was laid out.[4]

Attributes

[edit]
Aerial view of High Street in the Short North Historic District
High (left) and Third (right) Sts, are the main thoroughfares into the German Village and the Brewery District

Broad Street and High Street both traverse beyond the extent of the city; High Street is the longest in Columbus, running 13.5 mi (21.7 km) (23.4 across the county), while Broad Street is longer across the county, at 25.1 mi (40.4 km).[2] The city's street plan follows a grid pattern with the intersection of Broad and High Streets at its center.[5] The address system begins its numbering at the intersection of Broad and High, with numbers increasing in magnitude with distance from Broad or High, as well as cardinal directions used alongside street names.[6]

The street has a relatively broad width; it was originally laid out to be 100 ft (30 m) wide. Only Broad Street was wider, at 120 feet, while most others were 82.5 feet, and alleys were 33 feet wide.[4]

For public transportation, numerous Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) routes utilize High Street. Routes 2 E Main / N High and 102, and the Night Owl run on a long extent of the street; the 102 is a limited-stop service, while the Night Owl provides late-night service.

Beside the historic landmarks listed below, the street has numerous cultural landmarks and attractions. These include Highbanks Metro Park, the Pontifical College Josephinum, the Newport Music Hall, the Ohio State University, the university's Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, the Greater Columbus Convention Center, the Lazarus Building, and the Franklin County Government Center.

Historical landmarks

[edit]
See also: Columbus Register of Historic Properties and National Register of Historic Places listings in Columbus, Ohio

Buildings on High Street can have one of several types of official landmark designations:

  • The Columbus Register of Historic Properties (CRHP) is the city-wide historic register. The city's Historic Resources Commission and Historic Preservation Office are responsible for identifying and designating its landmarks and the buildings in the city's historic districts.
  • The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance.[7]
  • The National Historic Landmark (NHL) program focuses on places of significance in American history, architecture, engineering, or culture; all NHL sites are also on the NRHP.[8]

Individual landmarks

[edit]

Below is a list of historic sites on High Street, from north to south. Historic districts are not included in this table, but are mentioned in § Historic districts. Buildings within historic districts, but no individual landmark designation, are not included in this table.

Name Image Address City or
neighborhood 		CRHP NRHP Notes
Orange Johnson House Museum 956 High Street Worthington Yes
Worthington Presbyterian Church 773 High Street Worthington Yes
Demas Adams House 721 High Street Worthington Yes
St. John's Episcopal Church 700 High Street Worthington Yes
Kilbourn Commercial Building 679-681 High Street Worthington Yes
Hotel Central 649 High Street Worthington Yes
New England Lodge 634 High Street Worthington Yes
Doctor Longenecker Office Building 633-635 High Street Worthington Yes
Ripley House 623 High Street Worthington Yes
Mark Russell House 5751 N. High Street Riverlea Yes
Northmoor Engine House / Station #19 3601 N. High Street Northmoor
(Clintonville)		 Yes
White Castle Restaurant 2725 N. High Street University District Yes
1379 N. High Street Apartment Building 1379 N. High Street University District Yes
York Lodge No. 563 1276 N. High Street University District Yes
Union Station arcade 370-400 N. High Street Downtown Yes Demolished in 1976, delisted in 1999
Columbia Larrimer Building 161-167 N. High Street Downtown Yes Yes
Atlas Building 8 E. Long Street Downtown Yes
Citizens Savings & Trust Company 51 N. High Street Downtown Yes Also part of a national historic district
Ohio Statehouse 1 Capitol Square Downtown Yes Yes Also a National Historic Landmark
Ohio National Bank 167 S. High Street Downtown Yes
Great Southern Hotel and Theatre 310 S. High Street Downtown Yes Yes Also part of a city and national historic district
Schlee-Kemmler Building 326 S. High Street Downtown Yes Yes Also part of a city and national historic district
Krumm Residence 975-979 S. High Street Brewery District Yes Yes
Dan's Drive-In 1881 S. High Street Merion Village Yes

Historic districts

[edit]

There are numerous historic districts through which High Street passes. Buildings in these districts with individual landmark designations are described in § Individual landmarks. From north to south, the districts are:

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Overview map of Broad Street" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  2. ^ a b Elliott, Susannah (July 28, 2015). "What is the longest, continuously running street in Columbus?". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  3. ^ "Broad Street Bungled Yet Again". Columbus Navigator. April 9, 2019.
  4. ^ a b c "The Start of Broad and High". The Columbus Dispatch. October 14, 1962. p. 163. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  5. ^ Moore, Opha (1930). History of Franklin County Ohio. Topeka-Indianapolis: Historical Publishing Company. p. 127.
  6. ^ Federal Writers' Project employees (1946). The Ohio Guide (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 246. ISBN 9781603540346. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  7. ^ "How to List a Property". National Register of Historic Places (U.S. National Park Service). November 26, 2019. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  8. ^ "Eligibility". National Historic Landmarks (U.S. National Park Service). August 29, 2018. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=High_Street_(Columbus,_Ohio)&oldid=1187870025"