High Street history, it's all in the details

Sometimes you have to look hard to find those little details that clue you into the past around you. I wonder how many people have noticed this Caduceus hidden under an awning at the building on the corner of Buttles and High (717 N. High St)? Was this building originally a medical practice, a pharmacy, or (a much cooler word) apothecary? Stonework like this you'll never find in modern builds. It's details like this that fuel my love for historic buildings, knowing that this type of detailing just doesn't happen any more.

Finding cool little details like this can be quite the treasure hunt. A landlord/business owner has my undying support if they choose to preserve historical tin ceilings. This ceiling is beautifully preserved in the National Jean Company store:



A bar or restaurant could not have a cozier ambiance if not for original wood work and tin ceilings. This is the ceiling at Marcella's, which I quickly snapped and then walked out without meeting the disapproving stares of the staff:



Visitors to the Short North today are awarded with a humming cultural hub of shops, restaurants, art galleries and night life. Gentrification has saved this neighborhood from it's seedier past. The suburban flight of the 1960's and 1970's left this historic in disrepair, overridden with crime. I still won't walk through Goodale Park at night by myself now, but I can imagine that 20 years ago to do so you would be risking your life. My parents moved into the neighborhood in the early 80's, when housing prices were cheap and the neighborhood was in the early stages of it's 20-year revitalization. My father's carpentry skills personally contributed to the renovation of many houses in the neighborhood, but that's another post :)




The art galleries were what saved the Short North. In the early 80's, local Art Galleries created the Gallery Hop to bring customers into the neighborhood who wouldn't normally set foot in a neighborhood overrun by drugs and prostitution. For over 25 years, the first Saturday of each month the art galleries continue to keep their doors open for hundreds of visitors. An evening at the hop will treat you to a plethora of people watching, art viewing, yummy food, and maybe even some street musicians and break-dancers.

For the last 3 years, an awesome event has come to the Short North in October. The Highball Halloween party closes down several blocks on High St., creating the best street party in Columbus.



I can't talk about the Short North without mentioning the arches. Today's arches were built in 2002 the replicate the wooden arches built in 1888 to illuminate the street and late provided the electricity for streetcars. This photo is from my college days when I fancied myself quite the artistic photographer.



This photo below is from the early 1900's. How amazing that this image is timeless, only the absence of cars clues you into the time period:



As to not commit any further copyright violation, this link is a great resource for photographs of historical Columbus.

The Short North's official website offers further information on walking tours here.

The Short North has plenty of delightful places to stop and re-fuel for your walking tour, including MoJoe lounge. Located in the "Cap", I've only recently been able to enter this collection of shops and restaurnts without the overwhelming fear of the bridge collapsing underneath me onto the freeway below.





The cap is an ingeniously designed strip of buildings on highway overpass, providing a functional and aesthetically pleasing connection between the Short North and downtown. Built in 2002, it's design is reminiscent of Union Station, a railway station from 1897 (the land currently occupied by the convention center). The main arch from the original station was thankfully preserved, and is now a few blocks away in the Arena District (photo featured in this blog's header).

They don't make 'em like this anymore, do they?

When entertaining out-of-town guests, bringing them to the Short North is sure to impress upon them how fun and cosmopolitan our little city in the heartland can be. As for you residents, a self-guided walking tour can offer a free afternoon's worth of entertainment. When you stop for a beer or cup of coffee (which I highly recommend rather than rudely darting in and out of establishments taking photos like I've been doing recently), stop for a moment and look up and around you, and you might spot some little treasures of the past.

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Following-up on my last post, I found another photograph circa 1984 of the old playground equipment in Goodale Park. Being the youngest, I was quite the brat. With that precedence, I'm glad my parents chose instead to document history rather than comfort my 2-year old self, whom I'm sure was crying for no good reason :)