FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT:
Kathy Mast Kane
Columbus Landmarks Foundation
kmastkane@columbuslandmarks.org
614-221-0227
Columbus Landmarks Foundation Announces Summer Tours
Walking Tours of Columbus “Villages” & Historic Tavern Tour Featured
COLUMBUS, Ohio (July 13, 2010) – Columbus Landmarks Foundation announces its summer tour series featuring six neighborhood walking tours and a historic tavern tour offered on two dates. Led by experts in architecture and Columbus history, tour-goers will discover why it takes many villages (and taverns!) to make a city 198 years old.
Walking Tours
Join us for a pleasant walk through historic “villages” of Columbus. These guided tours last about two hours and cover one to two miles along architecturally interesting and historically significant streets and spaces. Tickets are $7 for members/$15 for non-members and can be purchased online at www.columbuslandmarks.org or by calling 614-221-4508.
Hungarian Village
Saturday, July 24, 10 a.m. – 12 noon
Meeting Place: Hungarian Reformed Church, 365 Woodrow
Hungarian Village in Columbus? Yes, and it has been there many decades as a neighborhood destination and port of entry for many people—Central and Eastern Europeans, Appalachian families, industrialists, farmers, ancestors of Presidents, Irish, shopkeepers and steel workers, Native Americans, African Americans, craftsmen, as well as pioneer families with very familiar names. Modest homes, churches and architecture with “back stories” make up the neighborhood of Hungarian Village and the area once well-known as Steelton. The walking tour begins on the front steps of the Hungarian Reformed Church, 365 Woodrow (off Parsons Avenue), and will conclude there just as the annual Hungarian Village Society picnic is scheduled to begin. Delicious food will be available for sale from the Hungarian Cultural Association.
Old North Columbus
Sunday, July 25, 2 – 4 p.m.
Meeting Place: 100 Arcadia Ave.
The hidden village right before your eyes on North High Street. North Columbus was a separate and thriving town from the 1830s (platted 1842) until it was annexed into Columbus in the late 19th century. Though street names had to change (there were already First, Second, Third, and Fourth Streets in Columbus), surprisingly, many buildings and pockets of the neighborhood did not. You will learn where Union troops and generals (including a very famous one) strolled about, see 100 years of architectural styles, and about the famous contemporary families in Columbus that have roots in this amazing neighborhood, which has been nominated to the National Register of Historic Places. Meet at 100 Arcadia Avenue in the parking lot of the former North High School.
Evanston
Saturday, August 14, 10 a.m. – 12 noon
Meeting Place: Starbucks, 3416 N. High St.
You may have noticed that not all streets in Clintonville look alike—one of the most strikingly different streets is East North Broadway—but do you know why? Find out the surprising origins of this street of spectacular architectural residences, which has been nominated to the National Register of Historic Places. Remember that even though the walk is uphill, the walk back will be downhill. Meet at the northwest corner of North High and East North Broadway at the Starbucks.

Westgate and Camp Chase
Sunday, August 15, 2 – 4 p.m.
Meeting Place: Camp Chase Confederate Cemetery, 2900 Sullivant Ave.
From its roots in the Civil War and the farm lands off the old National Road, the Westgate community can trace its interesting history not only from the large Confederate cemetery that marks where Camp Chase once stood, but also to the earliest days of Columbus through families, religious institutions and amazing history. Tree-lined streets and early 20th-century residential architecture make this neighborhood one of the most charming in Columbus. Meet at the entrance to Camp Chase cemetery on Sullivant Avenue, just west of Hague Avenue and the “historic” Dairy Twist.
Italian Village
Saturday, August 28, 10 a.m. – 12 noon
Meeting Place: Union Station Mural, 630 North High St.
Why does the neighborhood architecture behind one side of North High Street look so different from the architecture on the other side? How did Italian Village come to have its distinct architecture and was it influenced by Italians? Developed early by a variety of ethnic groups, heavily influenced by its adjacent industrial neighbors, and held together by an active community, Italian Village’s interesting heritage and architecture is revealed by an expert. You may have seen the WOSU documentary on the Short North, now experience the neighborhood. Meet at the Union Station mural on the east side of North High, just north of the “Cap.”
Sellsville
Sunday, August 29, 2 – 4 p.m.
Meeting Place: Cup O’ Joe, 1791 Olentangy Blvd.
Many people do not realize that the west side of Olentangy River Road, near King Avenue, Fifth Avenue and Kinnear Road, once had several thriving small communities. One of these was Sellsville, which can still be discerned in a few areas., It took its name from the Sells Brothers Circus, which wintered here starting in the late 19th century. The remaining architecture fits a community with a variety of past lives—a county infirmary, saloons, greenhouses, truck farms, circus people, and an early racially integrated neighborhood—though it might be best noted now for its proximity to the Lennox shopping center and the now-gone Jai Lai restaurant. Meet at the front of the Cup of Joe’s at the Lennox Center.
Historic Tavern Tour, Part 2
Thursday, August 19, 6 – 9 p.m.
Thursday, August 26, 6 – 9 p.m.
Meeting Place: Columbus Maennerchor, 966 S. High St.
Our popular Historic Tavern Tour by bus returns! Having explored some of the earliest architectural watering holes of downtown Columbus in the spring, our second tour will take us into three drinking establishments influenced by Columbus’s two largest 19th century immigrant populations—the Irish and the Germans. The Flatiron, the Hey Hey, and the Columbus Maennerchor will be featured for their architecture and historical context. We will stop at each location so participants can purchase “liquid assets” while we spin stories. A driving narration of the Brewery District is included. Reservations are a must and seats are limited. Tickets are $15 per person.
About Columbus Landmarks
Established in 1977, Columbus Landmarks is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to preserving and celebrating Columbus’ architectural legacy. Columbus Landmarks encourages community action in historic preservation and quality design of the built environment throughout central Ohio. Our members are individuals who both cherish the past and embrace the future, and include a dynamic array of residents living in historic neighborhoods, architects, developers, land-use planners, leaders in the government and business sectors, and investors. For more information please visit www.columbuslandmarks.org.
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