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Ravines
In my book, Clintonville and Beechwold, I stated that there are 4 ravines in Clintonville. Today there are 4, but originally there were, oh, perhaps 6. The area around Richards and Granden—which used to be called Richards Woods, before it was developed—has been filled in; and there is a low lying ravine between Clinton Heights Avenue and East North Broadway, which was also filled in quite a long time ago.
How did I decide?
I’ve received a few questions about how I went about collecting photographs for my Clintonville and Beechwold book—and why I left some subjects out. Here’s my process. I began by identifying and contacting all the churches and schools in Clintonville. Some churches, like Crestview Presbyterian, had no photographs; others did not, for one reason or another, return my calls. I also hung flyers around town requesting photographs, and spoke with local merchants. I notified The Booster, This Week in Clintonville and several alumni newsletters; both newspapers and several newsletters ran articles about my project. I held open scanning sessions at Clintonville Historical Society meetings and at the Whetstone Branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library. I researched history and made lots calls to families and businesses that had a hand in creating Clintonville’s history. And so on…
Clintonville on Registers of Historic Places
These are the Clintonville places that are presently listed on the National Register of Historic Places:
- Berry, Richard Jr., House (Also known as Tomko House)
324 East North Broadway, Columbus - Coe, Truman and Sylvia Bull, House
75 E. Lakeview Ave., Columbus - East North Broadway Historic District
Bounded approximately by Broadway Place (a little to the east of North High) on the west to the railroad tracks on the east - Glen Echo Historic District
Roughly bounded by Glen Echo Ravine, Big Four RR tracks, Indianola Ave., and Hudson St., Columbus - Graham, A.B., House, 159 Clinton Heights Ave., Columbus
- Hamilton, Gilbert H., House
290 Cliffside Dr., Columbus - North High School (Also known as North Adult Education Center High School)
100 Arcadia Ave., Columbus - Old Beechwold Historic District
Roughly bounded by W. Jeffrey Pl., N. High, River Park Dr., and Olentangy Blvd.
(I realize Glen Echo neighborhood and the Gilbert Hamilton house are not quite in Clintonville but they are so close, I included them in this list.)
In addition, the following two places are listed on the Columbus Register of Historic Properties:
- Northmoor Engine House
3601 N. High Street, Columbus - Weisheimer House
286 W. Weisheimer Rd., Columbus
Clintonville in Historical Markers Programs
At present Clintonville has 3 historical markers that are on the Ohio Historical Markers Program.
An additional marker in Clintonville was originally sponsored by the Franklin County Historical Society and recently “adopted” by the Clintonville Historical Society. It has recently been refurbished and returned to its original location on the northeast corner of North Broadway and North High Streets. (In 1971 it was moved from the North Broadway location to a spot near the Clintonville Women’s Club to make way for a gas station at North Broadway & High.) The pictures below show the marker before it was refurbished by the Clintonville Historical Society.
There may be other markers in Clintonville and if so I would love to learn about them.
Wouldn’t it be nice to see more of Clintonville’s history told via these markers? For starters, here is a list of possibilities (in no particular order):
- Site of Olentangy Park
- Site of Olentangy Bowling Alley, reputed to be the first automatic pin-setting machine
- Site of Virginia Gay Home
- Site of old Columbus Zoo
- Clinton Chapel at 3100 North High Street
- Cemetery at Clinton Chapel
- Site of first (original) Clintonville Post Office (see marker above)
- Site of Bill Moose encampment and cabin
- Site of Beers Mill
- Site of Weisheimer Mill
- Site of Wyandot Country Club aka Elks Country Club (now the property of the School for the Deaf)
- Site of old Beechwold Theatre
- Studio 35
- Park of Roses
Applications for the Ohio Historical Markers Program flow through the Ohio History Connection. A 2008 Dispatch article stated that markers cost as much as $2150, and that the Ohio Historical Society’s Marker program provides grants of $750 to 20 proposals each year.
The Clintonville Historical Society has recently launched its own campaign to get more markers on the street. They hope to get funding for 3 markers soon:
- Beechwold/Urban Cottages to be placed on High at Dominion,
- Memory Lane/Post office to be place on High at Orchard, and
- SunwallMoonwall Murals/Dominion Land Co. Mound to be placed on Cooke at Indianola.
They plan to select additional markers based on feedback they receive from the community. Their goal is to install 10 markers in 2016. Plans are to obtain that feedback via a display installed at the Whetstone Library in April or May 2016. People interested in funding a marker should contact the Society by phone 614-657-6854 or email mrodger5@columbus.rr.com.
Wish list for photographs
My wish list for photographs (an ongoing list):
- Bliss College
- Bowling Alley at Graceland
- Broadway Canoe Club
- Capitol Dougnuts
- Clinton League’s tennis courts on Dunedin
- Clintonville Bridge Club
- Clintonville Lumber Company
- Columbus Canoe Club (on Orchard)
- Cyro’s Market
- Ferrill’s at Graceland
- Fleming’s Book Store at Graceland
- Florence Restaurant (advertised in 1927 as being “Clintonville’s Best and Most Popular Eating Place,” at 3274-76 North High)
- Gratziano’s Market
- Hansen’s Bakeries
- Indiaoaka Service Station
- Murry’s, the IGA where Weiland’s Market is today
- Whip’s Vegetable Garden, at 4558 North High Street, at “Mill Road” (Weisheimer Road today)
- Santa arriving at Graceland (on the Friday after Thanksgiving) by helicoptor
Notable people
I had originally planned to include a chapter in my book about notable Clintonville residents. Oddly, I was unable to acquire a balanced set of information about Clintonville’s notables. But here are the names of some of those who were nominated, either renowned for their contribution to Clintonville or because they were renown in their chosen field:
- Armbruster, Mathias (lived at 3100 North High Street where Southwick-Good & Fortkamp Funeral Chapel now stands)
- Barker, Skip, d. 2008
- Breunig, Sarah—civic leader (Glenmont Ave.)
- Dawson, Harold
- Dodge, Mel (201 Girard Ave)
- Dupre, Dallas–landscape architect (whose office was at 3073 North High) who is credited with founding the nation’s system of roadside parks
- Gessaman, Myron–Columbus mayor (he lived at 4206 Fairoaks Avenue and also at 147 Rustic Bridge Road)
- Gillie, William and Catherine
- Gowdy, Harry “Hank” (address listed as 384 Fallis Road)
- Graham, A.B.–founder of 4-H Clubs (lived at 159 Clinton Heights Avenue)
- Herbert, Paul M. (307 Olentangy Blvd.)
- Hollenback, Rand & his son Donal
- Hutchins, Edward F., 1925-2005, Dispatch writer, park director from 1971 – 1990s (5301 North High Street Apt. C)
- Jeffrey, Joseph A.
- Koblentz, Morris
- Koch, Freda Postle–journalist, writer and civic leader (Oakland Park Avenue)
- Marshall, George Sidney, 1869-1956–Columbus mayor
- Martin, James Boyd—architect (East North Broadway)
- Moose, Bill–last of the area’s local Wyandot Indians
- Morrill, Paul–artist
- Murnan, Patrick–owned a horse farm where Graceland Shopping Center now stands
- Nicodemus, Chester–artist (Clinton Heights Avenue)
- Reinhardt, Dana–Columbus mayor
- Rhodes, Jim–Ohio Governor
- Rogers, Carl–psychologist (lived at 4857 Rustic Bridge while a professor at OSU)
- Scott, William H.– president of OSU
- Sensenbrenner, Jack, 1902 – 1991–Columbus mayor
- Shannon, Fred–photographer
- Thomas, Edward Sinclair–naturalist
- Tyack, George E. (69 Croswell Road, in 1960)
There are of course many others and I welcome input on this list
