Franklin Park is a neighborhood located on the
Near East Side of
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...
. Both the historic neighborhood and landmark, the
Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, are named after
the 88-acre park.
History
Development in Franklin Park began in the 1850s and continued through the 1880s. The neighborhood was home to the Franklin County Fairgrounds for 30 years before it became the recreational park that it is today.
The first known residential area of Columbus lies within the present day neighborhood. The small addition, consisting of three to six blocks, was referred to as "Franklin Park Place". The borders were Franklin Park South (known as Fair Ave) to the north, Bryden Road to the south, the train tracks to the east, and Fairwood Avenue to the west. As one can see from the source, the Franklin Park area consisted of many different subdivisions and additions whose names eventually merged as "Franklin Park."
The development of Franklin Park brought in both the working class and the wealthy. The neighborhood is a mix of both larger mansions and smaller, modest homes. The 1930s were a transitional zone between the fast-paced city life of downtown and the countryside beyond
Alum Creek. Up to the 1940s, the streetcar became more common followed by people typically owning their own automobiles. As this became a popular commodity, people would take their Sunday drives on the 1.2 mile loop that circles Franklin park. Not only was Franklin Park a community neighborhood, but people would also come to Franklin Park to drive for leisure, race their automobiles, and picnic with their families.
Geography
![Fpgarden](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/Fpgarden.JPG)
This neighborhood is bounded by East Broad Street to the north, East Main Street to the south, and Wilson Avenue to the west.
The Alum Creek tributary separates the Franklin Park neighborhood from the City of
Bexley
Bexley is an area of south-eastern Greater London, England and part of the London Borough of Bexley. It is sometimes known as Bexley Village or Old Bexley to differentiate the area from the wider borough. It is located east-southeast of Char ...
and the area originally known as the "Wolfe Addition to Franklin Park," which is known in modern times as the Wolfe Park neighborhood.
Franklin Park is surrounded on the north by the other Near East neighborhoods of Eastgate, Nelson Park,
Woodland Park, Eastwood Heights, and Bronzeville/King-Lincoln. To the south are Hanford Village, Driving Park, and Old Oaks, which are both considered to be Columbus' Near South.
Olde Towne East
Olde Towne East is a neighborhood located in the historical Near East Side of Columbus, Ohio and is one of Columbus' oldest neighborhoods. The area has over 1,000 homes, some as old as the 1830s, and more than 50 architectural styles as a resul ...
is another Near East Side neighborhood that is situated between the Discovery and Market Districts of downtown Columbus and the Franklin Park neighborhood. A Google Map shows the general location of the Neighborhoods of Columbus' Near East and Near South neighborhoods (without boundaries depicted).
The contemporary boundaries of Franklin Park have been disputed since the early 2000s and vary depending on the source. The general consensus would include the boundaries of Broad Street to the north, Main Street to the south, and
Alum Creek to the east. The neighborhood's boundary to the west tends to be disputed with Olde Towne East. While some sources claim the boundary between the two neighborhoods to be Wilson Ave, other sources claim Olde Towne East follows a staggered boundary past Wilson Ave.
The Bryden Road Historic District bisects both Franklin Park and
Olde Towne East
Olde Towne East is a neighborhood located in the historical Near East Side of Columbus, Ohio and is one of Columbus' oldest neighborhoods. The area has over 1,000 homes, some as old as the 1830s, and more than 50 architectural styles as a resul ...
. Franklin Park is primarily zoned residential. Franklin Park includes many single family homes, with duplexes, row-houses, and apartment buildings. There are small pockets of the neighborhood zoned for institutional and commercial uses. These occur primarily along E Main St and Kelton Ave. In addition, the far southeast corner of the neighborhood, known as the Holtzman-Main business corridor situated along the Alum Creek tributary, is completely zoned for industrial and commercial zones.
Demographics
According to Onboard Informatics, the median age in Franklin Park is 34 years old and the median household income is $22,820. The largest portion of demographics in Franklin Park are single parents.
A good amount of Franklin Park's population are long-term residents, residing in Franklin Park for at least 5 years.
Civic engagement
The Franklin Park Civic Association is the oldest organization in the Near East, with formal corporate representation for the Franklin Park neighborhood that is well-documented by articles of incorporation filed with office of the Ohio Secretary of State. Initially, the organization included boundaries that covered most of the territory that comprises the Near East Side!
On April 15, 1965, the Franklin Park Area Council (the neighborhood's earliest registered corporation) was recorded as a nonprofit corporation in the State of Ohio. The first president was Margaret E. Day, with Coleridge O. Jones, Jr., and Napoleon A. Bell being the other corporation officers.
The second corporation was founded in 1974 as the Franklin Park Area Improvement Association, and in 1997 was renamed as the Franklin Park Area Association.
Ted Brown, Secretary of State, certified the formation of the Franklin Park Area Improvement Association as a community improvement corporation in the State of Ohio. The filings were submitted on February 28, 1974, by William H. Stewart (Chairman) and Albert A. Copeland (Statutory Agent), with other trustees being Louise R. Jones, James C. Shivers, and Robert E. Short who met at 1885 Bryden Road to form the corporation.
At the September 25, 2012 meeting of the Association, the General Membership unanimously ratified a change of name to the Franklin Park Civic Association, Inc. Amended articles of incorporation were filed and recorded with the Ohio Secretary of State in April 2013.
Jingle Mingle (now known as the Mingle)
The Jingle Mingle was the annual holiday celebration of the Franklin Park Civic Association. Held in the John F. Wolfe Palm House of the Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, the 2012-2014 events were co-hosted with the Olde Town East Neighborhood Association (OTENA) Prior to 2017, the event has taken place in early December and has traditionally been a neighborhood holiday potluck. Although FPCA began using "The Jingle Mingle" term in 2012, the civic association has hosted an early December neighborhood gathering at the Franklin Park Conservatory for many years. During the renovations of the Conservatory to host Ameriflora '92, the holiday event was held at East High School. Since 2019, The Association has held the Jingle Mingle in early January, alleviating conflicts with the most hectic time of the holiday party season.
Since 2011, and now concurrent to the Jingle Mingle, the Franklin Park Civic Association conducts an annual Holiday Raffle and Silent Auction, which are fundraising events for the organization. The December 13, 2015 Jingle Mingle hosted a diverse group of approximately 160 guests from across all of the neighborhoods of Columbus' Near East Side. In addition to gathering to celebrate community and the holidays, drives for the needy are included. Since 2015, the "Socks Wear Out" drive has encouraged attendees to donate personal care items and toiletries, with a special focus to bring new packages of socks as the item most quickly worn out by the homeless.
In 2022, The Mingle was held on the Community Garden Campu
in Franklin Park. Pictures and the program from this event can be found on th
websiteof the Franklin Park Civic Association.
Education and schools
A+ Arts Academy is a private charter school which opened at 1395 Fair Avenue in the historic building previously known as Fair Avenue Alternative Elementary School and in the late 19th and early 20th century as Fair Avenue Public School.
Columbus City Preparatory School for Girls, formerly known as Franklin Alternative Junior High School as well as Franklin Junior High School, is located on a parcel sitting between Bryden Road and Oak Street with a present-day address of 1390 Bryden Road. Another Building known previously as the Theresa Dowd School, as well as Franklin Junior High School, is also situated on the modern day address however, that building fronts Oak Street on the north. That building is currently used only as storage.
Historically, two notable Columbus Schools had original locations within what in the present day is known as the Franklin Park neighborhood. East High School was originally located on the site known in the present as 1390 Bryden Road. The original school was razed to build an earlier incarnation of Franklin Junior High School at 1390 Franklin Avenue. That building was razed to build the present day modernist structure (circa 1970) now ridiculed by many as out of character with the historic structures of the surrounding community.
The other notable school with early beginnings in the present day Franklin Park neighborhood is
Columbus Academy
Columbus Academy (CA) is a selective, independent college-University-preparatory school, preparatory school for students from pre-kindergarten to twelfth grade. The school is located on a large, secluded campus surrounded by wooded areas in Gahann ...
. The school sat along the Alum Creek tributary at Franklin Park South and Nelson Road. The building was destroyed by fire in the early 1980s after opening at its new location in Gahanna, Ohio.
The neighborhood is currently in the
East High School attendance area in the
Columbus City Schools District.
Recreation and parks
Franklin Park
Franklin Park is a landmark for both the neighborhood and the
Near East Side. The park encompasses 88 acres filled with several ponds, an amphitheater, terraced waterfalls, a community garden, an Asian-themed garden, a picnic shelter, and playgrounds. The
Franklin Park Conservatory
Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is a botanical garden and conservatory located in Columbus, Ohio. It is open daily and an admission fee is charged. Today, it is a horticultural and educational institution showcasing exotic plant ...
and Botanical Gardens also lies within the park, a landmark of the neighborhood and the City of Columbus. Franklin Park is home to twenty one cherry trees gifted from Japan to represent
Japanese community of Columbus, Ohio
There is a Japanese community in the Columbus, Ohio area.
The presence of Honda Motor Company and related suppliers attracted a population of Japanese expatriates to the Columbus area. In 2011 Bill Daley of the ''Chicago Tribune'' stated that " ...
. Twenty of the trees are being kept inside the conservatory's greenhouse before being transplanted outside. The remaining older tree was planted along one of the lakes in Franklin Park on April 27, 2012. The occasion marked the 100 year anniversary of the original Japanese gift, thousands of cherry blossom trees sent from Tokyo to Washington, D.C. “Honda is one of the most-important employers in central Ohio, so there’s a strong connection with Japan,” said Bruce Harkey, a former Honda employee and the Franklin Park Conservatory's executive director.
Rainbow Park
The lot commonly known as "Rainbow Park" is located on the southeast corner of Oak Street and Kelton Avenue. The parcel (010-138164) is zoned R3, H35 (residential) and is private property. Prior to 2002, the property was owned by Columbus & Southern Ohio Electric Company.
Playgrounds
Franklin Park and the Kwanzaa Playground at English Park.
Religion
Franklin Park is home to a variety of churches, temples, and mosques. The following is a list of a few of the neighborhood's places of worship:
*Meredith Temple Church of God in Christ- on Chapel St.
*Gospel Lighthouse Church
*Hope Christian Church
*Muslim Community Center
*Love Zion Baptist Church.
Settlement houses and social services
Nationwide Children's Hospital
Nationwide Children's Hospital (formerly Columbus Children's Hospital) is a nationally ranked pediatric acute care teaching hospital located in the Southern Orchards neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio, Columbus, Ohio. The hospital has 673 pediatric be ...
(formerly Columbus Children's Hospital) was established in the 1880s located at the Corner of Franklin Park West/Miller Avenue and Franklin Park South/Fair Avenue. The location is now the site of the Park Plaza apartments.
Structures and landmarks
Cleo Dumaree Recreational Center
Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
![Franklin Park Conservatory, Columbus, OH](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/Franklin_Park_Conservatory%2C_Columbus%2C_OH.jpg)
The
Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is a landmark structure on the
National Register of Historic Places
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 or "great artistic v ...
. It is situated on the 88-acre Franklin Park just two miles east of downtown Columbus. Built in 1895, the original conservatory stills stands after many expansions to the site. It is now called the John F. Wolfe Palm House, and houses 43 species of palms from around the world. The Fiddle-leaf Fig in the palm house is one of the oldest remaining plants in the conservatory. Architect J.M. Freese was inspired to build the Victorian greenhouse after the success of the Chicago
World's Columbian Exposition
The World's Columbian Exposition (also known as the Chicago World's Fair) was a world's fair held in Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordi ...
of 1893. He drew inspiration from the
City Beautiful
The City Beautiful Movement was a reform philosophy of North American architecture and urban planning that flourished during the 1890s and 1900s with the intent of introducing beautification and monumental grandeur in cities. It was a part of the ...
movement and also from London's
Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace may refer to:
Places Canada
* Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick
* Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario
* Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition building ...
, taking after its ornate, Victorian style.
In the 1930s, the Wolfe Family, better known as the owners of
The Columbus Dispatch
''The Columbus Dispatch'' is a daily newspaper based in Columbus, Ohio. Its first issue was published on July 1, 1871, and it has been the only mainstream daily newspaper in the city since ''The Columbus Citizen-Journal'' ceased publication in 19 ...
, bought exotic animals for the
Columbus Zoo
The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is a non-profit zoo located near Powell in Liberty Township, Delaware County, Ohio, United States, north of the city of Columbus. The land lies along the eastern banks of the O'Shaughnessy Reservoir on the Sciot ...
. The original site of the zoo was located in
Clintonville, within the old
Olentangy Park
Olentangy Park was a trolley park, a type of amusement park, in Clintonville, Columbus, Ohio, operating from 1880 to 1937.
Location
Olentangy Park was located in what is now the southwest corner of Clintonville. The park boundaries on its west ...
along the
Olentangy River
The Olentangy River is a tributary of the Scioto River in Ohio, United States.
History
It was originally called ''keenhongsheconsepung'', a Delaware word literally translated as "sharp tool river", based on the shale found along its shores. ...
. Structures to hold these animals were not quite ready when the Wolfe Family had purchased the exotic animals, so they were temporarily held at the conservatory. To this day, on some of the windows of the Palm House, one can still see the remains of bars on the windows where the animals were once held.
Franklin Park and the Conservatory became the host site for
AmeriFlora '92, a six-month international horticulture exposition. Renovation of the historic Palm House and a $14-million expansion began in 1989. The additions totaled 58,000 square feet and included expanded plant collections, classrooms, a library, gift shop, café, and administrative offices. After Ameriflora Ohio Legislature created the Franklin Park Conservatory Joint Recreation District to uphold management of the conservatory and surrounding acres by a new 10-member board of trustees and an executive director.
Trolley District
![New East Market](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/New_East_Market.jpg)
The landmark complex of historic buildings making up the
Trolley District
The Trolley District is a mixed-use complex in Columbus, Ohio. The site houses the East Market, a public market and food hall, as well as two bars, and will also include restaurants, a brewery, and event space, with neighboring apartments. The p ...
are situated at the heart of the Franklin Park neighborhood on more than 3 acres. The site includes the East Market food hall and marketplace, as well as several bars and other planned businesses. The six brick buildings at the trolley-barn site were built between 1880 and 1920.
The landmark was purchased in 2014 by a developer with plans for a mixed use facility in the future preserving the historic structures of the complex). In 2014, the tracks from the maintenance shop to Oak Street still remained; however, they were removed by the owner of the property to safeguard their preservation.
Royal York Apartments
The 1920s
Art Deco
Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...
style apartments were built in 1937 by architect
Howard Dwight Smith
Howard Dwight Smith (February 21, 1886 – April 27, 1958) was an architect most known for his designs of Ohio Stadium (completed in 1922) for which he was awarded the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal for Public Building Design.
E ...
who is well known for his designs of the
Ohio Stadium
Ohio Stadium is an American football stadium in Columbus, Ohio, on the campus of Ohio State University. It primarily serves as the home venue of the Ohio State Buckeyes football team and is also the site for the university's Spring Commencement c ...
. This eight story
Modernist
Modernism is both a philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new forms of art, philosophy, an ...
apartment building is the tallest building in the neighborhood.
Dining
Considering Franklin Park is historically a neighborhood consisting of mostly residential, there are only a few restaurants or fast food chains located in the area. Located in the Conservatory is the Garden Café.
Entertainment
Asian Festival
Despite the low concentration of Asian residents, the Franklin Park area hosts several attractions tied to the culture of Asian countries and history of Asian-Americans. The neighborhood and park have been home to the annual 'Asian Festival' since 1995. The festival attracts over 100,000 people from around Columbus, the state of Ohio, and beyond.
Historic house tours
Although homes in the Franklin Park neighborhood had been included in the Olde Towne East Neighborhood Association (OTENA) Tour of Historic Homes before, in 2013, OTENA invited the Franklin Park Civic Association to endorse a showcase of their neighborhood by presenting the first Summer Tour of Historic Homes to feature homes exclusively located outside of their neighborhood. The entire tour was devoted to the homes fronting 88 acre Franklin Park and the Conservatory. The tour began on the grounds of the Franklin Park Conservatory in the_
Scotts_Miracle-Gro
Scotts LawnService was a subdivision of The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, an United States, American multinational corporation headquartered in Marysville, Ohio.
History and overview
Scotts LawnService was founded in 1998, with the acquisition of E ...
Community Garden Campus, with the first stop being the recently restored "Caretaker's Cottage". In addition to serving as a neighborhood resource center and meeting space, the Caretaker's Cottage is home to the American Community Gardening Association. As followup to the Tour, it was revealed that the 2013 Tour of Historic Homes had been the most highly attended tour to date.
In 2018, the Olde Towne East Tour of Historic Homes returned to the Franklin Park neighborhood, this time going further into the neighborhood, unlike the 2013 Tour, which was devoted to homes that were directly across from Franklin Park.
All proceeds of the 2013 and 2018 OTENA Tour of Historic Homes went to the benefit of the Olde Towne East Neighborhood Association (OTENA).
Transportation
Franklin Park was home of the Columbus Railway, Power and Light Co. in 1904. From 1888 to 1948, an experimental electric streetcar ran from Chittenden Avenue to the Fairgrounds that were once located in Franklin Park. This was the beginning of public transportation. In 2009, there was a proposed plan to bring a modern version of the
Columbus Streetcar
The Columbus Streetcar was a proposed streetcar system to be located in and around Downtown Columbus, Ohio. Initially planned to run along High Street, the line would have run for and connected the Ohio State campus with the Franklin County Gover ...
back.
Today,
COTA (Central Ohio Transit Authority) operates three bus routes through the Franklin Park area. Route 2 runs along E Main St, Route 10 runs along E Broad St, and Route 11 runs along Bryden Rd.
The Alum Creek Multi-use Trail or
The Ohio to Erie Trail is an important trail that runs through Franklin Park. This trail travels along one of the city's river corridors.
Notable people
*
Davey Moore, featherweight champion boxer. Lived at 1683 Franklin Park South from 1961 until his death.
[Historical parcel sheets for property transfers. Franklin County Auditor.]
*
Frank Packard
Frank L. Packard (June 11, 1866 October 26, 1923) was a prominent architect in Ohio. Many of his works were under the firm Yost & Packard, a company co-owned by Joseph W. Yost.
Life and career
Frank Lucius Packard was born June 11, 1866 in ...
, architect who built the Fair Avenue School on Fair Avenue, and lived on Franklin Park South
Eldon Ward was an outstanding athlete at East High School, became owner the family business in 1945. Under his leadership, E. E. Ward Moving & Storage was decorated with numerous awards, including being named the oldest continuously owned, minority-owned business in the United States. Ward earned the YMCA Service Award, the George Meaney Award, Jefferson Award, and the Defense Construction Supply Center Black History Award, along with dozens of other awards.
Bill Moss was an elected official, community leader, and one-time music impresario in the Central Ohio area, and was recognized nationally for his efforts concerning educational matters and practices.
Anne B. Walkerworked as a radio host, journalist, editor and columnist in Columbus for decades. She is a woman of many firsts: the first woman in broadcast management at WLWC-TV in Columbus, the very first female broadcaster to report on the Ohio legislature, and the first black woman from Franklin County given a White House appointment.
See also
*
Charles Frederick Myers house
*
Near East Side
*
Neighborhoods in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio, 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 e ...
References
External links
Franklin Park Civic Association
{{Columbus, Ohio
*
Neighborhoods in Columbus, Ohio