Woodland Park is a residential neighborhood located in the
Near East Side of
Columbus, Ohio that houses approximately 1,500 residents.
The neighborhood was previously home to such figures as artist
Emerson Burkhart, cartoonist
Billy Ireland, and judge William Brooks.
Established in the early 20th century, Woodland Park has grown from its planned neighborhood roots into a neighborhood that contains various faith communities, schools, sources of entertainment and recreation, and borders an extension of the
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best publ ...
medical center.
History
![Woodland Park Ad from the Columbus Dispatch 1904](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/Woodland_Park_Ad_from_the_Columbus_Dispatch_1904.jpg)
Woodland Park, one of Columbus’ first planned neighborhoods, is named for Woodland Avenue and the Woodland Park Addition. Woodland Park Addition is a subdivision that can be identified as early as 1899. The first homes in the area were built in the mid-1890s. At the center of Woodland Park Addition is Hawthorne Park bounded by Hawthorne Park Road. Development of Woodland Park Addition was limited and located primarily along Long Street and Woodland Ave.
An advertisement in 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 ...
on June 26, 1904 boasted the amenities offered in the neighborhood; "We give you paved streets, cement sidewalks, water, gas, sewerage, electric lights, plenty of fine forest trees and one of the best school districts in the city. Woodland Park Addition has the advantage of three electric car lines by which you can reach High Street in fifteen minutes."
Throughout the 20th century, owners motivated by racism put restrictions in deeds preventing those of African descent from purchasing homes. However, these restrictions eventually became irrelevant, as wealthy African American professionals and musicians could pay the sellers overwhelming amounts of money for said homes.
Wexner Heritage Village can cite its beginnings back to Woodland Park.
In an interview conducted by the Columbus Jewish Historical Society, Annette Tanenbaum notes that the Heritage House was located on Woodland Avenue near Long Street. She adds that it was the first facility in Columbus dedicated to taking care of elderly Jewish people.
Heritage House was built in 1951.
Today the Wexner Heritage Village continues to provide elderly care to people in the Jewish community.
Geography
Woodland Park is located within the
Near East Side of
Columbus, Ohio. It is a centrally located neighborhood and two miles away from Downtown Columbus. It is also under the jurisdiction of the Near East Side Area Commission.
The boundaries of the Woodland Park Addition are Clifton Avenue to the north, Long Street to the south, Woodland Avenue to the east and Parkwood Avenue (formerly Mulberry Street) to the west. Over time, recognized boundaries of the neighborhood expanded, and the modern boundaries are I-670 or Maryland Avenue to the North, Broad Street to the south, the Norfolk and Western Railroad to the east, and Taylor Avenue to the west.
Woodland Park is adjacent to the neighborhoods of Shepard to the north, Franklin Park to the south, Eastgate to the east, and King-Lincoln Bronzeville and Mount Vernon to the west. Portions of Woodland Park also overlap with Eastwood Heights.
Landmarks
![Columbus Metropolitan Library Wodland Park Branch](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/Columbus_Metropolitan_Library_Wodland_Park_Branch.jpg)
Woodland Park includes a stretch of Broad Street that is included in the
East Broad Street Historic District. East Broad Street contains multiple structures that were constructed in the early 1900s, with 88% being residential in nature. These structures represent the height of Broad Street's development.
Other landmarks include the following:
*
East High School
*
The Mansion Day School
*
Park Towers
*
Emerson Burkhart Home Emerson may refer to:
People
* Emerson (surname), a surname (and list of people with that name)
* Emerson (given name), a given name (and list of people with that name)
Places Australia
* Emerson Crossing, a place in Adelaide
Canada
* Emerson, ...
*
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 ...
*
Martin Luther King Branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library
*
Eldon and Elsie Ward YMCA Eldon may refer to:
Places Australia
* Eldon Range, Tasmania, a mountain range
Canada
* Eldon, Alberta, a locality
* Eldon Parish, New Brunswick
* Eldon Township, Ontario, a former municipality
* Eldon, Ontario, a former railway stop
* Eldon, ...
Transportation
Woodland Park's southern boundary, Broad Street, is notable because of its history as the
National Road
The National Road (also known as the Cumberland Road) was the first major improved highway in the United States built by the federal government. Built between 1811 and 1837, the road connected the Potomac and Ohio Rivers and was a main tran ...
. Woodland Park’s eastern boundary, the
Norfolk and Southern Railroad
Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North ...
, is notable as well. Originally constructed as the Scioto Valley Railroad, and later operated as the Ohio Subdivision of the Norfolk and Southern Railroad. The railroad terminated about a mile and a half, or less, north of Fifth Avenue in the modern day Americrest neighborhood.
The neighborhood once had a
streetcar
A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport a ...
line that connected it with downtown. The streetcar went east-to-west along Long Street, and turned north-to-south to connect Long to Broad Street, and to the north side of
Franklin Park. The Streetcar began service prior to 1905 in ceased operations shortly after 1940. Additionally, there are 10
Central Ohio Transit Authority
The Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA ) is a public transit agency serving the Columbus metropolitan area, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. It operates fixed-route buses, bus rapid transit, microtransit, and paratransit services.
COTA's hea ...
, or COTA, bus stops in the neighborhood with access to the No. 6, the "Sullivant" route, and No. 10, the "East Broad Street” route. Other COTA routes include the No. 16 and No. 81 routes.
Residential
Demographics
Demographically, the primary residents of Woodland Park are African Americans with the second most residents classifying themselves as White. Median household income in Woodland Park is slightly below the median income of Columbus, measuring at $24,568 in 2011. Accordingly, median rent in the neighborhood measured at $456 per month in 2011 also. The median age of men and women in Woodland Park is 35, with an average of 2.1 people per household.
Architecture
The residential area of Woodland Park can be described as a variety of houses with different architecture styles. It is made up of large homes and mansions, town-homes, bungalows, and apartments.
Architecture styles of Woodland Park homes range from
Queen Anne,
Tudor,
Greek Revival
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement which began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe and the United States and Canada, but a ...
,
Cape Cod
Cape Cod is a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of mainland Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer mont ...
,
Colonial Revival
The Colonial Revival architectural style seeks to revive elements of American colonial architecture.
The beginnings of the Colonial Revival style are often attributed to the Centennial Exhibition of 1876, which reawakened Americans to the archit ...
and
Dutch Colonial
Dutch Colonial is a style of domestic architecture, primarily characterized by gambrel roofs having curved eaves along the length of the house. Modern versions built in the early 20th century are more accurately referred to as "Dutch Colonial Re ...
styles.
Woodland Park is home to a
Lustron Home that was built in 1950 at 1818 East Long Street. The home is a Westchester Deluxe model. The Lustron Corporation of Columbus built these prefabricated homes after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
to meet housing shortages.
Park Towers
Park Towers is a collection of condominiums found at 1620 East Broad Street in the Woodland Park neighborhood. The structure was built in the early 1960s. Park Towers includes office suites on the first floor and 141 private residences available for purchase on the remaining floors. Common areas of the Park Towers building include a lobby, exercise facility, and community garden for residents.
Emerson Burkhart home
Artist
Emerson Burkhart moved to Woodland Park in the mid 20th century and resided at 223 Woodland Avenue until his death in 1969. Annually
Burkhart opened his Woodland Avenue home to the public for an open house art show. Thousands of people visited the 22 room home to view the artist's pieces and his home.
Religion
The largely residential neighborhood boasts several churches, including the Saint Phillip Lutheran Church, Ashbury United Methodist Church, United House of Prayer, and the Jerusalem Tabernacle Baptist Church.
The St. Philip Episcopal Church held its first service in 1891 on the corner of Cleveland Avenue and Naughten Street in downtown Columbus, Ohio. In 1962 the church was relocated to Woodland Park at 166 Woodland Ave. The church continues to congregate in Woodland Park.
In addition to serving its community in a religious role, Woodland Christian Church serves the community in a political role. The church's website claims that it values justice and provides residents such resources as the opportunity to register to vote, election information, and encourages political organization through its Political Action Team.
Education
Mansion Day School
![New Mansion Day School Picture](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6c/New_Mansion_Day_School_Picture.png)
What is today known as the Mansion Day School was originally a mansion built for William A. Miller in 1904, designed by
David Riebel. The structure, known as Miller's statement house, has 24 rooms with 15 fireplaces and includes Italian tile and mahogany. William A. Miller was the president of the H.C. Godman shoe company, which had four factories in Columbus, Ohio and four factories in Lancaster, Ohio. The company had up to 3,000 employees at the time of Miller's death in 1921. His wife Anna was a philanthropist and opened the third floor of their home to homeless children. In 1934 the structure was purchased by the Glenmont Home for Christian Scientists and was turned into a nursing home.
The structure has operated for two decades as the Mansion Day School. The elementary school is headed by executive director Dee James and serves students from across greater the greater Columbus area, including the cities of
Gahanna,
Pickerington, and
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...
.
The school is unique because it has a competitive application for admittance.
East High School
Woodland Park is also home to
East High School, a historic public school located at 1500 East Broad Street that is part of
Columbus City Schools
Columbus City Schools, formerly known as Columbus Public Schools, is the official school district for the city of Columbus, Ohio, and serves most of the city (portions of the city are served by suburban school districts). The district has 46,6 ...
. Architects Howell and Thomas designed the original school which was built in 1922. East High School was one of five high schools built in accordance with the
Smith-Hughes Act whose purpose was to provide federal funding to communities and expand educational opportunities. The school is notable for its connection to the African American population of Columbus and the various famous students that graduated from there, including actor
Philip Michael Thomas
Philip Michael Thomas (born May 26, 1949) is an American actor and musician, best known for his role as detective Ricardo Tubbs on the hit 1980s TV series ''Miami Vice''. His first notable roles were in '' Coonskin'' (1975) and opposite Irene C ...
and athlete and actor
Bernie Casey
Bernard Terry Casey (June 8, 1939 – September 19, 2017) was an American actor, poet and professional American football player.
Early life
Casey was born in Wyco, West Virginia, the son of Flossie (Coleman) and Frank Leslie Casey. He graduated ...
. Today, the school is led by principal Ernest C Wood, Jr. and teaches from the 9th-12th grade. East High School prides itself in offering a college preparatory curriculum and claims that over $3.5 million worth of scholarships were awarded to the graduating class of 2013. Various clubs offered by East High School include a
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Club, National Honor Society, a poetry slam, and marching band and drill team.
Entertainment and recreation
![Woodland Park Columbus OH YMCA](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/Woodland_Park_Columbus_OH_YMCA.JPG)
Franklin Park Conservatory
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 ...
is located just south of Woodland Park, on the south side of Broad Street. The greenhouse, now known as the Palm House, was inspired by the architecture of the
Chicago World's Fair and Columbian Exposition and the
City Beautiful movement
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 ...
.
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 ...
opened to the public in 1895 and in addition to the greenhouse provided the public with carriage paths, a lake, and a boathouse. The park was run by the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department until 1989 when ownership was transferred to a 10 member board of trustees and executive director
Columbus Metropolitan Library
Woodland Park is also home to a branch of the
Columbus Metropolitan Library
The Columbus Metropolitan Library (CML) is a public library system in Franklin County, Ohio, in the Columbus metropolitan area. The library serves an area of 872,000 residents, has a collection of 1,483,433 volumes, and circulates 17,262,267 it ...
. The "Martin Luther King" branch located on E. Long Street offers programming such as a
TedX
TED Conferences, LLC (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is an American-Canadian non-profit media organization that posts international talks online for free distribution under the slogan "ideas worth spreading". TED was founded by Richard Sau ...
club, where teenagers can work with students from the
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best publ ...
to come up with inspirational speeches based on their own life experiences. Other programs include reading workshops to help children develop reading comprehension skills outside of the regular classroom. Daily programs include homework help for children in school and job searching advice for older individuals.
Eldon and Elsie Ward YMCA
Originally known as the Spring Street YMCA, The Eldon and Elsie Ward
YMCA
YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams (philanthropist), Georg ...
was founded in 1919. It was one of the first YMCAs in the United States that was principally designated to serve a black community. In 1962, the
YMCA
YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams (philanthropist), Georg ...
moved to the Woodland Avenue location where it presently sits and was renamed the East Side YMCA. In 1997 it again underwent a name change and was named the Eldon and Elsie Ward YMCA to honor their lifelong support of the Columbus community. Eldon Ward was most well known as the head of the E.E. Ward Moving and Transit Company, but he was also a Sunday school teacher and leader in the community. Today, the
YMCA
YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams (philanthropist), Georg ...
named after the late couple offers community members recreational classes as well as facilities such as a gymnasium and a pool. The YMCA of Central Ohio cites part of its key tenants as "youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility".
Gallery
File:Woodland Park Christian Church.JPG, Woodland Christian Church
File:030612 East High School -2--Columbus, Ohio (3).jpg, East High School
File:Entryway to Franklin Park Conservatory.JPG, 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 ...
pedestrian entry
References
External links
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{{Columbus, Ohio
Neighborhoods in Columbus, Ohio