Bicentennial Columbus Activity Book

HISTORY & ARCHITECTURE ACTIVITY BOOK

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Happy Birthday Columbus and welcome to Bicentennial Columbus 2012!

This year is our 200th birthday. To honor this special bicentennial year, we are taking a closer look at our past, present, and future.

When Lucas Sullivant settled in Franklinton in 1812, he could not have imagined the unique people and places that would come to inhabit this city over the span of 200 years.

One of the things I love most about our city is the built environment. The buildings and places featured in this book are full of the rich and exciting heritage of Columbus.

If you travel through our neighborhoods you can see the history of the city reflected in its architecture.

I am confident that as our city continues to grow, the future of our built environment will reflect the creativity, innovation and cultural diversity within Columbus.

I hope you are able to take some time and flip through the pages of this book, and while filling them with color, learn more about the interesting elements of Columbus.

Sincerely,

Mayor Michael B. Coleman

This book was published by the Neighborhood Design Center, 501(c)3, with gracious support from our friends at The Columbus Foundation. We want to thank them and our partners (back cover) for their assistance.

Celebrating the 2012 Bicentennial

Healthy cities grow and change. Nothing stays exactly the same forever. A park nearby may have been an old far m, or a Civil War camp. Wyandotte children may have played tag in your backyard. A fugitive escaping on the Underground Railroad may have hidden at night in a field that is now your street. Sometimes churches become restaurants, galleries, or houses.

Houses have become hospitals, coffee shops, or bookstores.

This book belongs to:

The City of Columbus is like that—it has continued to change—since it was founded on Febr uary 14, 1812. If Columbus was a person, it would mean the city is both as new as a baby boy born yesterday and as old as a great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandmother. Yes, that is eight “greats”—a new generation is born about every 25 years. The 200th birthday is a great time to explore the history and architecture of our city.

Each page has a few questions in italics to get you thinking about why Columbus is what it is today. Be sure to write your answers down!

The Importance of Architecture Then and Now How do we know the history of Columbus? Sometimes, we know from important documents—like the Northwest Ordinance that helped Ohio become a state. There are newspapers and letters. The Columbus Dispatch has over 130 years of day-to-day records in each issue of the newspaper.

There are photographs and memories. But there were no photographs in 1812. The oldest people alive in Columbus today at 103 and 104 years old would remember Columbus’ 100th birthday but not its first 100 years.

But there is architecture. Buildings are a record of Columbus’ history. Why were they built? Who designed them? Why did the builders choose brick instead of logs? Or stone instead of brick? What can architecture tell us about Columbus history? This book is a way to start discovering history that you can share in posters or a classroom museum. Sug gested resources and a link to the answer key are in the back.

As you work through this activity book, invite your friends and family to sign in and share their knowledge. In this way, you will be recording history in 2013. Parents and grandparents might be able to answer some of the questions with you. When you are 76 years old (about the year 2080) you may be a great grandparent and find that some very famous people (including you) have worked on this project.

Columbus, 1930

The tallest building in the picture is the LeVeque Tower - 55 feet and 6 inches tall. W hy was it built? Its constr uction workers were called “sand hogs” because they helped build New York’s Holland Tunnels.

W hy did they need to protect themselves from illnesses deep sea divers would get? Did anyone die in its construction?

Find a photo of the building—why are there animals and figures on the outside? It is made of ter ra cotta—what is ter ra cotta? The Palace Theatre is part of the LeVeque Tower.

Columbus, 2012

Since 1930,Columbus has added a number of skyscrapers—the Rhodes Tower, the Huntington Center, and the Riffe Center. How is a skyscraper different from a tall building? W hat is the oldest skyscraper? W hat buildings in 2012 were in the city in 1930? How did the 1913 flood change the downtown?

W hat does “Scioto” mean? Can you find the square “Block O” building? This is City Hall as seen from the air.

Columbus City Hall, 1928

This is City Hall as seen from West Broad Street near the river. Built in 1928, this City Hall replaced the first one that burned down in 1921 (where the Ohio Theater is now). The statue of Christopher Columbus has such large feet, that if he were a real man, his shoe size would be size 22. He is on a base of concrete made from sand that came from San Salvador (where the real Columbus first set his nor mal sized foot in 1492). The statue has been here since 1955, but where did it come from? W ho made it?

Columbus' santa maria, 1991

Is this really Christopher Columbus’ ship? W hy is it here? Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa, Italy. He set off to find a new sailing route from Europe to India. He and his crew sailed in three ships—the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. Though many people think that Columbus discovered that the world was not flat because he did not fall off the edge of the earth, this is not tr ue. Columbus never did find India, so why was the ter m “Indian” given to people of North, Central, and South Americas?

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Connect the dots by number to see what sailed the sea!

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Ohio StateHouse, 1861

Columbus was created to be the capital of Ohio. The Statehouse constr uction started in 1839 but was not finished until 1861.

Pigs once roamed the Statehouse grounds, and the first mayor of Columbus had to dig out the tree stumps to make a lawn. W hy were prisoners from the Ohio Penitentiar y used as workers? W here did its stone come from? Did President Lincoln visit here? W hy did some people not like the top of the Statehouse?

Bricker building , 1912

This was Columbus’ second post office and federal building. It is sometimes called the Old,Old Post Office. The original building was also only half the size it is now. W hy and when did the building double in size? W hy was there a jail inside? Is it still there? W hat is the pur pose of the building now?

Supreme Court, 1933 & Scioto Mile, 2012

The building now houses the Ohio Supreme Court. The building was built to be the office building for many state departments and the State Library in 1933. Inside are beautiful bronze and brass details, glass mosaics, and many murals in Art Deco style. W hat is Art Deco? Along the west side of the building is the new Scioto Mile. W here does the mile start and end? W hat enjoyments can be found along the Scioto Mile?

The Columbus Dispatch , 1925

The Columbus Dispatch newspaper began printing in 1871. For many years it was but one of three daily newspapers in Columbus. Today, the Columbus Dispatch is Columbus’ only daily newspaper. It moved to this building at 34 South Third Street in 1925.

Ohio Theatre Ohio Theatre, 1928

The Ohio Theatre was built to be a movie theatre in 1928 and was designed by the same architect who designed the Palace Theatre. They are both very different looking inside because the Palace was designed for live acts, vaudeville, and the Ohio was to be a movie theater for both silent and “talkie” films. The interior was to look like an out of the ordinary fantasy world. The building was saved from demolition by Columbus residents who for med an organization, CAPA, to save it in 1969.

Lincoln Theater, 1928

The Lincoln Theatre is Columbus’ newest “old” theatre to be saved and renovated. In the 1920’s, two businessmen were angered when the owners of a nearby theater would not admit African Americans. They opened the Ogden Theatre in 1928, for the African American community. In 1939, the Ogden was renamed the Lincoln Theater. Its interior is neo-Eg yptian. W hat does “neo” mean? W hy is this style special to the Lincoln Theatre?

Metropolitan Library, 1907

The Columbus Public Library was opened in 1907 as Columbus’ first public library to have its own building. It was built on a site once considered as Frog Heaven for its swampy land. The library was made possible by a Welsh-speaking librarian, John Pugh, who asked Andrew Carnegie for money to build it. W hy did this happen? Inside are murals by the famous Columbus artist, Aminah Robinson, they show people and scenes from her childhood on the Near East Side. W hat do the words “My Treasures are W ithin” mean?

Franklin PARK Conservatory, 1895

Franklin Park was once the site of the Franklin County Fair (1852-1859) and the Ohio State Fair (1874-1885). In 1895, a conser vatory, or glass house for horticultural exhibits, was built to resemble a famous building at the 1893 World’s Fair. W hat does horticulture mean? In 1992, Franklin Park was the site of Ameriflora, a lar ge celebration marking the 500th anniversar y of what famous event?

Draw Your Home, School, or a Firehouse

Take a look at your home, school, or a neighborhood firehouse from a short distance. Draw the building and include as much detail as you can. Be sure to notice how the windows, doors, and roof look. W hy don’t all houses look alike? W hy do some buildings have towers and others have smooth walls and more glass? After you draw your building, see if you can find out how old it is and find out more about its style. Ask an adult for per mission and visit <http:// www.franklincountyauditor.com> to do a property search for the answer.

Union Station, 1896

The City of Columbus grew because it was important to travelers. In the first hundred years, Columbus was reached by the National Road, canals, stagecoaches, and early railroads. A train station provided a place for people and goods to arrive or depart. This was Columbus’ third and most famous train station, designed by Daniel Burnham, a Chicago architect who also designed Columbus’ first skyscraper, the Wyandotte Building. Union Station was demolished in 1977, only one arch remains in Burnham Park in the Arena District. W hat group was formed in 1977 to help inform the public about the importance of historic buildings?

Avondale School, 1891

Once many Columbus schools looked like Avondale, located on the West Side—most had three floors and interesting towers. It is Richardson Romanesque style. W hat is a tower? W hat was its pur pose? W hy were school buildings in the 19th centur y built of brick and with richly detailed windows and stone trimmings? Avondale opened in 1891 with sixteen rooms for 421 students and thirteen teachers. W hat happened to Avondale and other West Side schools in the 1913 flood? W hy has Columbus City schools chosen to rehabilitate and expand many of its historic schools like Avondale?

Olentangy Park, 1896

In 1895 a streetcar company bought the picnic grounds on the west side of High Street north of Arcadia Avenue. In addition to a nature park with boating on the Olentang y River, Olentang y Park grew as a popular park with rides, a swimming pool, a zoo, a dance hall, and other attractions. In 1937, the park was sold and demolished so Olentang y Village apartments could be built.

The Ohio State University Orton Hall, 1893 Orton Hall is one of the oldest buildings on The Ohio State University campus. It was built to honor Dr. Edward Orton, the first OSU president and first state geologist. W hat does a geologist study? Inside the building is a library and a museum that houses the skeleton of a mastodon found in Ohio. The outside of the building is a geological timeline with the oldest layers of Ohio stone at the bottom. The animals below the tower’s roof represent fossils and dinosaur skeletons.

Can you find the hidden dinosaur?

Enroll here

Library

Knowlton Hall

Hopkins Hall

Graduate Here

University Hall Thinking about becoming an architect? There are many places in Ohio to study architecture. The Knowlton School of Architecture at Ohio State University is one of them. What do you need to do? You are already doing it—study buildings, their histories, draw, and ask questions.

Find out what you would need to do to go to OSU so you might be able to graduate as an architect.

OSU Armory, 1898

Ohio State University was set up by the U.S. Congress as a “land grant college” during the Civil War to encourage study of far ming and mechanics. OSU opened in 1871 on a far m once owned by William Neil.

W ho was W illiam Neil ? W hy was his farm chosen for the college? W hat is a land grant college? How is it different from other colleges? W hat is an armor y? W hat happened to the armor y in 1958? The Wexner Center for the Arts now stands in its place. Do the buildings look alike?

white castle, 1930's The first White Castle restaurant in Columbus was opened in 1929 at the corner of West Broad Street and Central Avenue.

They were often built near streetcar and bus stops. How does the architecture of the building reflect the name? Even in hard economic times, White Castle hamburgers only cost 10 cents and were affordable. The outside of the buildings were made of white porcelain-covered steel plates. W hat is porcelain? W hy was it white in color?

Eddie Rickenbacker's House, 1890's

Captain Eddie Rickenbacker was the country’s most famous World War I pilot, or “flying ace”. He shot down 26 enemy planes and was given the Congressional Medal of Honor. Much of the neighborhood was still far mland. Rickenbacker quit school at 13 to help support his family when his father died. In addition to becoming a “flying ace”, he was a race car driver at Driving Park and later the president of an airline company. His home is a National Historic Landmark.

Columbus Foundation, 1904

This was once the mansion of Charles H. Lindenberg and his family. It was designed by a famous Columbus architect, Frank Packard. Mr. Lindenberg made his fortune in manufacturing regalia. W hat makes a home a mansion? W hat is regalia and why was it popular in the early 20th centur y? W hat other buildings did Mr. Packard design? In 1919, Mr. Lindenberg sold his home to the state of Ohio for use as a governor’s mansion. Ten Ohio governors lived here. The building was purchased by the Columbus Foundation for use as its headquarters. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. W hat does that mean? How is that different from a National Historic Landmark?

Red, White, & Boom, 1980

Congratulations! You are now an Architectural History expert.

We all need help finding answers. You, your family, and your teacher may find the resources on the next page helpful. Use them to find answers to the questions from this book.

When you are done, celebrate your success by connecting the dots below to make a picture of Columbus’ famous Red, White, and Boom fireworks—the largest display of fireworks in the Midwest.

Credits

Downtown Columbus Map, 2012

Neighborhood Design Center Al Berthold Maggie Grady Andrea Hager Janet Hong

Cheryl Huffman Lauren Luffy John Myers Katie O’Lone

Jenn Saunier Mary Webb Lauren Whitehurst Tommy Yokum

City of Columbus Mayor Coleman

Randy Black

Tyneisha Harden

Columbus Public Library Bonnie Chandler Andy Miller* *We dedicate this book to the memory of Andy - for his love of Columbus’ history and for his years of service to the community.

A

B D

TEXT CONTRIBUToRS Richard Barrett

F Doreen Uhas Sauer

Resources

F

G

E

C

Barrett, Richard E. Columbus 1860-1910 (2005) and Columbus 1910-1970 (2006). Chicago: Arcadia Press.

Cooper, Kay. Who Put the Cannon in the Courthouse Square?

New York: Walker Press, 1985.

Kane, Kathy Mast and Doreen Uhas Sauer. Columbus and The Ohio State University: Then and Now. San Diego: Thunder Bay Press, 2009.

Glenn, Patricia Brown. Under Every Roof: A Kids’ Style and Field Guide to the Architecture of American Houses.

Washington, D.C.. The Preser vation Press, 1993.

Lentz, Ed. Columbus: The Story of a City. Chicago: Arcadia Press, 2003.

Samuelson, Robert E., Pasquale C. Grado, Judith L. Kitchen, Jeffrey T. Darbee. Architecture Columbus. Columbus:Columbus Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, 1976.

For clues and research tips: www.teachingcolumbus.org Visit <http://www.neighborhooddesign.org> and click on resources to download the answer key for this book!

A

Columbus’ Santa Maria

D

Statehouse

B

City Hall

E

Ohio Theatre

C

Scioto Mile

F

Columbus Dispatch

G

Columbus Metropolitan Library

N

Answer: It’s the Southern Theatre (Top Right).

Circle the picture not included in this book.