Poindexter Village Museum Vision Plan

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER

MUSEUM EXPERIENCE & CAMPUS VISIONING STUDY VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS OCTOBER 10, 2023 Prepared For: Ohio History Connection

Prepared By: REALM Collaborative

MT. VERNON AVENUE PARADE, COLUMBUS, OH - 1949 | M. RICHARDSON

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CONTENTS

4 INTRODUCTION

15 POINDEXTER VILLAGE HISTORY CLIENT TEAM

25 1. MUSEUMS BRING COMMUNITIES TOGETHER

Shelbi Toone Project Manager STEERING COMMITTEE Dr. Charles Wash Director NAAMCC

31 2. A HUB OF CULTURE

Jennifer Aultman Director Historic Sites

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Fred Smith Operations & Planning

3. NEIGHBORHOOD AS A MUSEUM

Sara Vandenbark Lead Architect PROJECT TEAM

Carmine Russo Jr. Co-Founder & Principal Brian Bernstein Co-Founder & Principal

47 MUSEUM CAMPUS VISION

63 MUSEUM EXPERIENCE

Marissa Kirkendall Designer

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Rachel Sheets Designer

THE JOURNEY TO 2025

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY rnon nt Ve THE VISION u o M

ue Aven

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Winner Avenue

Enhance the Experience at Poindexter Village Museum & Cultural Center as a National Heritage Site with a Connection to its Historic Neighborhood.

In continuation of Ohio History Connection’s past studies and recent political partnerships, the focus of this vision plan is to bring a greater sense of identity to the Poindexter Village Museum and Cultural Center by creating a public realm experience that adds value and vibrancy to not only the King-Lincoln / Bronzeville neighborhood, but elevates its brand both regionally and nationally. Beyond the Poindexter Village Museum site, the King-Lincoln / Bronzeville neighborhood holds extensive African-American stories and history as it was already a thriving Black community before the Poindexter Village Affordable Housing project was built. This vision package lays the initial groundwork and begins to build consensus around creating a campus plan for the two remaining Poindexter Village buildings with the addition of Union Grove Baptist Church and connecting significant historical sites around the neighborhood.

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LEGEND:

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Poindexter Village

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Phale D. Hale Drive

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POINDEXTER VILLAGE BUILDINGS

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UNION GROVE BAPTIST CHURCH

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NORTH SIDE ENTRY CONNECTION

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SOUTH SIDE ATRIUM CONNECTION

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GATHERING COURTYARD

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CHAMPION AVENUE PORCHES

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ENTRY PLAZA & PARK

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SHORT-TERM PARKING / DROP-OFF

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LONG-TERM PARKING

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GRANVILLE STREET / ALLEY

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

BUILDING MOMENTUM

Honoring Our Heritage, Building Our Future Poindexter Village programs welcome African-American experiences to people regardless of ethnic heritage, gender, age, religious identification, class, or any other societally-created division. Our programs are traditions of the community centered around what elders, students, residents of the past and present need to keep the soul of the village alive. All programs have been created in partnership with the James Preston Poindexter Foundation (JPPF).

YOUTH ART CHALLENGES

DRUM CIRCLE

JUBILEE DAY FESTIVAL

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

For generations Poindexter Village was a place where neighbors looked after one another and elders were revered and respected.

However, as the years wore on, the neighborhood began to decline as its residents struggled with the pressures of disinvestment, racially unfair public policy, and the systemic inequities that disproportionately impact communities of color. While there was a coordinated and passionate effort by some to keep the Village intact, 33 of the 35 original buildings were torn down in 2013.

Even though most of the buildings are gone, the spirit of the Village will live on thanks to the Ohio History Connection (OHC) and the James Preston Poindexter Foundation (JPPF). The two remaining buildings, currently being renovated to house the future Poindexter Village Museum and Cultural Center, will pay homage to the neighborhood’s dynamic history.

JUNETEENTH ON THE AVE

KWANZAA 5

VISIONING SESSIONS COMMUNITY AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

Building Consensus around a Shared Vision Our design team engaged in several visioning sessions with the James Preston Poindexter Foundation (JPPF), community members and Ohio History Connection (OHC) staff to identify shared beliefs and unify our approach to the new Poindexter Village Museum & Cultural Center.

JPPF VISIONING SESSION

STAKEHOLDER VISIONING SESSION

Attendees:

OHC VISIONING SESSION

Attendees:

Attendees:

Mike Roberts President

Eleanor Gray Treasurer

Kellen Showes Ohio Housing Finance Agency

Megan Wood CEO

Sara Vandenbark Lead Architect

Patsey Ulmer Vice President

Nicole Sutton Library

Jerry Valentine Rentor Mentor

Charles Wash Executive Director

Neil Thompson Media & Public Relations

Tom Dillard Past President

Maurice Alfred Union Grove

Azuka Mimin Museum Consultant

Jennifer Aultman Director, Historic Sites Anthony Gibbs Development

Alice Poindexter Relative

Jimmy Love Member

Ann Ruege Director, Development

Ben Anthony Outreach & Education

Reita Smith Co-Founder

Garin Veris Donor Relations Officer

Lyn Logan-Grimes Programming

Betty Stull Program Chair

Fred Smith Operations & Planning

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POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

DISCOVERY & OUTCOME

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HISTORIC HISTORIC POINDEXTER HISTORIC POINDEXTER POINDEXTER VILLAGE BUILDINGS BUILDINGS VILLAGEVILLAGE BUILDINGS

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UNION GROVE UNION GROVE UNION GROVE BAPTISTBAPTIST CHURCH BAPTIST CHURCHCHURCH

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HERITAGE HERITAGE HERITAGE TRAIL TRAIL TRAIL

A Hub of African American Culture The original Poindexter Village Buildings, Union Grove Baptist Church and the King-Lincoln / Bronzeville neighborhood are full of rich African-American history. The proposed ‘Cultural Center’ is not necessarily a building within the Poindexter Village Museum and Cultural Center campus alone, but will act as a ‘Hub’ that encapsulates all of the historical data, artifacts and stories of the neighborhood and serve as a beacon to convene people into the future to tackle the issues of the modern day.

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

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TIMELINE PROJECT SCHEDULE

The Process This moment in time provides a critical inflection point to take stock and create a bold vision to shape the next chapter and enhance the experience of the Poindexter Village Museum and Cultural Center to add value and vibrancy to the community. Ohio History Connection (OHC) assembled a team of key stakeholders, including the James Preston Poindexter Foundation (JPPF), community leaders and staff to have a more broad conversation on the opportunities for this project. The process outlined here was meant to begin a conversation about the possibilities for the museum and the feasibility of their implementation.

July 2023

Poindexter Village Visioning Kick-Off

October 2023

August 2023 - September2023

Engage Community Members, Stakeholders & OHC Team / Vision Progression

Final Recommendations Delivered

August 31st, 2023 Stakeholder Session

August 15th, 2023 Elders Session - Affordable Housing History - Regional History - Poindexter Village History - Three Scales - Neighborhood as the Museum - Museum Experience

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- Affordable Housing History - Regional History - Poindexter Village History - Three Scales - Neighborhood as the Museum - Museum Experience - Potential Projects - Precedents

September 7th, 2023 OHC Session - History Overview - Neighborhood as the Museum - Potential Projects - Priority Projects (Departments) - Timeline

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

November 2023+

Next Steps ...

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

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PROJECT PLANNING OHIO HISTORY CONNECTION

This Project Lives in the Whole Organization Poindexter Village Museum & Cultural Center is the heart of Black Columbus history. Preservation of Poindexter Village helps combat the very problems that plague our communities by stabilizing neighborhoods, providing affordable housing, lowering crime, stimulating private investment, bringing people and businesses back downtown, attracting tourists, and strengthening community pride.

For the past several years, the Ohio History Connection (OHC) has been advancing the mission on the creation of this museum through a series of Interpretive Plans, Business Plans, Market and Operations Studies and Community Reports including Data Analysis Planning all aimed at the advancement of this project.

These efforts have culminated in recent exhibits highlighting the Aminah Robinson Library and Poindexter Village: A Portrait in Stories exhibited at the Ohio History Center.

INTERPRETIVE PLAN JANUARY 15, 2020

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BUSINESS PLANNING

AMINAH ROBINSON LIBRARY

POINDEXTER VILLAGE: A PORTRAIT IN STORIES

Renowned, award-winning artist Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson hailed from Poindexter Village. Through her remarkable mixedmedia art, Robinson told the stories of her beloved family, elders, and neighborhood, weaving events, people, and places into living pieces that she hoped would “rag on.” Robinson’s talent has been pivotal in helping preserve the Village’s story and sharing that story with others.

Poindexter Village was built as one the first public housing options in Ohio. This allowed residents of crowded neighborhoods to find affordable and healthy housing during the Great Depression.

Poindexter Village was filled with small row homes and a recreation center only steps away from the neighborhood middle school. Here residents built a strong community developed on the values of Reverend James Preston Poindexter, a historic leader in Columbus.

NOVEMBER 7, 2022

MARKET STUDY AND OPERATING PLAN OPTIONS FEBRUARY 14, 2023

COMMUNITY REPORT AND DATA ANALYSIS APRIL 10, 2023

OSU COMPSTD 8200 CONTENT REPORT

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

2023

INTERPRETIVE PLAN VISITOR EXPERIENCE PROGRESSION

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HISTORIC POINDEXTER VILLAGE BUILDINGS

UNION GROVE BAPTIST CHURCH

From Foundations to Interpretation 3

HERITAGE TRAIL

January 15, 2020 Interpretive Plan: Poindexter Village’s chief assets for this purpose are its two historic buildings forming a campus, enlivened by the stories that have been collected and supported by partners. The two buildings have been roughly conceived as a Museum and a Cultural Learning Center. Because collecting and preservation functions of the Museum will be handled through Ohio History Connection (OHC), the Museum is primarily public space for welcoming and long-term permanent exhibits that express the story in order to inspire, inform, and empower. The Cultural Learning Center builds on those stories to directly support future generations in creating the strong, vibrant, and just communities they want to live in.

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

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VISION PLAN PROJECT UNDERSTANDING

The Vision Builds on the Existing Interpretive Plan

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HISTORIC POINDEXTER VILLAGE BUILDINGS

UNION GROVE BAPTIST CHURCH

HERITAGE TRAIL

Ohio History Connection (OHC) is seeking to enhance the experience of the Poindexter Village Museum and Cultural Center as a national heritage site with a connection to its neighborhood by bringing it greater identity and creating a public realm experience that adds value and vibrancy to the community.

Considering the addition of Union Grove Baptist Church and a connected Heritage Trail will further express the history of the museum for a greater understanding of the place and its people.

WELCOME

PARTNERS, COMMUNITY & PROGRAMS

wayfinding, front desk

trail and connected sites

EXHIBITS / EVENTS / GATHERING museum

PROGRAMS

cultural learning center

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a hub of culture

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POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

TRANSIT

ATTRACT

TITLE CAMPUS OF SPREAD VISION

Poindexter Village Museum — A National Story The Poindexter Village Museum and Cultural Center will showcase the rich untold story of an African-American experience in its authentic neighborhood and beyond in order to nurture, provide understanding, inspire success, inform action and empower future generations to build the strong, vibrant and just community they want to live in.

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HISTORIC HISTORIC POINDEXTER HISTORIC POINDEXTER POINDEXTER VILLAGE BUILDINGS BUILDINGS VILLAGEVILLAGE BUILDINGS Poindexter Village was named in honor of Columbus, Ohio’s community leader, Rev. James Poindexter. The village was dedicated by President Franklin Roosevelt on Oct. 12, 1940 as one of the nation’s first public housing projects. This community represents the birth and history of public housing in this country and reflects Ohio’s place in the national story of the Great Migration.

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UNION GROVE UNION GROVE UNION GROVE BAPTISTBAPTIST CHURCH BAPTIST CHURCHCHURCH Twenty-five years after the death of Chattel Slavery and the birth of racial segregation, Union Grove Baptist Church was organized in a log cabin on Mt. Vernon Avenue in the Spring of 1888. When the little log cabin became too small to accommodate the members a new site was purchased at 218 North Champion Avenue and on July 21, 1889, the cornerstone was laid.

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

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HERITAGE HERITAGE HERITAGE TRAIL TRAIL TRAIL The Heritage Trail could be a self-guided walking or trolley tour that provides an overview of the AfricanAmerican influence and history in King-Lincoln / Bronzeville. The tour could identify significant people and locations important in local and national Black history and culture.

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POINDEXTER VILLAGE HISTORY

THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING STORY

THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING STORY World War I (1914-1918) Industrialized urban areas in the North, Midwest and West faced a shortage of laborers as the war put an end to the steady tide of European immigration to the United States.

A NATIONAL STORY

“The History of Affordable Housing is Black History”

The Great Migration (1910-1970) The start of WWI created more economic opportunities in the North, West and Midwest. Many African-Americans moved from the Southern states in search of economic opportunities.

The Great Depression (1929-1941) The initial factor for the Great Depression was the First World War, which upset international balances of power and caused a dramatic shock to the global financial system.

The federal government has long been an architect of affordable housing in the United States, using both its legislative and executive authorities to meet the housing needs of Americans.

This first began in the early 1930’s when the federal government created residential construction and finance programs to alleviate housing scarcity caused by the Great Depression. In 1934, Congress passed the National Housing Act establishing the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) making home ownership affordable for a broader set of Americans through the creation of mortgage insurance programs. Black Americans, however, were prevented from receiving these same future-changing benefits.

Areas where Black Americans lived were “redlined” and deemed unsafe for lending. Citing this risk, the FHA refused to insure loans in redlined communities and private lenders across the country emulated this practice.

The New Deal (1933-1939) A series of programs, public work projects, financial reforms and regulations enacted

by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to help people suffering from the events of The Great Depression.

Federal Housing Administration (1934)

Enacted on June 27, 1934 as part of the New Deal to make housing and home mortgages more affordable by creating the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation (FSLIC).

Throughout the 1940’s and 1950’s, governments at all levels continued to create and endorse exclusionary practices that barred Black Americans from participating in affordable housing programs. Racially restrictive covenants, for example, or racial clauses in deeds kept Black families from leaving redlined communities and buying homes in “lendable” White communities.

This deliberate exclusion of Black Americans from affordable homeownership opportunities resulted in African-Americans being disproportionately renters. Often, the only housing available to Black Americans was poor in quality and especially unsuitable for families and children. Housing options were concentrated in the poorest areas with limited proximity to schools, jobs, economically active areas or suburban communities. Due to legacy impacts of exclusionary housing practices, Black Americans are disproportionately likely to be renters (58 percent of Black Americans are renters versus 28 percent White).

Redlining The Federal Housing Administration’s justification was that if African-Americans bought homes in or near these suburbs, the property values of the White owned homes they were insuring would decline. Therefore, their loans would be at risk. Anywhere where African-Americans lived or were nearby would be colored red to indicate to appraisers that these neighborhoods were too risky to insure mortgages.

Redlining

Comes from the development of maps by the New Deal detailing every metropolitan area in the country. Those maps were color-coded and these color codes were designed to indicate where it was safe to insure mortgages.

Underwriting Manual of the Federal Housing Administration recommended that highways be a “good way” to separate African-American from White neighborhoods.

So this was not a matter of law, it was a matter of government regulation.

Public Housing Projects

The federal program was initially meant to address housing for Whites only, but the liberal instinct of the Roosevelt administration officials led them to build separate projects for African-Americans.

— Perica Bell, Head of Preservation, April Housing

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Urban Renewal (1949-1974) Many New Deal public housing projects quickly deteriorated into slums. The National Housing Act of 1949, provided a commitment to federal reconstruction of cities and public housing.

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

Federal-Aid Highway Act (1956) Popularly known as the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act of 1956, the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 established an interstate highway system in the United States.

Public Housing The White projects had large numbers of vacancies; Black projects had long waiting lists. Eventually it became so conspicuous that the public housing authorities in the federal government opened up the White-designated projects to African-Americans and filled them with Black residents. At the same time that industry was leaving the cities AfricanAmericans were becoming poorer in those neighborhoods and those projects became known as housing for poor people, not for the working-class.

POINDEXTER VILLAGE

President Roosevelt in Columbus to Dedicate one of the Nation’s First Public Housing Projects On October 11, 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt traveled to Columbus, Ohio to dedicate Poindexter Village as one of the nation’s first public housing projects designed exclusively for Black Americans. Unlike White public housing developments that had been constructed previously, Poindexter Village was economically diverse rather than completely filled by low-income tenants. This occurred in response to the vibrant African-American community already present in the Bronzeville neighborhood coupled with the demand for new housing opportunities because those who could afford to buy more expensive homes or apartments were denied entry into more affluent areas throughout the city.

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

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THREE SCALES OF HISTORY HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

It’s the American Story

The State Scale Ohio is rich with history as it was the first free state formed out of the Northwest Territory and home to Wilberforce University - the first private historically Black college or university. It is also the birthplace of national presidents, astronauts, inventors, and writers. Many of these Ohio heroes were African-Americans who fought tirelessly for equity and justice such as James Preston Poindexter.

These three scales of history are meant to stretch the imagination about the significance and the storylines that can be told through the Poindexter Village Museum and Cultural Center. Ohio has a rich history in the African-American story as a free state in the Midwest and an industrial powerhouse that drew new residents for jobs and industry.

Columbus served as the State’s capitol, with rail connections to much of the Eastern United States by the 1850’s. As new immigrants and African-Americans arrived from the South, urban centers grew and Black neighborhoods flourished until the mid-20th century. The interstate highway system of the 1950’s bifurcated neighborhoods and split apart communities across the country and throughout Ohio. It’s not just African-American history, it’s the American Story.

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POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

The Site Scale

The Neighborhood Scale

Columbus’s black history is rich and unique with many thriving communities and settlements that helped form the city as it exists today. Although there were other notable communities where black residents lived, 85% of the African-American population called the King-Lincoln / Bronzeville neighborhood home during segregation.

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Development of the Poindexter Village Affordable Housing project symbolized something much greater than housing — Hope. It ushered in opportunity and solidified a neighborhood with roots planted long before the buildings were erected. Many of those who were part of the Great Migration made their way north and chose to settle in what was then known as the Blackberry Patch.

Eastwood Aveue

E Gay Street

Hamilton

Phale D. Hale Drive

Park et

Broad Stre

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COLUMBUS HISTORY THE POWER OF PLACE

“So originally...[we had] all of these other Black communities, not just one region...the Hilltop area, the South area, you had American Addition...

Mount Vernon and Long Street Black businesses became successful because of all of these Black communities.”

Franklinton

Flytown

Until the late 18th century, Franklinton was predominantly a White settlement, but had an unknown number of African-American residents that inhabited the neighborhood.

In the 1890s, African-American families began to move into an area of the neighborhood where almost all living conditions were poor - regardless of race.

Flytown was eventually sacrificed to Urban Renewal in the 1950s and 1960s — causing the displacement of over five hundred families. A restraining order against housing projects in the area was pushed for in order to keep low-income development out of the new neighborhood. This area was annexed to the city in 1880 and now is a part of the Short North Arts District.

— Reita Smith Poindexter Village was one of the first public housing models in the country and was designed by Howard Dwight Smith, Columbus’s prolific architect who also designed The Ohio State University’s football stadium. “The Village” as it became known was designed to have courtyard spaces shared by all families between the rows of brick townhomes. This public housing was in response to the needs of the many who were recovering from the effects of the Great Migration at the turn of the twentieth century and from the deprivations of the Great Depression in the 1930’s.

In addition, the public housing units would provide assistance to servicemen and federal workers returning from the war. Once the pride of the community, the housing replaced the former Blackberry Patch and provided dignified housing for the future artists, teachers, college professors, professionals, politicians, social activists, government workers, writers, film makers, coaches, doctors, dentists, and families who lived there. Today, only a few of the original units remain standing.

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The Great Flood of 1913 destroyed the existing Franklinton neighborhood after the levees holding the Scioto River back failed. Over time, a series of floods in the area continued to devastate settlers until later into the 1900s. Housing projects in the area catered towards those of lower incomes - with the construction of I-70 sealing off the neighborhood on the West side.

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

Hanford Village

American Addition

Blackberry Patch

Hanford Village originated in 1909 as a White rural community — but later became African-American housing in the 1920’s after WWII and eventually fell into despair.

Among the oldest African-American communities in Central Ohio, dating back to 1898, migrants from the South longing for a rural, open setting and a good place to raise their children settled here.

In the 1920’s and early 1930’s it was hard to make a living in the southern part of the country. In Columbus, the Blackberry Patch became a little Black city with retail and public transportation.

Originally, the neighborhood was majority White, but over time during WWI and The Great Migration, the Black population in the area swelled. In the year 1925, it was determined that the neighborhood was 91.2% Black.

Over time, the quality of homes in the area began to drop due to poor conditions and little change was made to improve the quality of basic services in the area.

I-70, I-71 and I-670 destroyed large parts of the predominantly Black Near East Side following the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956.

Numerous reports have chronicled the deliberate destruction of Black neighborhoods throughout the U.S. via the interstate highway system. In the 1960s, the I-70 interstate cut off Bowman Avenue and eradicated 60 homes and split the community.

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

Poindexter Village covers a much larger territory than the shaded Blackberry Patch. Apartments are on the East Side of Ohio Avenue, on both sides of Champion Avenue, on Hawthorne, Clifton and an alley to the east. The north and south boundaries are still alleys, perpendicular to the structures located on Mount Vernon Avenue and East Long Street.

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POINDEXTER VILLAGE HISTORY FDR visited Poindexter Village on its Opening Day, 1940

The Blackberry Patch, 1920’s

Poindexter Village Construction, 1939

Poindexter Village allowed for a hub of activity along Mt. Vernon, 1950’s

Redlining restricted AfricanAmericans from purchasing homes outside of “red” areas, 1940’s

Plans to reinvest in the Near East Side begin, 1995

PACT was created to address the issues on the Near East Side, 2010

Poindexter Village, 1980’s

PACT spearheaded the demolition of Poindexter Village, 2013

Two remaining buildings were purchased from CMHA, 2017

JPPF was founded to ensure the preservation of the buildings, 2014

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Project Manager hired for Poindexter Village Museum & Cultural Center, 2021

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

JAMES PRESTON POINDEXTER - A RENAISSANCE MAN

“Naming this complex Poindexter Village served to honor this man and in turn allowed generations of African-American families to grow up in what many would consider a true village.” — Aminah Robinson As one of the nation’s first public housing developments, Poindexter Village was named after this notable man to continue his legacy in his community. Reverend James Preston Poindexter was an abolitionist, civil rights activist, politician, and Baptist minister from Columbus, Ohio. He was born in Virginia but moved to Ohio early in his life. As pastor of the Second Baptist Church, Poindexter was a man of integrity, faith, respect, and one who had a lifelong pursuit of social justice for all.

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

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1. MUSEUMS BRING COMMUNITIES TOGETHER 1

HISTORIC POINDEXTER VILLAGE BUILDINGS

HISTORIC POINDEXTER VILLAGE BUILDINGS

NATIONAL MUSEUMS ASPIRATIONAL QUALITIES

Museums Bring Communities Together

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HISTORIC POINDEXTER VILLAGE BUILDINGS

UNION GROVE BAPTIST CHURCH

HERITAGE TRAIL

“Museums have the power to create unity on both a social and political level, but also on a local one. Local museums are able to provide a sense of community and place by celebrating a collective heritage, offering a great way to get to know the history of a particular area.” — Rebecca Carlsson National Museums & Digital Experiences: The digital age is upon us and never has it been so prevalent than in the museum industry. Institutions are now re-inventing themselves to embrace new technologies. From virtual reality to world-class exhibits on handheld devices, the modern museum environments are in the midst of a digital awakening.

Moving forward, museums are going to become larger than life as visitors find themselves fully engulfed in the exhibits. With the constant development of ever-evolving, more affordable technologies, and the growing rise in virtual reality and stateof-the-art displays, you can expect these highly immersive experiences to become more commonplace in the industry.

Cultural Centers Bring People Together: The modern Cultural Center is one that provides opportunities for connections, learning and meaningful experiences. Having flexible, programmable interior and exterior spaces to host gatherings, events and forums are becoming a necessity to keep activity occurring in the space.

More activation can be integrated with local eateries and retail establishments that provide daily comings and goings. Considering monthly and sometimes even weekly programs that keep people coming back is a necessity. The balance between full-time exhibit space and those exhibitions and programmable spaces are important considerations in museum space planning today.

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THE KING CENTER

ANNE FRANK HOUSE

ATLANTA, GA

AMSTERDAM, NL

Established in 1968 by Mrs. Coretta Scott King, The King Center has been a global destination, resource center and community institution for over a quarter century. Both a traditional memorial and programmatic non-profit, the King Center was envisioned by its founder to be “no dead monument, but a living memorial filled with all the vitality that was his, a center of human endeavor, committed to the causes for which he lived and died.”

The Anne Frank House was established on May 3, 1957 in cooperation with Otto Frank, Anne Frank’s father. We are an independent non-profit organization that runs a museum in the house where Anne Frank went into hiding and we try to increase awareness of Anne’s life story all over the world.

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THE LEGACY MUSEUM

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE

MONTGOMERY, AL

The Legacy Museum provides a comprehensive history of the United States with a focus on the legacy of slavery. Situated on a site where enslaved Black people were forced to labor in bondage, the Legacy Museum offers an immersive experience with cutting-edge technology, world-class art, and critically important scholarship about American history.

WASHINGTON, D.C.

A People’s Journey, A Nation’s Story — The National Museum of African American History and Culture is the only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, history, and culture. It was established by an Act of Congress in 2003, following decades of efforts to promote and highlight the contributions of African Americans.

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

TENEMENT MUSEUM

NEW YORK, NY

The Tenement Museum celebrates the enduring stories that define and strengthen what it means to be American. We share stories of the immigrant and migrant experience through guided tours of our two tenement buildings on Orchard Street and the surrounding neighborhood on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Visitors can take building tours of the recreated homes of our former residents between the 1860’s and the 1980’s as well as walking tours of the neighborhood they lived in.

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NATIONAL PUBLIC HOUSING MUSEUM STEP INSIDE THE MUSEUM

Our mission is to preserve, promote, and propel the right of all people to a place where they can live and prosper — a place to call home.

The Museum is a historically significant site that links the past with today’s most urgent social issues. From the moment you enter the historic public housing building that houses the Museum, you’ll step into someone else’s home, someone else’s ups and downs, someone else’s hopes, dreams and hardships. You’ll experience someone else’s life story. And as with most true stories, there will be parts that move you and parts that make you want to make things better.

www.NPHM.org, National Public Housing Museum 28

Programming at the National Public Housing Museum

Experience the Past: Set foot inside three historic apartments from different eras of housing that engage and teach visitors about the cultural, social, and economic history of housing. Experience life in public housing from The New Deal to the present day. Connect to the intimate lives of diverse families and the national politics and culture that helped shape them.

Unleash Your Imagination: Immerse yourself in thought-provoking art that highlights urgent housing issues, expands your imagination and pushes you to new horizons of understanding. The Museum will feature a permanent public work by Amanda Williams and Olalekan Jeyifous, and a rotating exhibit of contemporary art premiering with works by Nathaniel Mary Quinn.

Be A Catalyst for Change: See how programming, storytelling, art, entrepreneurship, and community engagement spaces will build on the Museum’s exhibitions to catalyze a civically engaged public that is ready and eager to strive for social justice in housing and other areas of society. Discover ways that you can become engaged and be part of the change.

Explore Artifacts: Get up close and personal with everyday objects and stories from public housing residents from across the country.

Listen and Learn: Listen to the compelling first-person accounts of residents through the nation’s largest archive of oral histories of public housing residents. These stories will be featured in podcasts, exhibits, research, and scholarship.

Invest in Extraordinary Ideas: Fuel the dreams of entrepreneurs who are working to address the systemic and structural barriers to entrepreneurship through the creation of a robust infrastructure to support a new generation of small businesses and cooperatives launched by public housing residents.

Experience the Soundtrack of America: Immerse yourself in the permanent Music Room exhibit, curated by the most influential and iconic female DJ in hip-hip music, DJ Spinderella. The music that has emerged from public housing projects represents a range of popular sounds that have expanded our idea of American culture and American identity.

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

NATIONAL PUBLIC HOUSING MUSEUM - CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

“Over the past century, more than 10 million people across the United States have called public housing home. Since the 1990s, thousands of public housing units across the U.S. have been demolished.”

In the late 1990’s, public housing residents began to dream about creating a museum to preserve their collective voices, memories, and the histories of public housing across the nation. They wanted their children and grandchildren, and the public at large, to know more about their place in the American experience and to understand the public policies that helped to shape their families. They believed that the stories of public housing residents would resonate strongly with audiences throughout the world. In 2007, civic leaders, preservationists, historians, cultural experts, and many others joined with residents to help incorporate the Museum. Since then, the National Public Housing Museum has offered transformative programs that connect the past with contemporary issues of social justice and human rights.

We broke ground in October 2022 and will open to the public in our permanent home, the last remaining building of the 1930’s WPA-era Jane Addams Homes in Chicago’s Near West Side in 2024.

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

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2. A HUB OF CULTURE 1

2

HISTORIC POINDEXTER VILLAGE BUILDINGS

UNION GROVE BAPTIST CHURCH

UNION GROVE BAPTIST CHURCH

A HUB OF CULTURE THE POWER OF CONVENING Hub of A frica n Am

erica nC u

re ltu

“Cultural Centers Around the World Show How They Can Illuminate the Past at the Same Time as Looking Towards the Future.”

HISTORIC POINDEXTER VILLAGE BUILDINGS

UNION GROVE BAPTIST CHURCH

A Cultural Center is, in a sense, a snapshot of a nation or people – who they are, where they have come from, and where they see themselves heading. It can be a vast complex or a single building, but it needs to capture in its very foundations a sense of pride and purpose. — Kay Hill, Design Curial

CULTURAL CENTER

32

DEFINE IT + RE-ENGAGE + RE-CONVENE

DUKE ELLINGTON

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

AMINAH ROBINSON

In the 1920’s, jazz greats such as Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, and Cab Calloway played the Jazz Clubs, which lined the area.

The district would later serve as a congregational site for many civil rights activists in the 1950’s and 1960’s.

Robinson was an American artist who produced art to record the missing pieces of Black history that were lost during slavery.

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

NATIONAL CULTURAL CENTERS

“Building Bridges for Understanding” Cultural centers enrich our society by promoting the arts, history, religion, and heritage of diverse cultures. Communities, municipalities and universities invest in this enrichment by building performing arts centers, museums, worship centers, heritage centers and libraries.

CENTER FOR FOLKLIFE AND CULTURAL HISTORY

SMITHSONIAN ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN CENTER

WASHINGTON, D.C.

WASHINGTON, D.C.

The Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage is a research center of the Smithsonian Institution. We work with communities in the United States and around the world to encourage the understanding, appreciation, and vitality of humanity’s diverse living cultural heritage.

The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center is a migratory museum that shares Asian Pacific American history, art, and culture through innovative museum experiences online and throughout the U.S.

SMITHSONIAN LATINO CENTER

AFRICAN AMERICAN ART AND CULTURE COMPLEX

WASHINGTON, D.C.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA

The Smithsonian Latino Center (SLC) works collaboratively with Smithsonian museums and research centers, ensuring that the contributions of the Latino community in the arts, history, national culture, and scientific achievement are explored, presented, celebrated, and preserved.

The Center is committed to creating fair collaborations with partners and members who provide access to programs and services that drive our mission and help us realize our vision. Our programs ensure that art is created and members are supported.

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

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REPURPOSED HISTORIC BUILDINGS ASPIRATIONAL QUALITIES

Preserving History Through Architecture

1

2

3

HISTORIC POINDEXTER VILLAGE BUILDINGS

UNION GROVE BAPTIST CHURCH

HERITAGE TRAIL

Our nation’s history has many facets, and historic preservation helps tell these stories. Sometimes historic preservation involves celebrating events, people, places, and ideas that we are proud of; other times it involves recognizing moments in our history that can be painful or uncomfortable to remember.

Historic buildings are witnesses to the aesthetics and cultural history of a city, helping to give people a sense of place and connection to the past. Innovative ways of preserving historical structures while offering modern amenities can provide a connection to the past while giving people the sense of the conveniences needed to operate today.

The architectural design of these structures should be considered in connection to the modern facilities necessary for a nationally recognized museum site. Consideration should be given to the programmable space that might be housed in existing structures against those that may need to be located in more modern additions with higher ceilings and more open floor plans.

AFRICAN MEETING HOUSE

34

STONY ISLAND ARTS BANK

BOSTON, MA

CHICAGO, IL

Built in 1806, the African Meeting House served as the African Baptist Church of Boston (a.k.a. First Independent Baptist Church) and it is considered the oldest extant Black church building in America. In addition to serving as a spiritual and religious center for the community, the African Meeting House provided an integral gathering space for the cultural, educational, and political life of Boston’s Black community.

Designed by William Gibbons Uffendell and built in 1923, the bank at 68th and Stony Island was once a vibrant community savings and loan. Today, the restored Stony Island Arts Bank provides the South Side of Chicago with 17,000 square feet of space for innovation in contemporary art and archival practice.

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART

CLEVELAND, OH

The Ames Family Atrium is the majestic centerpiece to the museum’s recently completed eight-year expansion and renovation project. Designed by Rafael Viñoly, the soaring, three- story-high ceiling accentuates the grandeur of the glass-enclosed space, centrally located in the heart of the world-renowned galleries of the museum. Anchored by the east and west planters, the atrium is a blank slate suitable for a diverse suite of gatherings.

BURNS-BELFRY MUSEUM & MULTICULTURAL CENTER

OXFORD, MS

Burns Methodist Episcopal Church was organized by freed African Americans who settled in the area known as “Freedmen Town” after the Civil War. The current church building was erected in 1910 and played a major role in the lives of many African Americans until 1974, when the Burns congregation moved to its new location. The historic property is now considered a Mississippi Landmark.

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

MUIR CHAPEL

LOUISVILLE, KY

Muir Chapel, founded over a century ago by the indomitable spirit of William Muir, a former slave turned minister, embodies the enduring power of faith, unity, and community. As a place where African American families came together for worship and education, its story resonates with the struggles and triumphs of generations past. Today, Muir Chapel stands as a testament to resilience and hope, offering a unique venue where you can create your own history, mark new beginnings, and reaffirm lifelong commitments.

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3. NEIGHBORHOOD AS A MUSEUM 1

2

3

HISTORIC POINDEXTER VILLAGE BUILDINGS

UNION GROVE BAPTIST CHURCH

CULTURAL TRAIL

KING-LINCOLN / BRONZEVILLE

HERITAGE TRAILS ASPIRATIONAL QUALITIES

Heritage Walks are a Means of Uncovering the Hidden Riches of the Country

1

2

3

HISTORIC POINDEXTER VILLAGE BUILDINGS

UNION GROVE BAPTIST CHURCH

HERITAGE TRAIL

The Heritage Trail could be a self-guided walking, audio, trolley or segway tour that provides an overview of the African-American influence and history in King-Lincoln / Bronzeville. The tour might identify significant people and locations important in local and national Black history and culture.

This experience should serve as an extension of the Poindexter Village Museum and Cultural Center that would have similar branding, wayfinding and signage markers, making it easily recognizable within the community. A guided tour map or audio guide through your smartphone might allow people to take the trail on their own without the need to arrange a guided tour.

ASHEVILLE URBAN TRAIL

38

MEMPHIS HERITAGE TRAIL

ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA

MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE

In a casual two-hour amble about town, a person interested in exploring the city’s quirky and magical past, along with getting to know many of its larger-than-life historical characters, can follow a string of 30 sculptural trail stations directly into Asheville lore.

The Memphis Heritage Trail (MHT) is a cultural district and expansive community redevelopment plan to celebrate the rich business, cultural, and musical heritage of African American achievements in Memphis, Tennessee. It aims to educate and promote an appreciation for diversity, history, and culture to a global audience through authentic interactive experiences.

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

MLK 7 SITES TOUR

THE GREATER U STREET HERITAGE TRAIL

BOSTON’S FREEDOM TRAIL

ATLANTA, GEORGIA

WASHINGTON, D.C.

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent and Social Change, or The King Center, was established in 1968 by Coretta Scott King and is the official memorial dedicated to the advancement of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

African Americans made the U Street area (now a historic district) one of the city’s most vibrant cultural, residential, and business districts. First settling here during the Civil War, they capitalized on new streetcar lines, inexpensive land, and the absence of residential segregation. By the 1920’s, African Americans had created institutions, businesses, and services that met the needs of area residents

Boston’s iconic Freedom Trail— the 2.5-mile red line leading to 16 nationally significant historic sites, each one an authentic treasure.

Preserved and dedicated by the citizens of Boston in 1951, the Freedom Trail is a unique collection of museums, churches, meeting houses, burying grounds, parks, a ship, and historic markers that tell the story of the American Revolution and beyond.

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

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HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD NEIGHBORHOOD AS THE MUSEUM

Connect Historic Sites Throughout the Neighborhood

St Clair Avenue

N Garfield Aven ue

Atcheson Street

Buckingham Stre

et

Establish a journey through a series of historical sites and places with the aim of discovering the extensive African-American history and culture within King-Lincoln / Bronzeville while benefiting community development and participation.

9 7 19

et

d Stre Edwar

8

10

nue

on Ave

t Vern

Moun

6

eet on Str

Atches

11 Vernon

reet

Spring St

Avenue

Granville Street

5-Minute Walking Radius

12

eet lle Str

Granvi

N Monroe Avenue

N Garfield Aven

ue

Winner Avenue

Champion Avenue

N Ohio Avenue

N 22nd Avenue

Phale D. Hale Drive

Hawthorne Avenue

20 22 “Pedestrian Shed” is a distance that can be covered in five minutes at a normal walking pace—typically shown on a plan as a circle with a quarter-mile radius.

et

Long Stre

21

14

13

23 16

Park

17

GREEN BOOK SITES (STILL STANDING)

40

0

15

E Gay Street

Hamilton

LEGEND

N

N 17th Street

(1/4 Mile)

N 18th Street

Mount

500 FT

24 POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

18

re Broad St

3

WITHIN A 5-MINUTE WALK: 1

UNION GROVE BAPTIST CHURCH

2

BEATTY PARK

WITHIN A 10-MINUTE WALK: 4

eet lle Str

3

MARYLAND POOL

4

MACON HOTEL

5

OLD GOVERNOR’S MANSION

Granvi Granville Street

1 2

WITHIN A 15-MINUTE WALK:

HISTORIC POINDEXTER VILLAGE BUILDINGS

Winner Avenue

N Ohio Avenue

Champion Avenue

Phale D. Hale Drive

Burt Street

N 22nd Avenue

N 21st Avenue

N 20th Avenue

Miami Avenue

Hawthorne Avenue

Eastwood Avenue

6

AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES

7

PARADISE TAVERN

8

THE AVE BEAUTY SHOP

9

ST. CLAIR HOTEL

10

JETER’S RESTAURANT

11

THE KING ARTS COMPLEX

12

SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH

13

MOND’S CLASSIC BEAUTY SHOP

14

THERESA BUILDING

15

HAWKINS TOURIST HOME

16

HAWKINS TOURIST HOME

17

BEATTY-MOORE HOUSE

18

LINUS B. KAUFFMAN HOUSE

WITHIN A 20-MINUTE WALK:

5

eet

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

19

SHILOH BAPTIST CHURCH

20

PLAZA HOTEL

21

LINCOLN THEATER

22

CULTURAL WALL

23

ST. PAUL AME CHURCH

24

BROAD ST. PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

41

HISTORIC SITES GREEN BOOK LOCATIONS

The Green Book was an Important Guide for African-American Travelers Victor Hugo Green created an annual guide of hotels, restaurants, service stations, and other businesses that Black travelers could safely patronize called the Green Book, also known as the Negro Motorist Green Book, beginning in 1936. He continued publishing the Green Book for another thirty years until 1966, after segregation was finally outlawed. —Neighborhood Design Center

42

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

JETER’S RESTAURANT

CURRENTLY AN EMPOWERMENT CENTER

MACON HOTEL

CURRENTLY VACANT

ST. CLAIR HOTEL

CURRENTLY APARTMENTS

MOND’S CLASSIC BEAUTY SHOP

CURRENTLY VACANT

PARADISE TAVERN

CURRENTLY VACANT

HAWKINS TOURIST HOME

CURRENTLY A PRIVATE RESIDENCE

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

THE AVE BEAUTY SHOP

CURRENTLY VACANT

HAWKINS TOURIST HOME

CURRENTLY A PRIVATE RESIDENCE

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HISTORIC SITES

UNION GROVE BAPTIST CHURCH

266 N. CHAMPION AVENUE

BEATTY-MOORE HOUSE

41 N. MONROE AVENUE

44

BEATTY PARK

247 N. OHIO AVENUE

LINUS B. KAUFFMAN HOUSE

906 E. BROAD STREET

MARYLAND POOL

1380 ATCHESON STREET

SHILOH BAPTIST CHURCH

720 MT. VERNON AVENUE

OLD GOVERNOR’S MANSION

1234 E. BROAD STREET

PLAZA HOTEL

736-740 E. LONG STREET

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES

905 MT. VERNON AVENUE

LINCOLN THEATER

769 E. LONG STREET

KING ARTS COMPLEX 835 MT. VERNON AVENUE

CULTURAL WALL

LONG STREET

SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH

186 N. 17TH STREET

ST. PAUL AME CHURCH

639 E. LONG STREET

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

THERESA BUILDING

823 E. LONG STREET

BROAD ST. PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

760 E. BROAD STREET

45

MUSEUM CAMPUS VISION

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER

MUSEUM CAMPUS VISION OPPORTUNITY PROJECTS

Prioritizing the Findings of the Visioning Study Poindexter Village Museum & Cultural Center will serve as a place for unlocking the rich African-American story of the great State of Ohio by highlighting this historic community and its significance to the national Public Housing story and its influence on Black history dating back to the early 1800’s.

I

This Visioning Study has helped to identify priorities for the Poindexter Village Museum & Cultural Center project as we envision the future of African-American history and culture locally, regionally and nationally. In consideration of existing investments and potential future project pursuits, we have outlined opportunity projects summarized during the visioning sessions for further consideration to determine their feasibility and their potential as desired program elements.

J G C

A H A

D

LEGEND A

POINDEXTER VILLAGE BUILDINGS

B

UNION GROVE BAPTIST CHURCH

C

NORTH SIDE ENTRY CONNECTION

D

SOUTH SIDE ATRIUM CONNECTION

E

GATHERING COURTYARD

F

CHAMPION AVENUE PORCHES

G

ENTRY PLAZA & PARK

H

SHORT-TERM PARKING / DROP-OFF

I

LONG-TERM PARKING

J

GRANVILLE STREET / ALLEY

48

E B

F

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

non t Ver

n

Mou

ue Aven

Winner Avenue

I

J

Granville Street

C

N Champion Avenue

F

G A

A E Poindexter Village

H D

B

Phale D. Hale Drive

Champion

Columbus Early Learning Center POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

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EXISITING CONDITIONS A

POINDEXTER VILLAGE BUILDINGS

The Ohio History Connection (OHC) and James Preston Poindexter Foundation (JPPF) have partnered to make the remaining two Poindexter Village buildings Central Ohio’s First African-American Museum and Cultural Center. It is located in Columbus’s east side at 290 N. Champion Avenue. Recent updates to the two historic buildings include removing the storage units in the courtyard area to restore the buildings to their original design.

Existing Images

A

A

50

1

2

3

HISTORIC POINDEXTER VILLAGE BUILDINGS

UNION GROVE BAPTIST CHURCH

HERITAGE TRAIL POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

B

UNION GROVE BAPTIST CHURCH

Union Grove Baptist Church was organized in a log cabin on Mount Vernon Avenue (between North Champion and Winner Avenue) in the spring of 1888. When the little log cabin became too small to accommodate the members a new site was purchased at 218 North Champion Avenue and on July 21st, 1889, the cornerstone was laid. The membership continued to grow and the congregation marched into the new edifice in June 1922. Founding Fathers of this church are Reverends Poindexter, Nash, Meredith and Metcalf.

Existing Images

Next Steps...

Add Union Grove Baptist Church to the campus. Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) and Ohio History Connection (OHC) will propose an MOU agreement to Union Grove that solidifies and establishes a partnership effort to include the church in the operations of the museum. Union Grove Church will include extended property in that agreement to resolve land locked parking and open up the opportunity for the campus experience.

B

2

3

UNION GROVE BAPTIST CHURCH

HERITAGE TRAIL POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

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OPPORTUNITY PROJECTS C

NORTH SIDE ENTRY CONNECTION

It was expressed that the space between the two Historic Poindexter Buildings be connected, while having the original facades of the buildings still be visible to visitors. Referenced arts and cultural museums have achieved this outcome in a variety of ways with modern additions providing new entry experiences.

This space could serve as the “front door” into the Museum and Cultural Center due to the future move of using Union Grove Baptist Church’s property to the east as the main parking facility and holding programs such as: Tickets, Gift Shop and Restrooms Precedent Images

C

Existing Conditions

52

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

D

SOUTH SIDE ATRIUM CONNECTION

This building addition could act as a means to connect the historic Poindexter Village Buildings to Union Grove Baptist Church once an agreement or partnership has been reached at a later time or phase of the project. It is desired to retain the original facades of these portions of the buildings through an atrium connection that could house other modern programming spaces for the community such as: Performing Arts Spaces, Interactive Exhibit Space, Conference Rooms, Offices and a Cafè / Restaurant Precedent Images

D

Existing Conditions

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

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OPPORTUNITY PROJECTS E

GATHERING COURTYARD

The Village was designed to have courtyard spaces shared by all the families between the rows of brick townhomes and the desire to keep this space as a place for people to convene and gather was expressed during the engagement sessions. It was also believed that the courtyard should remain open to the sky, not covered, with the ability to serve as spill-out space for events with lush vegetative gardens and a central water feature.

Precedent Images

E

Existing Conditions

54

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

F

CHAMPION AVENUE PORCHES

The Champion Avenue front porches were the places that parents sat to watch their children play or to socialize with their neighbors. It is imagined that these scenes from the past could be re-enacted with bronze life-size sculptures taken from historic images depicting well-known daily activities. For example, it was of interest to re-create a communal water fountain where children historically quenched their thirst in the front yard to serve as a photo opportunity for museum visitors.

Precedent Images

F

Existing Conditions

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

55

OPPORTUNITY PROJECTS G

ENTRY PLAZA & PARK

The Entry Park respects a historic tree in the community that is often referred to as the “Legacy Tree” symbolizing the “Roots of the Community.” The park would serve as a gateway to the entrance of the Museum and Cultural Center and celebrate the tree’s significance with the placement of additional campus elements such as: A James Poindexter Sculpture, Museum Signage, and Pedestrian Seating Areas

Precedent Images

G

Existing Conditions

56

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

H

SHORT-TERM PARKING / DROP-OFF

The short-term parking and drop-off area would be designed as an auto court with close-proximity options for handicapped visitors and bus drop-offs. This area would also be shared with Union Grove Baptist Church for church-goers on Sundays, deliveries and other agreed upon uses. Bus and shuttle groups could initiate here that would extend your museum experience to the community through the Heritage Trail tour.

Precedent Images

H

Existing Conditions

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

57

OPPORTUNITY PROJECTS I

LONG-TERM PARKING

The long-term parking opportunity will come with an agreement or partnership with Union Grove Baptist Church, the owner of the property. This space is about 725 feet from the Poindexter Museum and Cultural Center (less than a typical 5-minute walk).

Shuttle service could be provided from the parking lot to the front door of the Museum and Cultural Center. Tree lined parking bays and wide vegetated islands would provide for shade and a pleasurable campus parking experience.

Precedent Images I

Existing Conditions

58

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

J

GRANVILLE STREET / ALLEY

Granville Street will be an important connector between the potential future long-term parking area to the east and Poindexter Village Museum and Cultural Center. It was expressed that this street could be restored to brick cobbles (similar to nearby Winner Avenue) and act as an intuitive wayfinding strategy guiding visitors towards the museum, while calming traffic to make the street more pedestrian friendly.

Precedent Images

J

Existing Conditions

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

59

EXISTING EXHIBIT PLAN LOOKING INWARD

The Museum Experience The Poindexter Village Museum and Cultural Center will showcase the rich untold story of the African-American experience in its neighborhood and beyond in order to nurture understanding, inspire success, inform action and empower future generations to build the strong, vibrant and just community they want to live in.

The museum exhibit experience outlined in the Interpretive Plan highlights the restoration of housing units, addition of cultural assets and programmable spaces. A smaller ticketing area with restrooms and a cafe were to be added between the historical buildings and Union Grove Baptist Church. The church was to be renovated and house the Cultural Center and meeting spaces.

60

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

GRANVILLE STREET

CAMPUS VISION PLAN LOOKING OUTWARD C

G

BUILDING CONNECTION

ENTRY PLAZA

FRONT PORCH

The reimagined Poindexter Village Museum and Cultural Center will be Ohio History Connection’s (OHC) 59th site and will chronicle the lives of African-Americans in central Ohio. The King-Lincoln / Bronzeville neighborhood is the heart of the Black experience in Columbus, where residents old and new are drawn to its rich history and come together to discuss the issues of the day.

A

F A

The Public Realm Experience

E COURTYARD

Enhancements to connections between the historic Poindexter Village buildings will help to create modern amenity spaces that provide for enough square footage to house new programs. A future atrium space that will help to connect Poindexter Village with Union Grove Baptist Church may include a theater and forum space to convene monthly groups that can discuss important issues facing the African-American community today.

H SHORT- TERM PARKING / DROP OFF

D BUILDING CONNECTION

B

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

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MUSEUM EXPERIENCE

EXHIBITS & PROGRAMMING

EXHIBITION OPPORTUNITIES THE EXHIBIT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS The exhibit development process has several distinct phases, each with its own content deliverables. Not every project includes every phase. This document focuses on the stages leading up to final design, at which point the exhibit enters the fabrication phase.

•

The Interpretive Master Plan phase identifies the exhibit’s stakeholders and target audiences, outlines key goals and objectives, establishes an interpretive hierarchy, and provides a road map forward for launching a new exhibit.

•

The Concept Design phase develops a single conceptual level solution for content and design.

•

The Schematic Design phase creates a framework for the exhibit’s content.

•

The Design Development phase transforms content from an outline to a final script and articulates the design.

•

The Final Design phase finalizes the script, design details, and graphic layouts into a production-ready biddable package.

Exhibition Opportunities: Many exhibition opportunities are already underway with partners of Poindexter Village. The Columbus Museum of Art and The Ohio State University have been donating artifacts and are studying significant historic events with the hope that eventually they will be displayed at the Poindexter Village Museum and Cultural Center.

Collections for Indoor Displays

Aminah Robinson Library (CMA)

Columbus Ghost Neighborhoods (OSU)

House, Home, Community: The History of Poindexter Village (OSU)

Creative Space Placement

Poindexter Village Brought Back to Life with Virtual Reality (OSU)

Display Neighborhood Stories Themed Exhibitions Ancestral History & Significance

A Guide To Exhibit Development, Smithsonian Exhibits 64

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

REDLINING AS A TOOL FOR EDUCATION - THE GHOST NEIGHBORHOODS PROJECT

Some of the most impacted neighborhoods include Hanford Village and Bronzeville on the east side, and Flytown just north of downtown.

The 1956 National Interstate and Defense Highways Act impacted lives and cities across the United States by constructing what we now call the Interstate Highway system. Planners of the system routed some highways, often purposely, through vulnerable and deprived neighborhoods occupied by people of color. Once thriving and full neighborhoods, these neighborhoods were split and, in some cases, even fully demolished for these urban highways. Within the span of a few years these neighborhoods lost not only homes and people, but shops, jobs and their vitality. This caused an economic downturn in many of these neighborhoods that lasts until the present day. Remaining residents still live with the negative consequences of these highways, including disconnections, poor air quality, noise and road trauma.

The Ghost Neighborhoods project will highlight these lost and damaged neighborhoods by using machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques to extract data from Sanborn maps to create and populate a GIS database, allowing the creation of 3D visualizations and support spatial analysis. The Ghost Neighborhoods team includes CURA Director Harvey Miller, Associate Director Ningchuan Xiao, Outreach Coordinator Gerika Logan, geography PhD candidate Yue Lin, undergraduate history majors Eva Heyer and Michael Smith, and faculty affiliates Jason Reece (Knowlton School) and Joshua Sadvari (OSU Libraries).

The construction of interstate highways frequently divided predominantly Black neighborhoods, including Hanford Village, Bronzeville and Flytown - shown above with their approximate original boundaries. Columbus Metropolitan Library, Dispatch Archives

“Residential security map” shows red areas that were the least desirable and where the federal government would not back loans. Such maps led to the practice of “redlining” or denying loans to poor, ethnic and Black neighborhoods. The Ohio State University Libraries

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PROGRAMMING OPPORTUNITIES INTERPRETIVE PLAN FINDINGS 1. Gatherings

A central desire identified in development of the James Preston Poindexter Foundation is for Poindexter Village to be a gathering space: we seek active engagement and relevance with neighbors, and we are a beacon that calls the community home. These intentions suggest an active program of events to attract people.

And for the times when the space is not actively programmed, it may serve as a place for community members to gather informally.

2. Tours

Poindexter Village should develop regular guided tours of the apartments, as well as school tours of the exhibits and, someday, historical tours of the neighborhood.

3. Genealogy

Interior Opportunities: In addition to the programming outlined in the Interpretive Plan, other desirable interior programs were noted that the community members and stakeholders are interested in seeing in the Poindexter Village Museum and Cultural Center:

Affordable Housing Forums / Theater

Venue / Event Space

Program Space

This would be a combination of digital access to common genealogy sites that typically charge a subscription, plus physical and digital access to Columbus and Poindexter Village-specific materials.

4. Collections

Poindexter Village should also facilitate transferring items to Ohio History Connection (OHC) if the owner chooses to do so, or returning them to the owner after gathering. Poindexter Village should host programs with collections staff from (OHC) on the care and preservation of archival materials.

5. Long-Term Research

Cafè / Restaurant

Poindexter Village should be an instigator and sponsor of historical research on African-Americans in Columbus. Priority projects: Collect and organize the names of everyone who lived at Poindexter Village, correlated with addresses and years, find and document every piece of footage and photo possible about Poindexter Village, and create a 3D model of Bronzeville based on historical sources.

Art Gallery Meeting / Conference Space

6. Incubation

A co-working/incubator space on the second floor of the Museum.

Related to any sort of business incubator is the recurring idea of an artist space, whether a studio residency or gallery. This deserves further discussion with the Columbus Museum of Art, which is developing its own program nearby at the Aminah Robinson house.

7. The Cultural Learning Center

It is our understanding that the programs fall under the umbrella of the Cultural Learning Center. The following ideas should be discussed when working with architects on the building: Open Space, Digital Collections Lab, Oral History Studio

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Gift Shop

Live / Work Units Audio / Recording Studio

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

Exterior Opportunities: In addition to the programming outlined in the Interpretive Plan, other desirable exterior programs were noted that the community members and stakeholders are interested in seeing in the Poindexter Village Museum and Cultural Center.

Courtyard Gathering Space

Statue Program

Legacy Tree

Outdoor Exhibition Space

Entry Park Playground

Water Fountain

Music / Performance Area Reflective Space

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

Walking / Shuttle Tours

Donor Wall / Cultural Wall Extension

Signage, Wayfinding & Branding

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PROGRAMMING OPPORTUNITIES

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Digital Story Telling Lab

Shuttle Tours

Poindexter Village Replication

Aminah Robinson Library

Re-Enactment Sculptures

Venue / Events Space

Arts Programs

Music & Performances

Legacy Tree Preservation

Statue Program

Education Opportunities

Reflective Space

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

Forum / Theater Space

Outdoor Exhibits

Events & Programming

Map / Audio Tour

Learning Center

Augmented Reality

Live Recording Studio

Cafè / Restaurant

Geneology Lab

Gift Shop

Interactive Exhibits

Donor Wall

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THE JOURNEY TO 2025

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER

NEXT STEPS & PROJECT PHASING HOW WE GET THERE

The Journey to 2025

INTERIOR SPACE PLANNING

This moment in time provides a critical inflection point to take stock and create a bold vision to shape the next chapter of Poindexter Village Museum and Cultural Center.

GRANVILLE STREET

The design team, Ohio History Connection (OHC) stakeholder group, the James Preston Poindexter Foundation (JPPF) and community members have helped to envision what the Poindexter Village Museum and Cultural Center might look like over the next several years and how to progress to an action plan for 2025.

GRANVILLE STREET

NORTH ENTRY CONNECTION

NORTH ENTRY CONNECTION

COURTYARD

POINDEXTER VILLAGE BUILDING 2

POINDEXTER VILLAGE BUILDING 1

CHAMPION AVENUE PORCHES

COURTYARD

ENTRY PARK

POINDEXTER VILLAGE BUILDING 2

POINDEXTER VILLAGE BUILDING 1

ENTRY PARK CHAMPION AVENUE PORCHES

Next steps should focus on fundraising and budgeting that will likely have a heavy influence on the beginning phases of the project. Our team has listened and considered various points of view in association with the vision of these concepts. While more work is to be done, a groundswell of support is building for a new way to think about the assets available for this project.

EXTERIOR SPACE PLANNING

SHORT-TERM PARKING / DROP-OFF SOUTH ATRIUM CONNECTION

SOUTH ATRIUM CONNECTION

UNION GROVE BAPTIST CHURCH

UNION GROVE BAPTIST CHURCH

DESIGN TEAM

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SHORT-TERM PARKING / DROP-OFF

INTERIOR + EXTERIOR SPACE PLANNING

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

CONCEPTUAL TIMELINE JAN 2023

FEB 2023

MAR 2023

APR 2023

MAY 2023

JUN 2023

JUL 2023

AUG 2023

SEPT 2023

OCT 2023

NOV 2023

DEC 2023

Circulate Vision, Re-Interpretation Plan REALM Visioning Sessions & Package

JAN 2024

FEB 2024

MAR 2024

APR 2024

Circulate Vision, Re-Interpretation Plan

MAY 2024

JUN 2024

JUL 2024

AUG 2024

SEPT 2024

OCT 2024

Build Design Team

NOV 2024

DEC 2024

Internal Teams (Programming / Development) Begin Priority Projects

Concept Design & Renderings

Preliminary Cost Estimate

Schematic Design Phase Fundraising

JAN 2025

FEB 2025

MAR 2025

APR 2025

MAY 2025

JUN 2025

JUL 2025

AUG 2025

SEPT 2025

OCT 2025

NOV 2025

DEC 2025

Internal Teams (Programming / Development) Begin Priority Projects Design Development Phase / Construction Documentation

Project Groundbreaking / Construction Phase

Fundraising

Ohio History Connection

Design Team

Fundraising Team

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PROJECT COALITION NEW PARTNERSHIP & ADVOCATES

Growing Strategic Partnerships and Relationships It is imperative to continue to grow strategic partnerships and relationships at the State, City and Neighborhood levels. During our engagement sessions a number of existing and proposed partners came to light and further engagement should be considered to grow the project coalition in the delivery of this groundbreaking project. In addition, building a team of national advocates and partners will help to raise awareness and build a shared knowledge base throughout the country.

Other Strategic Partnerships: Outside of the existing partnerships outlined in the Interpretive Plan, we repeatedly heard other desirable collaborations that the community members and stakeholders are interested in seeking to engage in the development of the Poindexter Museum and Cultural Center.

Columbus City Schools

National African American Museums

Martin Luther King Jr. Museum

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Priscilla Tyson

Sen. Hearcel Craig

National Public Housing Museum

Other Neighborhood Churches

Adelphi Bank Columbus Foundation

POINDEXTER VILLAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER | VISION & FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

EXISTING PARTNERSHIPS

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Public Realm Designer

Client

100 east broad street, suite 1710 columbus, ohio 43215 614.670.7390

800 east 17th avenue columbus, ohio 43211 614.297.2300

www.realmcollaborative.com

www.ohiohistory.org