Preservation Month: High Uptown Revitalization

Above: The Rankin House was built for James Rankin, owner of The Rankin Hotel, who immigrated to Columbus from Ayrshire, Scotland. Work began prior to the Civil War but was not completed until 1870. The construction of the house is attributed to Lawrence Wimberly Wall. The Rankin family and descendants lived in the home until the 1950s. It was donated to Historic Columbus Foundation in 1968 by the Woodruff family.

High Uptown is a 20-acre National Register Historic District comprised of 39 contributing historic structures ranging from construction dates of 1860 to 1954. The neighborhood is within the original planned city boundaries of Columbus, just north of the Central Business District from 13th Street north to Railroad Street on Second and Third Avenues. This district has a fine collection of circa 1850-1920 houses.

Original residents included some of Columbus' most prominent citizens of the day – the Woodruffs, the Illges family, the Bullards, the Rankins, and the Garretts – as well as mill workers and laborers, such as Isaac Maund, who built modest vernacular houses in the area.

The homes in the 1600 block of Third Avenue were representative of the economic mix of people within this historic area, as well as its racial diversity. They were a significant testimony to this being an integrated neighborhood in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. 

Above: The African American families that originally lived in the homes include John and Annie Phillips (carpenter), John and Gertrude Godwin (plumber), John and Hester Stewart (miller), William and Maude Price (post office), Wiley and Sarah Storey (hackman), Charles Bolen (carpenter), Lon Allen (laborer), Simeon and Alvavia Smith (wheelwright), Charles and Margaret Mischke (umbrella repairman), and John and Florence Lecroy (flagman).

Below: On the left, the Isaac Maund House, 1608 3rd Avenue, was built in 1890 as a Folk Victorian Gabled Ell Cottage. This home was one of the more elaborate smaller cottages in the neighborhood. It was built by its owner, Isaac Maund. Isaac was a Black mill worker at the Eagle & Phenix Mill. He would later work as a carpenter.

All of these homes were demolished over the past thirty years.

Above: The Illges House was built in 1850 and owned by members of the Illges family for over 100 years. It later served as the offices to the Christian Fellowship Association (CFA), an antique shop, and a private residence. Historic Columbus sold the house in the 1990s to the River Valley Regional Commission. In 2016, the home was purchased and beautifully renovated for an event venue by Dina Woodruff, a descendent of the Woodruff/Illges family.

The earliest houses constructed in the High Uptown Historic District are the Illges – Woodruff House (c.1850) and the Rankin House (c.1860 - 1870). The lots that originally went with these homes were considerably larger than they are now and ran from 2nd Avenue to 3rd Avenue.

An 1872 Bird's Eye View Map of Columbus shows houses fully established within the High Uptown area. The Illges - Woodruff House and the Rankin House can easily be identified (below, SE corner of Bridge Street and today's 2nd Avenue). It is questionable as to whether or not the house on the southwest corner of 2nd Avenue and Bridge Street (today's 15th Street) can be identified as the Schley Peabody Warner House. The Schley-Peabody-Warner House, c.1838, was relocated to its current site sometime prior to the turn of the twentieth century and the Alexander McGehee Woodall House, c.1845, was moved to its current location from one block north in 1998.

Above: (L) The Peabody-Warner House was built by Philip Thomas Schley, c.1838 and originally located at the intersection of First Avenue and Tenth Street, it was dismantled after 1858 for the construction of First Presbyterian Church. The house was then reconstructed for Columbus attorney Colonel Seaborn Jones. George Foster Peabody, the noted philanthropist, also once lived in the house. It remained in the Warner family for over 100 years.

(R) McGehee Woodall House on the move in 1998. The house was built, c.1845, by Robert B. Alexander one block north from its current location. In 1872, Col. Allen McGehee purchased the property, and his family lived in the home for 77 years.

Above: One of the most unique houses is the Bullard Hart Sampson House. It was built for Dr. William Lewis Bullard in 1891 and owned until 1978 by his descendants, Mary Bullard and Myra Bullard Hart. It is considered one of Columbus’ most extravagant residences. In 1972, while Dr. Lloyd Sampson was stationed at Ft. Benning as a young dermatologist, his wife Gloria explored Columbus’ neighborhoods and was enamored with the beautiful homes in High Uptown. The Sampsons would serve as caretakers for the house for several years and in 1978, they purchased the home. Since then, the Sampson’s have purchased three adjacent properties to protect the house from encroachment over the years. The Sampsons and their early investment were crucial to make today's revitalization efforts possible.

Above: (L) 1420 Second Avenue was built by Mr. and Mrs. Henry Lindsay Woodruff. Their eldest son James Waldo Woodruff and his bride, the former Ethel Illges, also lived in this house. It was at one time the home of WRBL radio station, “1420” on your radio dial.

(R) The home of Ernest and Emily W. Woodruff and the birthplace of their son, Robert Winship Woodruff. Robert moved to Atlanta and was a leading industrialist. Through his vision and leadership, Coca-Cola became the world’s refreshment. Both houses were gifts to Historic Columbus by the Woodruff family in the 1970s.

Below: This High Victorian townhouse was built by Col. Joseph Simpson Garrett in the early 1880s. Col. Garrett was a prominent businessman and also served as postmaster. In 1907, the house was acquired by Mr. O. C. Bullock, President of the Merchants and Mechanics Bank, forerunner of the current Wells Fargo. The house remained a private residence until the 1980s when Historic Columbus acquired it.

By the early 1990s, Historic Columbus held five historic properties from High Uptown in the Janice P. Biggers Revolving Redevelopment Fund. They included the Illges House, the Henry L. Woodruff House, the Ernest Woodruff House, the Garrett Bullock House, and the Lion House.

During that decade, all five structures found new, sympathetic buyers. The Illges House was sold to the Columbus Housing Authority to serve as the home of the Lower Chattahoochee Regional Development Center for the next 20 years until descendant Dina Woodruff purchased and renovated the home in 2016. The two Woodruff homes and the Garrett Bullock House were sold to local restoration contractor Larry Bussey, who maintained the Henry L. Woodruff House as his residence and for his family. The Ernest Woodruff House and the Garrett Bullock House were later sold by Mr. Bussey, and they both now await a new future.

Historic Columbus also purchased The Lion House in the early 1990s. It had suffered a devastating fire and was threatened to be demolished. Major Brian Luedtke acquired the home from HCF and carefully restored the Lion House to its former glory.

This house was built by Dr. Thomas Hoxey, a pioneer settler and leading citizen. The house was designed by Stephen Button, a Philadelphia architect. It is an Egyptian variation of the Greek Revival style with lotus leaf details appearing on the capitals of the columns and over the door. The Nubian lions on the stoops are unusual in that one is asleep, and one is awake.

Substantial private development has also been made in High Uptown over the past several decades through several commercial/office and adaptive use projects. The continued work and investment of individuals alongside Historic Columbus' efforts has established a great partnership to secure the future of High Uptown. These are a sample of projects thanks to incredible local partners.

Sixteenth Street School (above left), 1532 3rd Avenue, was built in 1893. It is a two-story brick Romanesque Revival style building. The school has been the home of The House of Mercy for many years.

The Methodist Tabernacle (above right), 1601 3rd Avenue, was constructed in 1912-13. The church features a Greek cross plan with a cross-gabled roof, Doric columns at the entrance, and a central dome. In the 1950s, an addition was added to the side of the church for Sunday school rooms and administrative offices. The building was purchased in 2008 by Will Burgin and Jackson Burgin, Inc. They saw the potential of the buildings and the northern section of High Uptown.

John Paul Illges House (below left), 1425 3rd Avenue, c.1912, is a two-and-a-half story brick house with Jacobethan elements including stepped parapet gables on the front and south side and a parapet gable dormer. This Illges House was home to United Way for many years and then the office of French & Associates. It was purchased and renovated a few years ago by Ken Henson for apartments. This past year, Dina Woodruff began a wonderful transformation for the house to become a new event venue.

Blackmar-Ellis House (below right), 1336 3rd Avenue, was originally constructed in the early 1880s as a Queen Anne house with Folk Victorian elements but was redesigned c.1900 by architect Henrietta Dozier. This was the home of the Alfred Owen Blackmar family. Alfred Owen Blackmar II was a banker in town and was very active in civil affairs until his death. It later served as a funeral home and headquarters for the Stewart Community Home. A few years ago, the home was beautifully renovated to become a doctor's office.

By 2015, High Uptown had made significant progress in its overall revitalization, but more was needed to better connect it with the success happening in Uptown and to improve the overall Second Avenue Corridor. That year, Historic Columbus was excited to be given the opportunity to save and stabilize the two remaining buildings at City Mills through a partnership with Ken Henson. City Mills was the last endangered mill within the National Historic Landmark District. The project was also the perfect centerpiece for HCF to celebrate 50 years of saving places in our community. Thanks to the donors of the Save Me A Place Capital Campaign, Historic Columbus was able to invest $1.2 Million in the stabilization.

When HCF partnered with Ken, the goal/purpose was to make a future possible for City Mills. Mr. Henson then found a long-term partner in Pezold Management. Jack Pezold and Tracy Sayers were able to see the adaptive re-use possibilities in the buildings for a new boutique hotel. Our investment was then returned once our membership in City Mills, LLC was purchased.

In 2019, Historic Columbus purchased three houses on 3rd Avenue (1523, 1531, and 1535 Third Avenue, above). to save and stabilize the structures. We were also successful in securing a $75,000.00 grant from the 1772 Foundation to assist with their rehab work. These houses were promptly sold with Façade Easements to Ken Henson as a part of his greater apartment development efforts now called 1516 Uptown Apartments, which allowed those funds to quickly return to the Janice P. Biggers Revolving Redevelopment Fund.

Not wanting to let the dust settle, Historic Columbus turned those funds around and purchased a longtime vacant and abandoned property, the Walter Hurt Cargill House (1415 3rd Avenue, below) in February 2020 to stabilize and resell. Vacant for nearly 25 years, Historic Columbus purchased the house and performed some basic maintenance and much needed stabilization. Kelly Hicks and Jeff Alfano promptly saw the potential in the property and sought out Historic Columbus in hopes of purchasing and renovating the property as their primary residence after a relocation from New York state. Kelly and Jeff directed a wholesale renovation of the home and are now permanent residents of the High Uptown Historic District.

Also in 2020, the Historic Columbus Board of Directors established High Uptown as one of three preservation priority areas for the organization. They recognized the tremendous past efforts and knew that with a strategic plan in place, continued revitalization and transformation would happen.

City Mills also became a catalyst for further redevelopment in the greater High Uptown area. The creation of City Mills Hotel allowed for a larger vision. In total, nearly $100 million in new investment came out of the ground along 2nd Avenue between 13th Street and 21st Street. Maybe it was a coincidence, maybe not, but what all that new investment does tell, is a compelling story in how it’s possible for a run-down vacant and abandoned mill building to give developers, investors, community advocates, and residents a reason to think about an area differently.

High Uptown and the Second Avenue Corridor are receiving a lot of attention from house renovations to a new apartment development. commercial development, and a medical school. These projects include – the Chase Homes redevelopment (now The Banks at Mill Village), 1516 Uptown Apartments, Mercer School of Medicine, a new Salvation Army, and Highside Market, among others. These are exciting investments not only for High Uptown, but also the greater community.

It is the hard work and vision of private investment and the Historic Columbus Membership that make historic preservation possible. The two work hand in hand to make a difference in Columbus and remind us why this place matters.

For the last 59 years, Historic Columbus – thanks to the continued support and confidence of our members – has served the Columbus community in a variety of ways through advocacy efforts, in addition to preserving and telling the stories of our places and history. Although that work has evolved, more often than not it translates to Historic Columbus putting its money where its mouth is and purchasing a historic building to stand in the gap between imminent demolition and stabilization.

Thank you for reading about the revitalization of High Uptown and for your support of historic preservation in Columbus. Happy Preservation Month!!