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A taste of Columbus' past
By Ken Canfield
Staff Writer
If you want a good taste of Columbus' past, then German Village is the place to go.
You'll find upscale dining, coffee shops, cafes, and a winery in a pretty, brick-lined neighborhood built by German settlers in the early 1800s. You'll also come across bed and breakfasts, entertainment, antiques shops, bookstores and art galleries on your way to a history lesson.
German Village, a 233-acre vertical wedge below Interstate 70 and downtown Columbus, began as South Columbus. German immigrants--mostly stone masons, tradesmen and brewery workers--were settling there by the time the city became the state capital in 1812. By the end of the Civil War, one-third of Columbus' residents were Germans, and the South End was thriving.
That changed in the 1900s, when a series of events succeeded in scattering members of the close-knit community.
German-Americans experienced a great blow to their heritage during World War I. German street names were changed, teaching of German in schools was discontinued, and German textbooks were publicly burned in Columbus.
Prohibition hit in 1919, closing the local breweries that employed many Germans. In the 1930s, the Depression finished off the neighborhood's glory days.
German-Americans moved out and the area fell into the hands of absentee landlords in the 1950s. Part of the area was bulldozed, and the rest of it nearly was, too.
The German Village Society grew out of the neglect and began restoration in the 1960s. The neighborhood was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in the 1970s. It became a trendy mix of old and new, bringing back residents, shops and restaurants.
The German Village Society offers group tours with a video that provides an overview of the area's history and rehabilitation. There are seven walking tours, including one for children. Tours begin at the German Village Meeting Haus, 588 S. Third St.
And while there, remember that a good meal and drink often make history more palatable.
Contact Ken Canfield at (937) 225-2259.
HOW TO GO
- What: German Village, a historic preservation district.
- Where: Drive east on Interstate 70 from the Miami Valley and take exit 100B in Columbus. The neighborhood is six blocks south of the State Capitol via Third Street.
- Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday, Closed Monday.
- Information: Contact the German Village Society at (614) 221-8888 or [Web site]
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