History of the Near East Side
The Near East Side of Columbus, OH, is a historically rich and vibrant neighborhood that has undergone significant transformation over the years. Developed in the 19th century, it became a hub for working-class families and immigrants with strong ties to the city's industrial growth. Over time, the area has seen periods of decline and revitalization, marked by efforts to preserve its historic architecture and community spirit.
Today, the Near East Side blends a diverse cultural heritage with a growing focus on redevelopment, creating a dynamic atmosphere that honors its past while looking toward the future. The neighborhood continues to evolve from historic landmarks to new businesses and residential developments.
Explore the detailed information below for a deeper look into the neighborhood’s history and the ongoing changes shaping its future.
Bronzeville History
“Bronzeville” was coined by James Gentry, a theater reviewer for the Chicago Bee. He promoted Bronzeville to describe the color of the residents in a Chicago community, and the name resonated with others across the country. In the 1900s, Columbus Blacks adopted the name for a unique and prosperous community that was formed near the east side of Columbus.
Bronzeville today is the area from Broad Street to the south, 20th Street to the east, Atcheson Street to the north, and I-71 to the west. Woodland St. bound the original Bronzeville neighborhood to the east, Cleveland Ave. to the west, the Pennsylvania Railroad (now 1-670) to the north and Broad St. to the south.
Olde Towne East Origins
Olde Towne East is a former bedroom community of the 19th and 20th centuries. It was one of the very first suburban areas in Columbus, Ohio which was made possible by the installation of the city’s first horse-drawn streetcars starting in 1863.
Olde Towne East, as it is called today, was annexed into the city of Columbus in 1870. It had previously been an area of family-operated farms and countryside stretching along the National Road, Main Street from Washington D.C.
Stories of Impact from
The Columbus Foundation
A century ago, the Near East Side was among the more diverse neighborhoods in Columbus in terms of race and wealth. For many years, Black-owned businesses in the neighborhood thrived, and many affluent Black residents called the Near East Side home. The area also emerged as a bustling entertainment district, welcoming and raising prominent musicians, artists, and other creatives. In fact, Mt. Vernon Avenue in King-Lincoln Bronzeville was once known as the “Million Dollar Mile” because of the neighborhood’s role as the center for Black wealth, culture, and society.
However, due to racially discriminatory policies and practices—such as redlining by banks and the construction of freeways that cut through the neighborhood, severing its connection to Downtown Columbus—the Near East Side experienced decades of population loss and disinvestment. Over time, residents faced more and more challenges.
My Near East Side Home Has a Story to Tell
Less than a year after arriving in Columbus as a professor at Ohio State, I decided to put down roots in the city's Near East Side. To me, it was the most exciting neighborhood in Columbus—less dense, more diverse, and not overrun with yuppies like the Short North or German Village. In the spring of 2005, I found the North of Broad development, where they were building new homes on vacant lots. When I first saw what would be my home, it was only a frame without walls or insulation. I was so excited that I purchased what was supposed to be the model home.
How highways destroyed Black neighborhoods in the '60s, as told by elders who were there
Hanford was founded as a village in 1909, and was originally bordered by Main Street on the north, Alum Creek on the east, Livingston Avenue on the south and Lilley Avenue on the west. It became a predominantly Black municipality by the 1920s and had its own mayor and police department. (It was annexed to Columbus in 1955.)
Beginning in 1946, the Federal Housing Administration financed the construction of 146 Cape Cod homes in the middle class area, marketed to Black veterans as the Hanford Village George Washington Carver Addition. A number of Tuskegee Airmen lived in the community.
Woodland Park neighborhood like a suburb in the city
A decade ago, Jeff Lafever moved into a house and neighborhood that perfectly suit his vocation.
Lafever, director of the Columbus Historical Society, lives in a grand stucco and brick house built in 1906. His neighborhood is Woodland Park, one of the city's first upscale subdivisions.
He said the details of the old Hawthorne Park house and the history of the Near East Side neighborhood drew him in.