May 26, 2022 - News
9 historic sites added to Columbus' Most Endangered list
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The Sprague House and the former home of Farm Crest Bakeries are two entries on the 2022 Most Endangered Sites list. Photos courtesy the Columbus Landmarks Foundation
An old theater, a community center that once aided immigrants and a church modeled off of George Washington's house of worship are entries on this year's list of Most Endangered Sites.
Why it matters: The nine properties highlighted by the Columbus Landmarks Foundation have "architectural, cultural and historical value" dating back to the early 1800s.
- Properties on earlier lists like the former Kroger commercial bakery on Cleveland Avenue have gone on to be saved and redeveloped, while others like The Main Bar were eventually demolished.
Some notable entries in 2022:
South Dormitory at Columbus Public Health
- Once used for the old Ohio State School for the Blind, this property was slated for the wrecking ball to make room for a new parking lot before city councilmembers stepped in to save it.
- It's unclear what the site — also listed on the National Register of Historic Places — will ultimately be used for.
Eldon Smith House
- This historic home has served many purposes, including as an HIV/AIDS hospice center.
- It is here that the "Photo That Changed the Face of AIDS" was taken and published in a 1990 issue of Life magazine.
Main Theater
- This local theater opened on Christmas Day 1937, the same day as the Drexel Theater.
- It entertained residents in the Franklin Park neighborhood until the 1960s and still sports its original marquee display.
