Inside the historic Baptist HQ restored in Columbus
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Otto Beatty points to new stained glass windows at the former Ohio Baptist General Association headquarters. His real estate company helped restore the building. Photos: Tyler Buchanan/Axios
A once-thriving religious hub central to the civil rights movement has been saved from disrepair on Parkwood Avenue.
Why it matters: The old Ohio Baptist General Association headquarters was once a cornerstone of community and activism. It now offers affordable housing as a noteworthy example of historic preservation.
- It's the latest stop on our Franklin County Historical Marker tour.
State of play: Kelley Companies and Otto Beatty Real Estate spent several years restoring the HQ and adding a nearby building for 36 apartment units.
- Axios toured the site with Beatty shortly before his appointment to the Columbus City Council.
Flashback: OBGA was founded in 1896 as an association of Ohio's Black Baptist churches.
- The group moved to 48 Parkwood Ave. in the mid-1950s.
- The building, located across from East High School, was originally a family home dating back to the early 1900s.
Between the lines: The move came during a critical time in American racial history, when segregation and violence were still rampant.
- The new HQ held regular civil rights meetings and brought in leadership from the local NAACP chapter.
- OBGA passed a resolution condemning the 1955 murder of Emmett Till in Mississippi and subsequently advocated for desegregated schools.
- "These activities were consistent with the long-standing practices of Black churches to weave theological beliefs into the daily struggle of its members, actively promoting social, political, and economic justice," reads a historical display in the lobby.
The HQ also offered spiritual and social engagement.
- A women's auxiliary group taught workshops, while a youth rally drew thousands yearly.
- It held Sunday school education for children and a "Baptist training union" for new ministers.
OBGA left Parkwood Avenue in the 1990s.
- The vacant site made the Columbus Landmarks' endangered buildings list in 2018 before developers took on the project.
The intrigue: Maintaining historical accuracy proved to be a challenge with few photos of the original interior available as inspiration.
- Beatty and others instead relied on architectural consultants and old-timers' memories.
- Some distinctive pieces remain, including the front porch tiling and decorative wall coverings along the stairs leading to a restored stained glass window.
The complex reopened in 2023 with a historical marker and a new slogan: "Where history meets modern living."
5️⃣5️⃣ down, 76 to go.
