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German Village, an historic neighborhood
John C. Kazalia
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Brick streets run through this historic, restored community on the south side of downtown Columbus, originally built by German immigrants and primarily between Livingston Avenue and Greenlawn Avenue east of S. High Street. German Village is one of the country's largest individually owned, privately financed neighborhood restorations.
German Village was settled by German immigrants throughout the 1800s. During World War I, Germans living in the area began leaving due to anti-German hostilities. Prohibition in 1919 shut down the Brewery District, contributing more to the decline of the area. In 1923, areas to the south were zoned industrial, and then the Great Depression took its toll on the area. Many families left the area and many dwellings became owned by absentee landlords; the result was an area filled with properties that fell into neglect. During the 1950s, northern areas of German Village were torn down in an urban renewal project that saw the construction of the innerbelt. But soon a major transformation would take place to return German Village to its original glory.
In 1960 the German Village Society and German Village Commission were formed, marking the beginning of a new interest in the historic area. As a result of restoration efforts of these groups and private individuals willing to take a chance on the area, German Village is now 233 acres of living history containing over 1,600 restored buildings that comprise the largest privately funded historical district in the National Register of Historic Places.
Today, highlights of the historic and interesting structures in German Village include:
The German Village Meeting Haus at 588 S. Third St. is open weekday hours Monday-Saturday with video tours, walking tours, visitor information and more. Read more about area tours and more at germanvillage.org.
Related Resources
German Village LinksGerman Village MapOfficial German Village Web Site
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