Franklin County Ohio (Historic Districts) has 37 places on the National Register of Historic Places including 2 places of National significance and 8 places of Statewide significance. Significant places include Rush Creek Village Historic District, Temperance Row Historic District, Columbus Near East Side District, East Broad Street Historic District and East Town Street Historic District.
Many famous people are associated with these Franklin County historic places including Purley A. Baker, James Thurber, Harry M. Daugherty, Dr. Samuel B. Hartman and Nicholas Schlee.
Some of the country's most noteable architects helped create the Franklin County places including Theodore van Fossen, Wakefield, Richard, et al, Miller & Reeves, George Bellows Sr., J. Snyder, Col. T.C. Bradford, Frank L. Packard, Florence Kenyon Hayden, Frank Packard and Roy Heaton. Prominent architectural styles found in Franklin Country are Italianate, Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals and Late Victorian.
Historic Significance:
Architecture/Engineering
Architect, builder, or engineer:
Wakefield, Richard, et al, van Fossen, Theodore
Architectural Style:
Other
Area of Significance:
Landscape Architecture, Architecture, Community Planning And Development
Period of Significance:
1975-2000, 1950-1974, 1925-1949
Historic Function:
Domestic, Landscape, Transportation
Historic Sub-function:
Natural Feature, Pedestrian Related, Road-Related, Secondary Structure, Single Dwelling
Current Function:
Domestic, Landscape, Transportation, Work In Progress
Current Sub-function:
Natural Feature, Road-Related, Secondary Structure, Single Dwelling
Rush Creek Village Historic District, located in Worthington, Franklin County, Ohio, is nationally significant as the largest contiguous subdivision of Usonian-style homes in the United States. Begun in 1948, the community was envisioned by Martha and Richard Wakefield, who sought to create an affordable, cohesive neighborhood built in harmony with the natural environment. They partnered with designer and builder Theodore van Fossen, who planned the subdivision and designed nearly all of the district's approximately 50 homes. Heavily inspired by the organic architecture principles of Frank Lloyd Wright, these Usonian homes feature low-pitched roofs, deep cantilevered overhangs, open floor plans, radiant-heated concrete floors, and extensive use of natural materials such as cedar, brick, and glass. The neighborhood was meticulously laid out to follow the rugged, scenic contours of the area's ravines and mature woodlands, deliberately avoiding traditional gridiron street layouts and formal lawns in favor of a shared, naturalistic landscape.
The historic district is exceptionally significant under National Register Criterion C for its outstanding contribution to mid-century modern architecture and community planning. At a time when post-World War II housing developments favored rapid mass production and the clearing of native landscapes, Rush Creek Village stood as a pioneering counterpoint that prioritized ecological preservation. To maintain the integrity of the community, the Wakefields implemented strict deed restrictions and architectural covenants that regulated home sizes, materials, and placement, ensuring that no house obstructed the view of another and that the native flora remained undisturbed. Today, Rush Creek Village remains remarkably well-preserved, standing as a premier, living testament to the successful application of Wrightian organic design principles on a suburban residential scale.
Historic Significance:
Event, Person, Architecture/Engineering
Architectural Style:
Colonial Revival, Bungalow/Craftsman
Historic Person:
Baker, Purley A., et al.
Area of Significance:
Social History, Architecture
Period of Significance:
1925-1949, 1900-1924
Historic Function:
Domestic, Domestic, Domestic, Education
Historic Sub-function:
Library, Multiple Dwelling, Secondary Structure, Single Dwelling
Current Function:
Domestic, Domestic, Domestic, Education
Current Sub-function:
College, Multiple Dwelling, Secondary Structure, Single Dwelling
The Temperance Row Historic District, located in Westerville, Ohio, holds national historical significance as the residential enclave for the executive leadership of the Anti-Saloon League of America during the height of the national temperance movement. Established after the League relocated its national headquarters and printing operations to Westerville in 1909, the neighborhood became home to the organization's most influential figures, including founder Howard Hyde Russell, general superintendent Purley Baker, and publishing director Ernest Cherrington. From this concentrated cluster of homes, these leaders orchestrated the highly sophisticated political lobbying and propaganda campaigns that ultimately culminated in the ratification of the 18th Amendment in 1919, establishing nationwide Prohibition and cementing Westerville's reputation as the "Dry Capital of the World."
Architecturally, the district is comprised of a cohesive collection of early 20th-century homes built primarily between 1909 and 1930, with a strong emphasis on the Craftsman, Bungalow, and American Foursquare styles. These dwellings reflect the middle-class sensibilities and Progressive-era design preferences of their original occupants, characterized by natural materials, low-pitched rooflines, wide porches, and integrated landscaping. Retaining an exceptional degree of historic integrity, the Temperance Row Historic District stands as a unique physical monument to a powerful socio-political crusade that fundamentally altered the constitutional and cultural landscape of the United States.