Ohio History Center, Ohio Village now listed on National Register of Historic Places

Two local places that are known for preserving history were themselves noted as historic this month.

On Friday, the Ohio History Connection’s Ohio History Center and Ohio Village were added to the National Register of Historic Places.

The list, managed by the National Park Service, means a place is worthy of preservation due to its local, state or national significance in either architecture, archaeology, engineering or culture.

More on Ohio history: The Ohio History Connection has over 7,100 Native American remains. Will they be returned?

The building and 55-acre grounds, which are about three miles north of downtown Columbus at 800 E. 17th Ave., can be seen from Interstate 71.

The center is headquarters to the Ohio History Connection, a statewide nonprofit history organization that was founded in 1885 and was previously known as the Ohio Historical Society, which is tasked under Ohio Revised Code with preserving and maintaining Ohio history.

The State Historic Preservation Office is also housed within the center, along with a museum, library and the state archives.

Also on the grounds is the Ohio Village, a living-history community that contains mid-to-late-1800s buildings modeled after Ohio towns of the time.

'A very impressive piece of modern architecture in Ohio'

Barbara Powers, department head for inventory and registration in the Ohio History Connection’s State Historic Preservation Office, knows people driving by on 71 probably wonder what the building is. So she's excited it has been recognized and its significance highlighted by the National Register, she said.

The five-story building was designed by W. Byron Ireland & Associates, a local architect, and features 283,609 square feet of interior space. Building began in 1966 and was done in 1970.

It has a bold, geometric appearance, featuring three main sections: a delta-shaped first floor, a second-floor plaza level and a cantilevered block with the third through fifth floors.

It's an example of late modernist architecture. The building's use of concrete was innovative at the time, as it was all poured in place and earned the construction workers an award, Powers said.

"It's a very impressive piece of modern architecture in Ohio, so we're thrilled to have it get attention," she said.

Ireland never referred to the building as any particular style of architecture, Powers said, but emphasized the dual functions of the building: housing the museum and the state archives. He highlighted the "separate but connected aspect of the building" and its uses, she said.

"His intent was to clearly express through its appearance the dual uses of it," Powers said.

“The Ohio History Center and Ohio Village created architectural expressions — one ultra-modern anticipating Ohio’s future and one looking to Ohio’s past — and both (were) designed to achieve the Ohio History Connection’s mission to tell stories from the state’s history,” Powers said.

In 1972, the center was awarded a design prize by the American Institute of Architects. In 1994, it was honored again by the institute with a 25-year award to note its continued excellence in architectural design and engineering.

“The recognition on the National Register brings well-deserved attention to the iconic architecture of the Ohio History Center and establishes its storied place in Ohio architecture,” Megan Wood, executive director and CEO of the Ohio History Connection, said in a statement.

Other Columbus places: Two King-Lincoln Bronzeville homes recognized on National Register of Historic Places

In October, the Ohio History Connection began building a new $17 million storage facility to store over half of its more than 1.8 million items.

Ohio Village also noted for historic significance

Ohio Village opened on the center's grounds in 1974, and it was also noted in the National Register.

Inside the village are examples of architecture styles such as Greek Revival, Italianate, Gothic Revival and building types such as a salt box, I-House and Upright and Wing.

October 2022: Ohio History Connection breaks ground on $17 million artifacts storage facility

Other Columbus landmarks on the National Register of Historic Places include the former Downtown YMCA and the original Port Columbus airport terminal.

dking@dispatch.com

@DanaeKing

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio History Center named to National Register of Historic Places