74 South May Ave.

COSI

Harrison House

About the Neighborhood

Founded in 1797, Franklinton is Central Ohio’s first community and served as the county seat from 1803 to 1824. Located at the confluence of the Olentangy and Scioto rivers, Franklinton’s location made it a hub for transportation and industry for more than a century and was known for its production of railroad cars and horse-drawn buggies. During the war of 1812, Franklinton’s location made it ideal for military operations, and became the site of General William Henry Harrison’s headquarters. Unfortunately, the location and low-lying land also made the area prone to flooding, including a disastrous and fatal flood in 1913. Franklinton’s designation as a flood plain stalled new development and reinvestment for the latter half of the 20th century.

With the newly completed West Columbus Local Protection Project (known as the Franklinton Floodwall), Franklinton is poised for new economic and residential development and is welcoming some of its first new construction activities in decades. While the issues of the past have hampered development, this community is virtually a blank slate as to what can be accomplished in attracting new businesses, economic development and improving housing.

Franklinton offers the typical, older central city grid pattern of streets and alleys, homes with front porches and sidewalks or lawn curbs. Several boulevards have grassy boulevards, providing park-like green space to this densely populated area. While Franklinton’s current housing stock is limited in both size and quality, its affordability (median value of a single family home is $39,000) makes it an attractive option for urban pioneers ready to invest in recreating and revitalizing an urban community.

Located just across the Scioto River from downtown, Franklinton offers the convenience and character of urban living just steps from the city’s and the state’s government center. Franklinton’s main corridor, West Broad Street, hosts a variety of eateries such as the Florentine, Spaghetti Warehouse, Milo’s, Tommy’s Diner and Phillip’s Coney Island that have become a mainstay for the downtown business crowd. Franklinton is also home to Mount Carmel West Medical Center.

Due to its history as an industrial center in a city that has shifted to much more of a service industry, Franklinton is faced with the urban challenges such as abandoned warehouses and empty storefronts. With these challenges, however, come opportunities for development of retail, commercial, and artistic endeavors. Its location, affordability and edgy urban feel make the area an ideal location for artist studios, specialty boutiques and night clubs.

Some of Franklinton’s most recent developments include the Center of Science and Industry (COSI), one of the state’s premier science museums; the rehabilitated Veteran’s Memorial, which hosts a variety of conferences and special events; and the riverfront Amphitheater, which hosts a variety of musical events and outdoor festivals. There is also a newly developed West Edge Business Center, attracting commercial and light industrial businesses to the area.

Location

Franklinton is located on Downtown Columbus’s West edge and is approximately bordered by Interstate 70 to the East and South and the Scioto River to the North and East. It is adjacent to the West of Downtown Columbus. The main East-West corridor is West Broad Street.

Community and Civic Organizations

Franklinton Development Association http://www.franklinton.org/
Franklinton Area Commission
Franklinton Board of Trade
http://www.franklintonboardoftrade.org/

Places of Interest

Cooper Stadium (home of AAA Columbus Clippers)
http://www.clippersbaseball.com/
Center of Science and Industry
http://www.cosi.org/home/?&fl=1
Veteran’s Memorial
http://www.fcvm.com/home.htm
Holy Family Church (founded in 1889)
http://www.holyfamilycolumbus.org/
Harrison House
Franklinton Branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library http://www.cml.lib.oh.us/ebranch/about_cml/locations/
sel_branch_detail.cfm?bldg_id=410
A.D. Farrow Harley Davidson (the oldest continuously operating Harley-Davidson dealer in the United States) http://www.adfarrow.com/new/
West Edge Business Park
Franklinton Cemetery
http://www.graveaddiction.com/oldfrank.html

Parks and Recreation

Genoa Park and Amphitheater
http://recparks.columbus.gov/Parks/Parks_65.asp
Dodge Park
http://recparks.columbus.gov/Parks/Parks_122.asp
McKinley Park
http://recparks.columbus.gov/Parks/Parks_134.asp
Dodge Recreation Center
http://recparks.columbus.gov/Parks/Parks_122.asp