Photo: Circa 1864 McEwen-Samuels-Marr House, located at 524 East Third Street. The historic district was on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Photographed by User:Nyttend (own work), 2009, [public domain], via Wikimedia Commons, accessed August, 2025.
The Columbus Historic District [†] is a historically significant area recognized for its architectural and developmental importance. The district covers approximately 182 acres and includes 648 structures.
Architectural Details
The commercial area forms the southwest corner of the historic district. It extends five and a half blocks north along Washington Street, and one block east and west on 3rd, 4th, and 5th Streets. Buildings are typically two or three stories tall, with most constructed in the 1880s, though some date back to 1850.
The most common architectural style is Italianate**. Other styles present include Federal, Second Empire, Queen Anne, Neo-Classic, and Art Deco**. Most contributing structures are made of brick with metal or stone trim. Many buildings utilize locally manufactured cast-iron and pressed metal components from firms like B. Busch and the Columbus Machine and Millwright Company. Iron fronts from the George Mesker Foundry in Evansville, Indiana, are also found.
The residential area consists of more than 40 square blocks. The most notable feature is the large number of "cross plan cottages". These are small, one-story, working-man's homes, typically of frame construction with intersecting gable roofs. They have a plan where one room projects toward the street with two rooms side-by-side behind it. There are nearly 160 examples of this type in the district. Other residential styles include Italianate, Queen Anne, Stick Style, Prairie, and 20th Century Revival.
Historical Background
The town was founded in 1821 as Tiptona and was renamed Columbus within months. Its existence is owed to its strategic location at the confluence of several waterways. The early community was an agricultural and water transportation center. Flatboats were used on the White River to transport goods. Sawmills, grist mills, and woolen mills were among the earliest industries.
The arrival of the Madison and Indianapolis Railroad and other rail lines marked a dramatic change for Columbus. The railroad helped transform the community from an agricultural one to a more diversified one with an industrial base. Following the Civil War, industries began to emerge, including the Cerealine Manufacturing Company, Reeves and Company farm implements, and the American Starch Company.
† Adapted from: Cynthia DurkoLynch and Laura S. Jones, Preserve to Enjoy, Inc., Columbus Historic District, nomination document, 1980, National Register of Historic Places, Washington, D.C., accessed August, 2025.
Street Names
3rd Street • 7th Street • Chestnut Street • Franklin Street • Lafayette Avenue • Pearl Street • Sycamore Street • Washington Street