Columbus Board of Trade Building

Columbus Board of Trade Building
General information
Address	30 E. Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio
Coordinates	39°57′46″N 82°59′59″W / 39.96267°N 82.99966°W / 39.96267; -82.99966Coordinates: 39°57′46″N 82°59′59″W / 39.96267°N 82.99966°W / 39.96267; -82.99966
Opened	July 23, 1889
Closed	August 1964
Demolished	December 1969
Design and construction
Architect	Elah Terrell, Joseph W. Yost

The Columbus Board of Trade Building was a historic building on Capitol Square in Downtown Columbus, Ohio. The building was built in 1889 for the present-day Columbus Chamber of Commerce, and was designed by Elah Terrell and Joseph W. Yost. It became vacant in 1964 and was demolished five years later. The Rhodes State Office Tower sits on the site today.

Attributes[]

The building was located on East Broad Street on the city's downtown Capitol Square, opposite the Ohio Statehouse. Its style has been described as Richardsonian Romanesque and Gothic Revival. The building's facade had three similarly-sized bays, with the central bay six stories tall, and side bays of five stories. Each bay was flanked with a column capped with a tall conical roof. The main entranceway included two immense columns appearing to support a large stone arch. The building's arched windows, as well as the oversize entranceway, gave an impression of importance and stateliness supporting the commercial role of the building.^[1]

History[]

The building housed the city's fourth and current organized chamber of commerce, which was established in 1884, initially headquartered at the old City Hall. In 1886, the group spent $45,000 to purchase a building known as the Buckeye House Hotel or Gardner House, built in 1837. Both its demolition and construction of the new building began that year. The total cost was about $165,000.^[2]

On May 3, 1888, workers removed scaffolding amid construction, unexpectedly collapsing a basement ceiling arch. Two people were killed and another worker was seriously injured.^[3][4] The event shocked the organization's members, who considered abandoning construction.^[2] Work nevertheless continued, and the building was opened on July 23, 1889.^[5]

The building had a 2,000-seat auditorium at the rear of the building, razed in 1932.^[2][6]

In 1964, the building became vacant as the chamber of commerce had moved to a location on North High Street. The Board of Trade Building was demolished in 1969 shortly after pieces of its facade fell to the street. The Rhodes State Office Tower sits on the site today.^[1]

References[]

External links[]

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